Is it safe to use Polysporin on my kitten's eyes temporarily?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Can I use Polysporin on my twelve week old kittens eyes until I get him some eye drops?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 5th, 2017
It's best to use an eye-specific antibiotic medication if you're going to use an over-the-counter type. Not one designed for skin wounds. If this is unavailable, clean the eyes gently with a warm washcloth to keep them open and clean until you can get to a vet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 18th, 2018
Under no circumstance can you use OTC neosporin on the eye. Please do not use it. If you cannot take your kitten to the vet , gently soften the crusts with a warm moist paper towel and wipe them off. If this spreads to any your kittens to the vet as they will then have an upper respiratory infection which is easily treated and not expensive to treat.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
New Pet
I have a litter of kittens. 4 of them and the mom. They are around 4 weeks old. One of the kittens has a crusty eye that gets stuck shut and is watery and a bit pink. I cannot take it to the vet. Can I use Neosporin on its eye?
Under no circumstance can you use OTC neosporin on the eye. Please do not use it. If you cannot take your kitten to the vet , gently soften the crusts with a warm moist paper towel and wipe them off. If this spreads to any your kittens to the vet as they will then have an upper respiratory infection which is easily treated and not expensive to treat.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a 5 week old kitten.i came home to find her eye matted shut. I was told to put Neosporin in it.i just want to make sure this is safe
I wouldn't advise the neosporin without further exam. This is because neosporin ointment can cause further irritation if the cornea has an injury. Bella should be seen by a veterinarian to make sure the eye itself is ok as well as make sure she isn't developing an upper respiratory tract infection as those can begin with eye discharge.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
I took in a pregnant feral cat. Two days later she gave birth to her babies. They are 11 days today. I just noticed one has a very crusty eye while the other one is fully open. Is it too soon to apply antibiotic ointment to the kitten? Should I jus
I would not put antibiotic ointment on the eye without consulting your vet. Moist compresses on the eye in order to soften the crusts and then wipe them off should suffice. If the eye starts to get a yellow or greenish discharge, take the kitten to the vet for an exam and some prescription antibiotics.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 9 week old kitten has conjunctivitis. Is there anything I can do to treat it without incurring an exam cost in order to get antibiotics? I understand that it could be bacterial or viral. I was hoping I could treat it myself as if it was viral.
Bathing the eye every 4-6hours with sterile saline eye wash or cooled, boiled water can help to reduce the burden of infection and irritation in the eye and promote healing but if the eye is red, swollen or closed then it really does need a full examination to rule out ulcers or other traumatic causes and to assess for the most appropriate eye drops (antibiotic, lubricant, antiinflammatory, serum or antibacterial). Delaying treatment can lead to irreversible scarring and vision loss
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I was wondering if there is an over the counter version of Tobramyacin 0.5% drops, that would sphere safe for kittens?
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Unfortunately no. :( Tobramycin is an antibiotic eye drop. Anything that contains an antibiotic requires a prescription. Also when it comes to eyes we have to very careful with what we prescribe, making sure it is safe for the eye and the condition being treated. If the kittens are having eye issues it’s best to have them seen to obtain a prescription. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Found this kitten nearby she is too weak and has an infection in the eye ...i cleared the puss and white discharge with cotton but the eye is still red ... there's no vet nearby nor can u afford at this time...isthere any medicine like eye drop i can
Go to the pharmacy and ask for Teramycin eye drops. if they don't have it any other antibiotic eye drops (without steroids) will do. if i'm not mistaking those eye drops are sold over the counter in India. you will need to apply the eye ointment or eye drop 4 times a day until the eye infection resolves.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Two of our 7 wk old cats have what appears to be an infection in the eye. The one has both eyes affected by watering and redness, the other has only her right eye. This eye is also red but the goo appears more yellow than the other. Can we buy anythi
Poor kitty. Kittens will often get eye infections due to viral and bacterial infections. Usually it will start off as a viral infection with just watery clear discharge and then a secondary bacterial infection will develop, causing yellow or green discharge. Therefore we recommend antiviral medication such as lysine powder which can be found at your local pet store over the counter. However the secondary bacterial infection will need to be treated with a topical antibiotic ointment prescribed by a veterinarian. They will need to be seen to treat the secondary eye infections unfortunately because there are no over-the-counter options for this . You can look for low-cost clinics in your area or the Humane society that may be able to get them in and seen for a reasonable price. Good luck with your kitties and I hope that their eye infections resolves soon. Take care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
My kitten (4 mos.) has in eye 1/2 pink eye and is squinting sometimes, don't have a vet appt. until this Monday anything I can do for her in the meantime?
Poor Abby! I would recommend trying to keep the eye clear and open by using a warm clean washcloth to wipe away any debris that may be crusting the eye shut. Keeping an Elizabethan (cone) collar can also keep her from rubbing or pawing at the eye which may help reduce irritation until your vet can take a look.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Is Tobradex safe to use on 3 weeks old kittens with swallen eyes? How many times a day if so ? What about Apisal saline eye drops , could we use a combination of both ( first sterilize with Apisal) then treat with Tobradex? Or is safer to use refresh
The dexamethasone steroid in Tobradex could worsen the eye condition if Habla also has a corneal scratch or ulceration. Tobramycin opththalmic antibiotic drops without the dex would be much better to give three times a day for 7 days if you are not able to take her to a vet for a fluorescein stain to rule out a corneal scratch or ulcer. If the eyes are swollen because of conjunctivitis (a bacterial eye infection) and especially if there is also ocular discharge, Apisal or Refresh saline drops alone will likely not clear the infection. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
can I use human antibiotic pink eye drops for my cat with mild conjunctivitis? the drops i have contain polymyxin B 10,000 units per ml (as a sulfate) and gramicidin 0.025 mg also contains non medical ingredients alcohol, benzalkonium, chloride, pol
I'm sorry that Kenny has conjunctivitis! Unfortunately, I would not recommend using these drops in Kenny's eye - polymyxin is not recommended for use in cats, as it can cause a severe reaction in some cases. It's also important to determine what is causing Kenny's eye problem, since conjunctivitis can be caused by an eye infection, an upper respiratory viral or bacterial infection, or an injury to the cornea such as a scratch or ulcer - treatment recommendations would be different depending on the underlying problem. Because of this, I would recommend taking Kenny to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to. He/she can take a look at the eye and do some simple testing if needed to help diagnose the problem, and will prescribe a safe and effective eye drop to treat it.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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