Knew kittens sneezing, runny eyes and.... reply asap pleaseX

Question
I went yesterday wth my boyfriend to get 2 cats for us from rassau pet
assosiation we picked up the 2kittens
one had gotten in a "fight" with one of the other cats staying there and now
his conjunctiva is 1/4 of the way across his eye i have been bathing it with
luke warm water and salt (this kitten is very thin and needs feeding up and is
also pale in the gums) have i been doing the right thing?????

the other kitten is slightly bigger, but is sneezing allot if i dont wipe his nose
and also has weeping eyes this i got told by the person who was incharge had
started during the night before last,  it also has started to cough as if theres
someting stuck in his throat

i am wooried that this is the start of cat flu and dont want to let it go on
anyfurther or if this is a cold and should let it run its course

both cats have the sneezing but thats about it, their both eating  although
both are terribly under weight (feeding them condensed milk in their tinned
cat food) as well as giving them a constant supply of water

i would like any help you can give me even if its to say yeh taken them to the
vet i just want reasuring that thats the best idea  as i cant really afford the
extortianate vet bills that we get in this area but i dont want the kittens to
suffer

please answer asap

cheerse
23year old wooried about her kittensXX

Answer
Sacha,

First of all, I am not a vet, BUT, yes, by all means they need to see a vet.  Yes, the cold will run its course, but the secondary infection is giving them a hard time.  Normally, with unknown situations a course of a penicillin based antibiotic like clavamox and a clindamycin based antibiotic should both be given orally.  In your locale, some of the drugs I am suggesting may not be available or have equally good counterparts.  Your vet will counsel you as to what is best.

The conjunctiva does not normally swell due to a cat fight!!!!!  So, you may also have to give eye drops (tobradex ophthalmic and gentamicin ophthalmic are good choices alternating one in the morning and one at night). Under no circumstances should you put an antibiotic drop in their eyes that contains a steroid!!!!!  Again, in your locale, some of the drugs I am suggesting may not be available or have equally good counterparts.  Your vet will counsel you as to what is best. If your vet suspects a Herpes virus, then there is a brand new treatment just published by the Winn Feline Foundation.  If your vet is interested, you can contact me with your e-mail address and I will forward you the information.


You should not give any cows milk to cats as it gives them diarrhea.  I would give them as much as they will eat of the tinned food.  You can give them snacks of boned chicken, boned turkey, boned tuna, boned salmon at mid-day.  It is good that they are eating.

The vet should do a thorough work up on these two kittens to find out what else may be wrong besides the sneezing and the eye involvement.

You have not told me how old these kittens are, but the sooner you get them to the vet, the better.

Please let me know what the vet finds and how your new kittens are doing.

Best regards... Norm.