As a pet owner of cats and probably dogs too, you might have seen them discharging a liquidy substance from their eye. Some breeds of pets are known for their eye discharge, which causes dark streaks to appear on the sides of their face if left uncleaned.
When you see a cat discharge something from its eye, you need to first check the color of the liquid substance. In normal circumstances, the discharge would be clear and watery in appearance, but for serious conditions, that discharge would be either yellow or greenish in color.
Causes of Cat Eye Discharge
In this post, we will be covering several general factors that cause eye discharges in cats. Keep in mind that similar factors can also result in eye discharges in dogs since pets are relatively put in the same environment.
Underneath each causative agent, I have also listed several products that might help with the peculiar condition. If you think that any one of these factors is the culprit, make sure to read the treatment section thoroughly for helpful solutions.
1. Eye Infection / Damage
Among the causes of cat’s eye discharge, this is probably one of the most popular causes out there. Known as the pink eye among humankind, the most common eye infection among pets is the pink eye, which medical term is named conjunctivitis.
Common symptoms of pink eye in cats are inflamed conjunctival membranes (part right underneath the eyelids) and excessive eye discharge. If you suspect that your cat is suffering from pink eye, you need to immediately separate your cat from other pets.
Due to its contagious nature, pink eye can spread from a cat to his fellow cat, but don’t worry too much since it cannot spread to you. In addition to pink eye, you can also get watery discharge due to problems with the cornea.
Corneal disorders can vary from case to case, but you need to know that this medical problem deals with the clear part in the front of the eye (cornea). Due to external abrasions or damage, your cat’s cornea can become inflamed, which can lead to a problem.
Solutions to Pink Eye / Corneal Disorders
Back in my childhood years, my mom used to treat pink eyes in my family with a braised iron chopstick by heating the instrument for several seconds and then, lightly tapping it in the infected skin part outside the eye to kill the bacteria through heat. Don’t try this with your cat since you can get medical products to treat pink eyes in cats.
Especially against the pink eye, these products (eyewash/eye spray) made by Vetericyn Plus provide the first line of defense by cleaning the eye of any external debris and also by relieving any medical symptoms. Make sure to check these products out in the link above!
For corneal disorders, you need to only use the medications prescribed by your vets since the cornea is highly sensitive and can be very hard to fix if badly treated. Visit your vet, and if they don’t offer any helpful solution, try these eye wipes to regularly clean the eye discharge coming out of your cat!
2. Viruses / Bacterial Infections
In addition to eye infections and damage to the eye, your cat’s body might respond to a virus or to bacterial infection by discharging liquid from the eye. Internal viruses that trigger your cat’s immune system can cause tears to flow down from your cat’s eye.
In addition, the bacterial infections to your cat’s body range from mild to very serious conditions, which means that the discharge from the eye can range from clear, watery substance to sticky, pus-like eye discharge.
Solutions to Bacteria / Virus
Since this is a problem with the body itself, the best solution to this problem is getting a physical examination of your cat. Your veterinarian will be able to figure out the solution to this problem, but for the eye discharge, you can use the same products that I have listed under the solutions for pink eye / corneal disorders.
3. Problems With the Eye Glands
When relying on emotional situations, we have a tendency to cry using the tear glands, and cats use the same organs to release tears to clean their eyes. Sometimes, the tear glands might face some obstacles which can lead to a release of your cat’s eye discharge.
The first scenario is a blocked tear duct, which means that the tears from your cat’s eye start to build up, and this situation can lead to overflowing tears, which can result in a watery discharge. In addition to overflowing tears, the opposite scenario can take place.
Due to the lack of tear production, your cat’s eye becomes really dry and starts to become inflamed. This medical condition will not lead to a watery discharge, but a yellow, gooey discharge from your cat’s eye.
Solutions to Tear Ducts
Since this might require an advanced medicated prescription, I’m going to recommend that you go to the vet for further inspection. If you don’t have the time or the money to make that trip, why not try one of these medicated products listed down below?
By thoroughly cleansing the eye, the eye cleanser by Cliny Universal contains natural ingredients that are good for the eye, and it eliminates any clogging and provides the needed liquid for their eyes to function in a normal manner. Why not kill two birds with one stone?
4. External Factors
Last but not least, the discharge from your cat’s eye might be caused by external factors. Even though it is blatantly obvious, foreign objects in your cat’s eye will definitely cause irritation, which can lead to increased production of tears to get that object out.
In addition to foreign objects inside your cat’s eye, the watery discharge might be a result of allergies. Similar to humans, cats also have a tendency to develop an allergy to a variety of factors, and this can’t be determined very easily by a naked eye.
Even though this is not the least of our worries, you should also account for your cat’s eyelids. If you leave it unclipped and allow it to grow too long, the eyelids can stab your cat’s eye repeatedly, which can lead to increased irritation.
Solutions to Allergies
All the irritation caused by foreign objects, allergies, and eyelids can lead to watery discharge from your cat’s eye. Keep in mind that even the little things can cause this change to appear in your cat, so maintain a sharp lookout!
Foreign objects can be cleaned by using an eye wash, and eyelids can be kept clean by using a trimmer. Last but not least, you can maintain a good defense against potential allergy attacks through immune supplements for cats.
What Are Some Obvious Signs of Eye Problems in Cats?
Obvious signs of potential eye problems are watery discharge (mentioned all about in this post), cloudiness in the eye, frequent eye blinking, and excessive eye rubbing. If left untreated, these symptoms might deteriorate to eye surgeries and even blindness.
What Are Some Eye Remedies That Can Be Tried at Home?
Due to the sensitive nature of the eye, it is recommended that you don’t use any of the medical products except the ones that your vet prescribes. However, if you can figure out the cause behind the problem, you can implement the solution very swiftly since you can just order the medical product online!
Conclusion: Don’t Take Anything for Granted!
Don’t brush off this eye discharge as something to be taken care of later since your pet might be needing your help at this very moment. If that eye discharge is somewhat on the excessive side, make sure to double-check your cat’s condition to see if he/she is all right.
The first signs of excessive watery discharge or eye inflammation might be the only warnings of coming blindness. Frequently check-up on your cat’s eye to make sure that their eye is in great condition by searching for any signs of cloudiness or any variance in color.
The majority of serious medical conditions can be prevented from long ways off due to their warning signals. Be ready to catch the slightest of signs by keeping a close eye on your cat, and also, don’t forget to regularly schedule an appointment with your cat’s veterinarian.
What’s the point of keeping a pet if you can’t be responsible look after it during times of trouble? Even though this is not absolutely necessary, try to sign up your cat for reliable pet insurance, so that your cat will receive the best medical treatment possible during times of need!
