Kitten swollen eye, sneezing. Is amoxicillin enough for URI?

Upper respiratory infections are not uncommon in kittens like Smokey. Its also not unusual that they cause eye problems as well. I would advise to start Smokey on 250mg of lysine twice daily. You may be able to find this at a pet store but it is used in humans as well. Otherwise your vet will likely carry it as well. Call the doctor to let her know whats going on. She may have further recommendations. If Smokey's eyes start to get irritated or have a green/yellow discharge, he needs antibiotics for his eyes as well. I hope this helps!

I strongly disagree with your vet, in my experience both oral and topical (eye ointment called teramycin) are necessary in such a case, otherwise you run the risk of it becoming a chronic infection for life, both respiratory and the eye.

Hello. If your kitten is sneezing and has discharge from her nose and eyes, this could be either viral or bacterial. If it is viral the discharge is usually clear and Baby Orange should still be eating/drinking and playing normally, unless she has a fever. If the discharge is yellow/cream/green then there is likely a bacterial component that requires antibiotics. Depending on your area there are different antibiotic choices for bacterial infections including amoxicillin/clavulanic acid or doxycycline. I would recommend having your kitten checked by a vet to see if antibiotics are required, and which is the best for the area you are in, and also to get a proper formulation and dose, as improper antibiotic use can make Baby Orange very sick. Good luck with her!

No, I do not recommend giving your kitten human amoxicillin. The reason for this is two-fold. If you have liquid amoxicillin, it needs to be used within 10 days of being opened. Any leftover should be discarded or returned to your pharmacy for disposal. The second reason is a 3 lb kitten would use an extremely small dose compared to a human. I recommend visiting your veterinarian to get a safer treatment option. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to the upper respiratory infection or an ulcer for example. Regardless, he is likely going to need eye medications. I recommend you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your kitten. Amoxicillin is a medication with a wide dosing range. I can understand your confusion with the package though. I would recommend following your veterinarian's dosing for now, but be sure to follow up with the prescribing doctor to double check. You should be able to call the office and have someone check for you. This will give you piece of mind. I hope this information helps!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. The answer is, it depends. We need more information. When was the refrigerated amoxicillin reconstituted? If it was longer than 14 days ago then it is no longer good. Is this formulation the same mg/ml as the one you got from the veterinarian? It is best for you to repost with that information so we can help you better. Honestly, though, if he is only sneezing, has no other symptoms and is eating/drinking well I would not bother with the antibiotics. Usually a URI is due to a mixed infection of bacteria and viruses - you cannot treat the viral portion with antibiotics and typically after 10 days the bacterial portion is under control. You are better off letting his own immune system kick in. I recommend you use something like Imuquin to help boost his immunity instead of using antibiotics. ( https://www.chewy.com/nutramax-imuquin-beta-glucans-marine/dp/572566 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.