Causes of Cat's Closed Eyes and Eye Discharge

When your cat's eyes refuse to open and are accompanied by excessive eye boogers, it might be due to foreign body irritation, eye infections, or upper respiratory issues. As a pet parent, it's crucial to identify the cause promptly and address it to prevent further eye damage and severe infections that could lead to more serious complications.

Common Causes of a Cat's Closed Eyes and Eye Discharge:

1. Environmental Irritants: Dust, smoke, pollen, and other allergens in the environment can irritate your cat's eyes, leading to increased secretions. Intense light or windy conditions can also provoke similar reactions.

2. Eye Infections: Conditions such as conjunctivitis, keratitis, and blepharitis are common. Conjunctivitis, in particular, can cause redness, tearing, and excessive discharge. Both bacterial and viral infections can lead to conjunctivitis, and if the eye boogers contain blood, it might indicate an injury.

3. Obstructed Tear Ducts: Normally, tears drain through the nasolacrimal ducts into the nose. If these ducts become blocked, tears can overflow from the eye sockets. Mixed with eye boogers and dust, tears can lead to secondary bacterial infections and eye inflammation. This is more common in flatfaced breeds like Persians, whose tear ducts are more prone to blockages due to their facial structure.

4. Foreign Body Irritation: Small particles like sand or plant fibers can enter the eye, causing discomfort and prompting the cat to rub its eyes, which can exacerbate the production of discharge.

5. Dietary Upsets: A diet high in salt and oil can increase the liver's metabolic burden and disrupt gastrointestinal function, leading to internal heat, excessive meibomian gland secretion, and symptoms like excessive eye boogers and closed eyes.

6. Upper Respiratory Infections: Conditions like feline rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus, mycoplasma, chlamydia, or other causes of rhinitis and sinusitis can also affect the eyes, leading to conjunctivitis, excessive eye boogers, and closed eyes.

If you notice your cat's eyes are stuck shut with a lot of eye boogers, it's advisable to take it to a veterinarian immediately for a checkup. Once the specific cause and extent of the infection are determined, targeted medications or surgical treatments can be administered.

In the absence of veterinary care, here are some steps you can take:

Stay Calm: Keep your composure and place an Elizabethan collar on your cat to prevent it from scratching its eyes and causing further injury or infection.

Gently Clean: Use sterile saline or petspecific eye care solutions. Dampen a clean cloth or medical cotton ball and carefully wipe away the eye boogers.

Medical Treatment: If there are signs of redness or infection, you can use antibiotic eye drops, such as Baytril (sulfamethoxazoletrimethoprim ophthalmic solution), three to five times a day, one to two drops per application. Always gently pull back the eyelids and rinse the eyes with saline before applying the medication to remove any eye boogers or foreign bodies.

Dietary Adjustments: Maintain a mild diet, avoid highfat and highsalt foods, and encourage your cat to drink more water to aid in metabolism.

If your cat's symptoms persist after three days of home treatment, it's essential to consult a veterinarian. Additionally, if your cat exhibits symptoms like sneezing and runny nose along with the eye issues, it may be infected with feline rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, or mycoplasma, and a PCR test may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.