Ask Dr Claire

My boyfriends 7 week old kitten has developed a raspy meow and yellow discharge from her nose. Thoughts?

In short, yellow discharge from a kittens nose is never normal.

A common underlying cause of yellow discharge from the nose in such a young kitten is a respiratory tract infection. It may have started as a virus but it’s likely there is also a bacterial component now.

Young kittens who haven’t finished their vaccination course are very susceptible to getting ‘colds’, and when untreated they can also go downhill quickly from dehydration and infection.

A hands-on examination from your local vet would be a great place to start.

It’s also important to keep their noses clean with very gentle cleaning, so that they can breathe and smell their food more easily. Weigh your kitty every day to ensure there’s weight gain–it’s the best way to assess healthy growth.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail, as soon as possible.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon,

Dr Claire