Is terramycin safe for a 3-week-old kitten with an eye infection?

Poor Snowball! Since she is still squinting with watery eye discharge after 6 days on Terramycin, you should take her to the vet now. The most common cause of recurrent eye issues and sneezing is due to viral infections (herpesvirus and calicivirus) that can cause both eye and upper respiratory signs when they shed intermittently. Signs typically resolve once the virus is done shedding, but many cats can also develop secondary bacterial infections which require antibiotics for treatment. In the long term, discuss using a Lysine supplement (Viralys is one example) for Snowball with her vet. I hope that all goes well for Snowball!

Hello. You can continue with this treatment every 12 hours. But if the eyes do not improve in a few days, or the symptoms worse, please do see your veterinarian for further diagnosis & treatment. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm glad to hear that Bubu Kitty Mok has already been to her vet to address this eye issue and start a course of terramycin. Do not allow her to rub her eye, as this could cause a corneal ulcer or abrasion in addition to her existing conjunctivitis. Put an e-collar (cone) on her until this eye issue resolves to prevent further damage to the eye. If the redness in her eye continues despite medication, she will need to go back to her vet for further evaluation. Although uncommon, terramycin can be irritating to some cats. I hope that she's feeling better soon!

Terramycin is an antibiotic that can be used for bacterial conjunctivitis. But runny eyes doesn’t mean infection. I would have Penelope examined by a vet to determine the cause to start an appropriate treatment.

It won't cause any serious harm if the mother licks a little of it off. However to prevent any upset stomach problems, you should wipe any excess ointment away before letting kitten go back to his/her mother cat.

No, I would not use that on her eye. Her eye needs to be checked out by a vet so that you can be certain the correct medication is being used. Using the wrong medication can cause real damage to the eye. Please take her into a vet today. Best of luck.

Whenever there is an injury to the eye it is very important to have your vet examine the eye to see if there is an abrasion or possibly even a rupture of the cornea. If this is the case, treatment options are very different as is the prognosis of saving the eye. If the Terramycin was from a previous injury it may or may not be appropriate to use this time. Also, if it has been more than 30 days since it was last used it should be discarded. Since the eye is such a delicate structure, I strongly recommend you take Thumper to your veterinarian for an examination.