A healthy cats eyes should produce tears continuously. Tears keep the eyes most and nourish the cornea. The Cornea is the front part of the eye). The tears through a duct into the nose. A healthy cat’s eyes should be bright, white, and clear.
Tears are made of water, mucus and fat. Over time some of the water evaporates and this leads to dried conglomeration of mucus and fat next to the eyes of your cat. Those so-called eye boogers develop in all cats, dogs and people over time. We people simple rub them away from our eyes, but cats don’t have hands, so the dried mucus and fat build up if nothing is done to it. You can remove the debris gently with a moistened cotton ball.
Eye problems are terrible and can lead to serious problems. If you see your cat blinking a lot, pawing it’s eyes, and or rubbing his eyes against the sofa and squinting a lot, it’s a sign that something is up. If you neglect eye problems your cat can end up blind or needing a surgery. Always talk to your vet when you notice irritation in your cats eyes.
Reasons for Cat Discharge Are:
Feline Upper Respiratory Infections
A Frequent cause of eye discharge in cats, these can include viruses such as feline calcivirus, a contagious respiratory disease, Pneumonitis or rhinotracheitis, bacteria and protozoa. The symptoms can be mild or progress to something very serious and may include a sticky, pus-like eye discharge.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
An inflammation of the light pink lining around the eyes of your cat. Conjunctivitis can cause on or both of the eyes to look red and swollen, be light-sensitive and have clear, teary or thick mucous eye discharge.
The cornea of your cat can become inflamed, injured or ulcerated. The signs may be cloudiness, excessive blinking, inflammation and increased tear production.
Epiphora (Water, tearing eyes)
Blocked tear ducts, an overproduction of tears, allergies, vital conjunctivitis and more can be the reason of the teary and watery eye of your cat.
inflammation of the iris and blood vessels of the eyes. Trauma, cancer, immune problems or infections can cause the serious and often painful inflammation of uveitis.
Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (Dry eyes)
KS is a chronic lack of tear production. It can lead to an inflamed cornea, red eyes and if it is left untreated it can lead to blindness. Because the watery portion of tears is missing, the discharge can be yellow and gooey.
Other eye discharge causes include feline infectious peritonitis, allergies, something lodged in the eye, or third eyelid problems.
Do not neglect minor eye ailments. If there is any doubt about the diagnosis, and particularly if the eye has been treated at home but has not shown improvement in 24 hours, call your veterinarian. Eye problems can go from minor to serious in a very short time.
If you have medications left over from a previous eye problem, don’t use them on your cat’s eyes. Different eye issues means different medications.
The Treatment of the problems depends on the issue. If the cause is an allergy, then it can be treated with hydrocotisone medications. Bacterial infections of the eye can be treated with antibiotic medications and ointments.
Tips For Keeping The Eyes Clean
You can help your cat avoiding eye problems by checking their eyes often for redness, cloudiness, a change in color or shape, discharge of sensitivity to light.
Face your cat in a bright area and look her in the eyes. The eyes should be bright, clear, and the area around the eyeball should be white. Roll down your kitty’s eyelid gently with your thumb and take a look at the lid’s lining. It should be pink, not red or white.
What To Watch For
If you’re looking your cat in the eye, checking for something unusual or when you think something is wrong with their eyes. Check for the following things…
- Red or white eyelid linings
- Crusty gunk in the corners of the eye
- Tear-stained fur
- Closed eye(s)
- Cloudiness or change in eye color
- Visible third eyelid
If your cat is often squinting, blinking, pawing its eyes, or rubbing his eyes against things take a look at her eyes. If you see something from the above list, call your vet.
Cleaning The Eyes
- Dip a cotton ball in water.
- Wipe away the eye discharge; always wiping away from the corner of the eye.
- Use a fresh cotton ball for each eye.
- Steer clear of any over-the-counter drops or washes unless your vet has prescribed them.
Hiro has a lot of ‘mucus’ in his eyes. He has this even when he was only a little kitten. It makes Hiro, Hiro. So we often clean his eyes, and keep an eye out for anything unusual.
Does your cat has a lot of gooey eyes?
Go see Archie at Mythreemoggies where he talks about his eye boogers!