Go Back   Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca > Discussion Groups - mainly cats and dogs > Dog health - Ask members * If your pet is vomiting-bleeding-diarrhea etc. Vet time!

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old June 16th, 2006, 08:24 PM
riki76 riki76 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2
Cats has dried, crusty red discharge in both eyes .. Ongoing

Hello!

I have 2 cats, the younger, Sunny a long hair domestic male whom is 8 years old, consistantly for most of his life has had a red coloured discharge from his eyes. The best way to describe it is that it looks like dried blood.

The only discomfort he seems to have is my forcing him to stay still, to wipe said crust clean He's had it his whole life and he's quite a content, active and vibrant animal. I was told this was typical with cats of his colour (orange and white) but was wondering what causes it, anything I can do to lessen it.

My other net research would make me think that he is possibly part persian, whom this tearing is typical of. Any other characteristics I should look for to determine if this I the case?

Thanks from both me and Sunny, who will be quite happy if I chase him with a damp rag less often
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old June 16th, 2006, 10:46 PM
badger's Avatar
badger badger is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Montreal
Posts: 4,076
Has he been seen by a vet? If not, take him immediately. Things that keep repeating need to be investigated and treated.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old June 16th, 2006, 11:21 PM
riki76 riki76 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2
Thanks Badger. It's not a repeat issue, it's ongoing and has been present at each one of his vet visits throughout his life, it's not something that goes away and comes back, it's just the way he is.

Other then this issue being unsightly (which I have neglected to inquire specifically about with the vet and has raised no red-flags at check-ups) he is a perfectly healthy cat and shows no signs of ill-health. Just to be clear - his eyes aren't bleeding, just what the discharge/tears looks like when dried.

I'm just more curious what causes it (especially in one cat and not the other) or about 'tearing' and if there is anything I can do to lessen it, or we can just continue to deal with it has we have over the last 8 years
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old June 16th, 2006, 11:57 PM
badger's Avatar
badger badger is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Montreal
Posts: 4,076
Sorry, got that wrong! Have you considered allergies? May not be related, but someone mentioned that when they switched their dog's diet (a ****zu?), the 'coloured tears' went away.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old June 17th, 2006, 09:31 AM
LibbyP's Avatar
LibbyP LibbyP is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: London,ON
Posts: 798
My old girl'Jasmine' RIP always had tears(since she was a tiny kitten) and they were red crusty, she was a black smoke tabby our vet said she had open tear ducts nothing to be done, just wipe away, sorry thats all the help I can offer
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old June 17th, 2006, 02:51 PM
Shamrock's Avatar
Shamrock Shamrock is offline
Kitty Consort
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: B.C.
Posts: 1,485
Riki, I've never heard that this problem was related to colour of the cat. doubt that is a factor really.

As its been an ongoing issue for all his life,..I'm guessing Sunny is part Persian, and this is more likely where this stems from.

As you've noted, eye drainage is extremely common with this breed.
Though some dont have it, most do. How much varies from mild to severe.
My Persian cat has minimal eye running... just an occassional wipe is fine. The Himalayan need dailly eye cleaning.

It's not a health issue - providing there is no indication of green discharge present, indicating infection, or the eye itself doesnt appear red or sore looking. That would naturally require vet attention.

But for the rusty coloured discharge, which does look like dried blood.. regularly wiping the eye when needed with a warm wet cloth ( no soap) as you've been doing, is all that required.

That's all I've ever done as well, and after six years, neither has ever had an eye infection or any health issues related to this

If left unattended, over time it would get heavlily crusted,the eyes would become sore, infections would follow. Some persian cats whose care has been badly neglected can have absolutely terrible looking eyes, and severe facial staining.

I dont believe there's anything that can lessen or eliminate this tearing, unfortunately.

For the fur staining, which cant be avoided completely in light coloured cats,.. especially as they get older, I just use a face cloth with a bit of mild soap to cleanse,..carefully avoiding the eye of course. There's also several commercial products available, such as Eye Envy, which apparently work well.
__________________
When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself - Wayne Dyer
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old June 17th, 2006, 05:07 PM
glasslass's Avatar
glasslass glasslass is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Calif.
Posts: 4,684
It's not unusual for white poodles to have those red stains. None of the four white poodles I have had over the last 40 years have had this problem, but I've known several that did. My grooming book says this is caused by oxidation of the tears. It stands to reason that if eye boogers aren't removed, they build up, dry, and irritate, causing tearing, causing oxidation, causing the red color.
__________________
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people. -Abraham Joshua Heschel, theology professor (1907-1972)
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old June 18th, 2006, 12:43 PM
Prin Prin is offline
Senior member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 28,492
Here's a thread about tear stains that might help: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=23727
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old June 18th, 2006, 09:59 PM
mafiaprincess's Avatar
mafiaprincess mafiaprincess is offline
Performance Spaniels
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Whitby, ON
Posts: 2,395
I have a blond cocker with rust coloured tear stains. In finding a food that meshed with her, the tear stains left. Wasn't till the poop got smaller and stayed 'firm' that the tear stains left. And this month they have.
__________________
CRB Houdini's Apple Cider RXMCL AGDC AADC MSDC MJDC RNT CL3-F CL3-H EXJ Bronze
Stanton Acres Out Of The Ashes SGDC RNMCL MJDC ADC CL3-F CL3-S CL3-H
Stark Naked Burn it to the Ground
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old December 3rd, 2006, 04:35 PM
abushoven abushoven is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NJ
Posts: 1
Nose and Eye boogers

My cat has a similar problem. She has dry reddish black colored crust that builds up mostly in her nose. She also gets the crust in her eyes. I got her from a shelter this past summer and she has had the problem since. I need to clean her eyes and nose on a daily basis. She is very happy and never appears sick. I recently took her to the vet who tested her for HIV, Leukemia, and Bartonella. The results were all negative. After looking on the web, these symptoms sound like cat herpes to me. I don't know if I should take her back to the vet or just accept that she is fine and has a problem with boogers! By the way, she is an orange, black, and white cat!! Maybe it does have something to do with the color!!
If you look at the picture below, you can see the dark spots inside her nose. Her nose naturally has brown spots on the outside.
Attached Images
 

Last edited by abushoven; December 3rd, 2006 at 04:50 PM. Reason: adding information
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old December 5th, 2006, 01:34 AM
Prin Prin is offline
Senior member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 28,492
If it's nothing medical, a diet change might help. Better quality food tends to reduce tear stains in dogs, so it might in kitties too.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old December 5th, 2006, 01:48 AM
rainbow's Avatar
rainbow rainbow is offline
-
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Beautiful BC's Kootenay Country
Posts: 34,757
First of all, welcome to the forum, abushoven and you have a very cute kitty.

I would take her back to the vet to be checked for feline herpes as there is medication for that. Good luck and please post eith an update.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old December 5th, 2006, 07:56 AM
vfrohloff vfrohloff is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Tres-St-Redempteur, Quebec
Posts: 429
Could be an eye infection. My feral had one that is now clearing up, but I had to put ointment in his eyes twice a day for 2 weeks.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old July 1st, 2013, 10:07 AM
KristinaMay KristinaMay is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1
I have a 3 year old exotic short hair male cat. Since the day I brought him home he has had the red discharge from his eyes and nose. Mostly his eyes. In my reading I've found it could be a form of herpes which are specific to cats only. I have tried many different eye meds ointments and drops but it comes back every time. If the read colouration is herpes than there is no cure. Unfortunately all one can do is try to keep the eyes clean.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Forum Terms of Use

  • All Bulletin Board Posts are for personal/non-commercial use only.
  • Self-promotion and/or promotion in general is prohibited.
  • Debate is healthy but profane and deliberately rude posts will be deleted.
  • Posters not following the rules will be banned at the Admins' discretion.
  • Read the Full Forum Rules

Forum Details

  • Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
    Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
    vBulletin Optimisation by vB Optimise (Reduced on this page: MySQL 0%).
  • All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:05 PM.