Cat Eye Discharge & Tears: Effective Medication Options
It's quite normal for cats to occasionally shed tears and have a small amount of brown discharge from their eyes. This is a typical physiological occurrence and does not require any special treatment. However, if the discharge is excessive, or if it's accompanied by symptoms like red, swollen eyes, pain, or difficulty opening the eyes, these could be signs of dietary issues, eye diseases, or environmental factors, and it's important to seek medical attention promptly.
What Causes Brown Discharge in a Cat's Eyes?
1. Dietrelated Issues
Cats that frequently consume salty foods may place additional strain on their kidneys, which can lead to an increase in eye discharge, tear stains, and eye boogers when excess salt cannot be properly excreted.
2. Eye Infections
Excessive eye discharge, especially when accompanied by symptoms like redness, pain, or inability to open the eyes, could indicate eye diseases such as conjunctivitis, keratitis, or dacryocystitis.
3. Respiratory Infections
Cats with upper respiratory infections often exhibit symptoms like increased eye discharge and tearing, which can be caused by infections like mycoplasma, chlamydia, or infections with feline rhinotracheitis or feline calicivirus. If your cat shows other symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, mouth ulcers, or lethargy in addition to tearing and brown discharge, it's advisable to consult a veterinarian promptly.
4. Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction
Cats' tears are supposed to flow through the nasolacrimal ducts to the nose and mouth. If these ducts become blocked, tears can pool in the eye sockets and eventually leak from the corners, turning brown over time due to the oxidation of porphyrin iron in the tears, creating tear stains. Nasolacrimal duct obstruction can be related to congenital malformation, often seen in flatfaced cat breeds like Persians and Himalayans. Inflammation, injury, or tumors near the nasolacrimal ducts can also lead to blockages.
What Medication Can Be Given to a Cat with Brown Discharge from the Eyes?
Firstly, gather some saline solution, medical cotton balls (or cotton swabs), and tissues.
Saline solution is versatile and can be used to clean your cat's eyes as well as to clean skin and wounds if your cat is injured or has skin infections.
Moisten a medical cotton ball with saline solution and gently wipe away the tears and brown discharge from your cat's eyes. If there's discoloration from the hair, you can use a mixture of saline solution and boric acid solution (2:8) to wipe the area; the color should fade over a few days of continued cleaning.
Secondly, adjust your cat's diet by providing them with wellbalanced cat food with low salt content, ensuring they have plenty of water, and avoiding highsodium, highfat, and overly processed foods.
In addition, if your cat has a lot of eye boogers and might be experiencing a bit of heat, consider using a combination of Shan Jing (Jinyinhua Eye Wash) and Kawa Ning (Qingwen Baeduoyao Tablets) for a few days to help cool the body and protect the eyes.
Lastly, if you notice symptoms like red, swollen eyes, difficulty opening the eyes, frequent blinking, or scratching at the eyes, you can use antibiotic eye drops for 3 to 5 days, such as Bailangming (Neomycin Sulfate Eye Drops), levofloxacin eye drops, or tobramycin eye ointment. If symptoms persist, it's crucial to take your cat to a veterinary clinic for a checkup to determine the cause and receive targeted treatment.
