After having rescued many cats who have had the disease of feline herpes and spending in excess of $10,000 on small tubes of eye ointment provided to me by the vet I can safely say the following works 100%. Those small tubes cost a lot of money anywhere from $28 to $35 and all they are Neomycin and Polymyxin B sulfates abd Bacitracin zinc Ophthalmic Ointment which can be found at Rite Aide under the heading of Triple Antibiotic Ointment for $10 and that's for a large tube. Teramycin also works and can be found at Feed Stores now I prefer the Neomycin which is also found in Neosporin Ointment not the cre ame. The teramycin worked for some of the small kittens but not on all. I also reccommend the Polymyxin and Vitamins so you will spend $45 for Vet visit, Polymyxin and Vitamins can cost you anywhere from $12-17 depending on your Vet and the eye ointment $10 or less. It contains the same stuff which the Vet sells for a lot more and for a tiny little tube. Now, at first I wouldn't put let's say Neosporin in my cats eyes because I was afraid I would Polymyxin them, but it won't. Read the small print on the tube you will purchase from your Vet and read what is the components of Neosporin or any other ointment I mentioned and you will see they have the ingredients. It is a poor man's way of being able to care for his animals without having to pay such high costs at the Vet.
Since I have recently had the same problem I will share my experience... I got a Mother cat who they forgot to tell me was pregnant she gave birth and I had the same problem. I must've taken my cats into 3 different vets all of who said different things and gave me medicine. Turns out one of the cats has CANCER because though his mother tested negative and so did he and the rest of the litter of having Lukemia it is a genetic defect, the cats born of this Mama cat are "special needs Kitties" meaning the reason my cats eyes were watery and sealed is they have herpes. Herpes in cats is not contagious. Without the proper medicine your cats eyes can become permanently harmed. The vet has given me these medicines: CLAVAMIX - Used for upper respiratory infection i.e. Sneezing etc. VETROPOLYCIN - Great stuff for the cats or dogs eyes if their eyes become sealed and start to look as if it is going to pop out - it's not but it looks like it will. SAMBUCAL - VITAMINS VIRALYS - Food Supplement. Now don't be afraid to keep your cat if he/she has the same problem as mine did, they are a joy to me but I know they will always be a special need kitty and from time to time they will get sick and I will have to provide to them proper medical attention. Btw, the rest of my cats from this Mama cat don't have cancer all but one. He is hanging in there. I hope this has been helpful.
Feline upper respiratory disease is a complex of conjunctivitis and upper respiratory infection. It is very common in young cats, stray cats, and cats in group environments like you have. Typically there is a viral component to this disease then the bacteria invade producing, discharge, sneezing, and nasal congestion. Simply cleaning the eyes will not solve this problem. Your kitten should be examined by a veterinarian and placed on appropriate topical ophthalmic medication. I am not familiar with Albin-it may be a brand name; I am familiar with Albon which is an intestinal dewormer. Kittens do not have a fully developed immune system and often need help fighting infections. They also need supportive care--making sure they do not become dehydrated, hypoglycemic (low blood sugar), or hypothermic (cold). Many times supportive care can be done at home but the very sick kittens need hospitalization.
I adopted a pound kitten with an upper respiratory infection. The vet put her on Clavamix which cleared up her breathing problems. The problem is that two weeks later the cold was back. I gave her another round of Clavamix and her cold cleared up again. Several weeks later the cold came back. I was hoping that as she grew older her immune system would kick in, but she is six months old now and can't seem to rid herself of the respiratory infection. The vet says it is rhino virus and she will probably always have it. What are your thoughts?
