My 1-week-old kitten has ruptured eyes. What can I do to help her?

This eye is now blind and is likely to be painful - removal of the eye would be the kindest procedure in this case although anaesthetic is more risky at such a young age. I recommend seeking referral if your local vet is not comfortable with the anaesthetic or procedure in such a young kitten as this eye will be painful until it is removed and is at risk of rupture and serious infection

Poor baby! It looks likes she might have a ruptured corneal ulcer so she needs to be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. It is difficult to determine if the eye can be treated based on just the picture but there is a chance she will not be visual in that eye and enucleation may be the best choice. Please call a vet and schedule an appointment.

I agree that by 2 weeks of age the kittens eyes should be open and there would be concern for abnormal development or an infection causing adhesions. You may want to see if your vet feels comfortable applying a warm compress and then gently trying to ease the eyelids apart - this might help with adhesions. Otherwise anesthesia and using an instrument to separate the lids (surgery to cut the lid is not recommended) may be necessary since the eyes need to be open for appropriate development of the eye and neurologic pathway to the brain.

No, this is not normal and it appears like the eye has ruptured, possibly as a complication of the original injury or due to a more recent accident. Removal is recommended to prevent infection and pain

Hello. I am sorry to see that John is having issues with his eye. It does appear that the eye is severely compromised, and if the white clear discharge seen is the material from inside his eye then yes, it needs to be removed. You can always see an ophthalmologist for their opinion, however if that discharge is from a ruptured globe there is likely very little they will do aside from remove the eye. If the discharge can be 'wiped away' and a normal eye is underneath (unlikely based on what your vet has said and the picture provided) then it could be saved, however this is unlikely. Good luck with John, and remember, animals with 1 eye do exceptionally well, so don't worry about John only having 1 eye, he will do great!

Hi Caron, thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. At 5 and a half days of age, that is young for the eye to be open, and there is a concern that it won't be fully developed as you fear the eye was forced open. He needs to see a vet right away, as this could permanently damage his eyesight. You are doing the right thing by keeping the lighting dim and covering the windows, and you want to make sure the eye isn't too dry, which is why he needs to see a vet to get checked out. He can't be separated long from his mother, so please bring the mother and siblings to the appointment as well, and I would take them all in today. He should see a vet asap. I hope this helps!

This eye looks like it is ruptured. This is a constant source of pain and infection, and this cat will likely succumb to these things and not live a normal happy life. Infection could also lead to sepsis, so I highly recommend helping this stray kitty and getting this eye looked at. If the eye is too far gone, then removal of the eye (enucleation) may be the best course of action to help this poor kitty. Best of luck in caring for this street cat moving forward. Take care.