Feline Watery Eye:

One of the commonest problems that cats suffer from is runny eyes.



Virus, bacteria or even chlamydia are infections that can cause cat conjunctivitis, which is basically an inflammation of the eye membranes. The obvious symptom that one sees is a discharge which can be watery or runny or it could be greenish yellow and thick.



Sometimes a cat runny eye can be the result of a disorder of the cat’s normal anatomy like the tear ducts.

The eye always produces secretions that lubricate the surface of each eyeball and help flush any particulate material from the tear ducts which proceed to drain into the nose. Another common occurrence among the cat eye problems is blockage occurring in the ducts which then causes tears to spill over and start running down the face.



Blockage can even occur if any damage has occurred to the ducts and also if the cat has anatomical or biological abnormalities. Persian cats because of their facial features frequently have tears that cause staining mainly as their tear ducts are kinked. Chronic tear overspill can lead to a brown staining appearing on the fur which is particularly noticeable in the case of pale colored cats.

Cat watery eyes can also be due to tear overproduction especially if there is any irritation or in case of a sensitive eyeball. The reason may be easily noticed for long haired cats, as a clump of hair can rub the surface. Others are difficult to detect, as solitary or aberrant hairs can grow even inside the eyelid and this can only be found out if an extremely thorough and detailed examination is conducted while the cat under general anesthetic. Cat eye health is very important. Flu infections can at times extend even beyond the eye membranes and next affect the cornea. In the case of young kittens the resulting damage can be so serious that the cornea gets extensively scarred which leads to the cat growing up visually impaired or it may even be blind. If the iris of the eye gets pierced or damaged, bleeding can be very serious. The first symptoms to look for are changes in the color of the cat’s eye.  Also, any changes in the shape of the cat’s iris or if there is any debris in the fluid that is present behind the cornea. It is often very hard to distinguish between which infection has actually caused the abnormality so further investigation is almost always necessary.