Identify & Treat Cat Eye Discharge: Easy Guide!

Dealing with a cat's tears and eye boogers? Don't worry! If the tears and mucus are minimal, it might be a normal occurrence, especially in breeds with flat faces like Persians and Himalayans, as this is quite common for them.

But if your feline friend is sporting yellow, greenishyellow, or dark red eye boogers, it's time to take notice. These colors can indicate pathogenic factors, and today, we're here to guide you on how to differentiate and properly manage them!

1. White or translucent eye boogers: Normal

Newly formed eye boogers are usually white or translucent, soft in texture, and concentrated in the inner corners of the eyes. They are not excessive in quantity.

2. Black, dry eye boogers: Normal

Eye boogers can dry out and harden as they accumulate in the corners of the eyes. After oxidation and mixing with dust and other debris, they turn black.

ps: Normal eye boogers require no special treatment. Simply wipe them away with a tissue, or gently remove them with clean fingers or a cotton swab if they're dry.

3. Yellow eye boogers:上火 (Overheating)

Visible yellow eye boogers in the corners of your cat's eyes, without any other obvious eye issues, might be a sign of overheating, often caused by a diet of the same cat food and insufficient water intake, leading to a deficiency in vitamins and fiber.

Here's how to handle it:

① Rotate your cat's diet with different formulas, ideally duckbased or wet food, to prevent overheating.

② Gently clean the eye boogers with a cotton ball or pad soaked in sterile saline solution daily to prevent bacterial growth.

③ Supplement your cat's diet with vitamins A, B, and taurine to improve eye health and boost immunity.

4. Dark brown eye boogers: High salt content in food

Occasional dark red eye boogers might be related to high salt content in your cat's diet. If you notice a lot of dark brown eye boogers or tear stains, it could be due to issues like nasal duct obstruction, foreign body irritation, entropion, or eye infections.

Here's what to do:

① Clean the eye boogers, tears, and any foreign bodies with sterile saline solution at least once a day.

② Feed your cat lowsodium cat food and avoid giving them highsalt snacks or preserved foods.

③ Regularly use Shan Jing (Lonicera japonica eye drops) for cleaning and caring for your cat's eyes to prevent infections.

5. Dark red eye boogers: Injury

This usually affects only one eye and the eye boogers appear as dark red, jellylike clumps, possibly with some yellow and bloodshot areas. It often occurs in multicat households.

Here's how to handle it:

① Flush your cat's eye with sterile saline solution to remove eye boogers and any remaining bacteria.

② Apply erythromycin ointment and observe for 23 days. If the condition worsens, seek veterinary care promptly.

6. Yellowgreen eye boogers: Eye inflammation

Excessive yellow or greenishyellow eye boogers, a sticky texture, and symptoms like frequent blinking, difficulty opening the eyes, red or swollen conjunctiva, or edema, indicate eye inflammation. Immediate eye drops are necessary.

Here's what to do:

① Fit your cat with an Elizabethan collar to prevent scratching.

② Administer Bailangming (neomycin sulfate eye drops) and observe for 57 days. If symptoms don't improve, seek veterinary care.

③ If your cat's eye inflammation is accompanied by cold symptoms, it may be infected with feline rhinotracheitis or feline calicivirus, and immediate veterinary attention is needed.