Common Causes of Cat Eye Tears & Proper Care Techniques

The socalled "tear stains" on cats are actually a phenomenon where a large amount of tears are discharged and accumulate at the corners of the eyes. When exposed to the air, they gradually oxidize and turn into a rustlike color.

Compared to most cat breeds, shortnosed cats like the Persian, Himalayan, and Exotic Shorthair tend to have more tear stains. But what causes cats to have tear stains, and how can they be removed? Today, we'll provide a comprehensive guide to help you understand this issue better.

What Causes Cats to Have Tear Stains?

1. Genetic Factors

Flatfaced cat breeds, such as Persians, Himalayans, and Exotic Shorthairs, often have this issue.

These cats have a flat face structure and shorter nostrils, which slow down the tear drainage. Additionally, they naturally have more developed tear glands, leading to a higher tear volume and, consequently, more frequent tear stains.

2. Mild Tear Stains

For cats with lightcolored tear stains that disappear after wiping and reappear after a while, the following three factors might be responsible:

• Diet issues: High salt content in cat food (watersoluble chlorides) or a diet that includes human food.

• Environmental factors: Such as excessive dust from cat litter, too much dust in the environment, strong odors, or foreign body irritation.

• Ear conditions: Including ear mites, ear infections, and Malassezia ear infections.

3. Severe Tear Stains

If a cat's tear stains are very severe and accompanied by symptoms like red, swollen eyes, difficulty opening the eyes, and puslike discharge, the following causes may be to blame:

• Eye infections: Including conjunctivitis, keratitis, and corneal ulcers caused by bacterial, viral, or mycoplasma infections.

• Eye structural issues: Such as eyelashes that grow inward, entropion, or blocked tear ducts.

How to Deal with Cat Tear Stains?

After understanding the causes of tear stains, we can take some daily care and preventive measures based on different causes to reduce the occurrence of tear stains.

1. Keep the Environment Clean: Regularly clean the indoor environment, especially in areas where cats frequent. Use dustfree cat litter to reduce dust and bacteria that can irritate the eyes. Also, maintain good air circulation indoors to avoid dust, hair, and other foreign bodies that can exacerbate tear stains.

2. Adjust Diet: Feed cats lowfat, lowsodium cat food, avoid spicy, stimulating, and overly salty foods, and encourage them to drink more water to promote metabolism.

3. Eye Care: Gently wipe the tear stains with a mixture of 20% physiological saline and 80% boric acid solution. Use Shan Jing (Jinyinhua Eye Wash) to clean the eye's inner secretions and soothe eye discomfort. Finally, dry the remaining moisture with a tissue to prevent bacterial growth and skin infections. Additionally, gently massage the eye area and tear ducts to help unblock them.

4. Trim Hair: Regularly trim the hair around the cat's eyes to reduce the possibility of hair friction with the eyes. However, be careful during the trimming process to avoid harming the cat's eyes.

5. Check Ears: Regularly inspect the cat's ears, and if you find signs of ear mites, infections, or other issues, treat them promptly.

★Common Symptoms and Medications for Ear Diseases:

▷Ear mites: Itching in the ears, with a lot of black or brownish waxy secretions, and the cat frequently scratches or shakes its head.

Medications: Er Fen Fen (Pet Ear Care Solution) + Xin Er Ning (Mycotic Fungus Soft Gel) + Di Pai (Pyriproxyfen Moxidectin Drop)

▷Ear infections: Red, swollen, and moist ears with watery or purulent secretions.

Medications: Er Fen Fen + Er Di Ke (Fluorbenicillin Metronidazole Ear Drop) + Er Su Da (Cefadroxil Tablets)

▷Malassezia: Itching in the ears, with a lot of brown or black greasy secretions and a sour smell.

Medications: Er Fen Fen + Clotrimazole Ointment + Ivermectin

Lastly, if a cat's tear stains are accompanied by symptoms like red, swollen eyes and puslike discharge, first clean the eyes with sterile physiological saline to remove the secretions. Then, use Ba Lang Ming (Neomycin Sulfate Eye Drop) or other antibiotic eye drops for three days. If the symptoms do not improve, seek medical attention promptly.