Your cat has one eye or weeping eyes, you are worried because you do not know what to do, you are wondering if it is serious that the your cat's eyes are running...
Well you should know that, just like in humans, the production of tears is a natural physiological phenomenon in cats. In fact, when everything is normal, tears are produced continuously and discharged into the tear ducts while maintaining a necessary amount of tears in the eyes. So, it is a process which leaves the eyes of cats well moistened by the tears secreted but which does not make the eyes flow.
Suddenly, if your cat's eyes are crying, there is an excess of tears and therefore there is a problem. This is what we will see below by answering the following questions:
- Why does my cat have runny eyes?
- What can be the causes?
- What to do about weeping eyes?
- How do I clean my cat's eyes?
- How to treat a cat eye infection?
Why does my cat have weeping eyes?
If you feel like you want to take the your cat's eyes are crying or that he has a problemrunny eyeis that he is confronted with an excess of production of tears or with discomfort, sometimes an obstacle to their flow:
- If the tears are produced too abundantly, they will not be able to evacuate normally through the tear circuit and will suddenly flow to the level of the inner edge of the eye and thus flow outside.
- If there is an obstruction of the tear ducts, the tears will not evacuate naturally and correctly and will therefore form a significant lacrimation which will flow to the corners of your cat's eyes.
This tearing phenomenon can affect only one eye or both of your cat's eyes. In this case of a runny eye, the liquid in the tears can be clear and transparent or much thicker and colored. To know what to do, you must first know the possible cause (s).
And if you're wondering if your cat is crying because he's sad or unhappy, see: Can a cat cry?
My cat has weeping eyes - Causes
The causes that cause the runny eyes in cats can be mild but also more serious. Indeed, if your kitten or your cat suddenly has one or both eyes that are crying, it is:
- that he may have an infection,
- that he has developed an allergic reaction,
- that he has suffered a trauma to his eye,
- or that he has a physiological or anatomical concern.
It is therefore strongly recommended to make an appointment to obtain the advice of a veterinarian.
My cat has weeping eyes - what to do?
First, observe your cat's runny eye or both weeping eyes. Indeed, it is necessary to determine what the problem is and to be able to describe it in detail when you take your cat to the vet.
Runny cat eyes - Conjunctivitis
If you notice that your cat seems to have sore eyes, that their eyelids stick together, that the tearing is mucous or purulent, that the eyes are red… your cat may have conjunctivitis. In fact, conjunctivitis is inflammation of the membrane that covers part of the eye. This inflammation or irritation can have several causes (see below).
Sinking cat's eye - Foreign body
If you find that there is redness, swelling, irritation, there may not be a foreign body inside one eye. Indeed, sometimes there may be a large dust, a grain of sand, a blade of cloth or grass, a tiny insect that has become encrusted in the cornea of your cat's eye.
Runny Cat Eye - Injury
If you find that their eye is damaged, scratched, or red, your cat may have scratched their eye with their paw, or they may have fought or simply injured themselves while playing with them. other cats ...
Runny Cat Eyes - Cold or Coryza
If you notice a rather thick and purulent discharge from the eyes, accompanied by a discharge from the nose, sometimes sneezing fever or cough, it may be a common cold or a disease called coryza. This disease is reaction because and requires the fastest possible consultation with the veterinarian.
Runny Cat Eye - Infection
If you find that the discharge is yellow or greenish, your cat's eyes or eye may have an infection on the surface of the cornea. This is called infectious conjunctivitis.
Runny cat eyes - Allergy
If you notice that your cat's 2 eyes redden and start to cry, it may be a reaction to allergenic substances (pollens, chemical odors, toxic fumes, fumes, etc.).
Anatomical problem
Your cat's problem with runny eyes may not be with conjunctivitis. Indeed, there are cases where the tear duct of the cat (which allows the flow of tears from the eye to the nasal passages) is blocked and therefore does not evacuate the tears.
On the other hand, some short-nosed breeds such as Persian cats are prone to a problem with the evacuation of tearing. These cats are therefore faced with continuous tearing even if their tear duct is not blocked and without having irritation due to conjunctivitis.
Clean eyes with physiological saline?
The first thing to do if your cat has runny eyes is to clean them thoroughly. In fact, cleaning the eyes is one of the care that should be given to your cat from the first months.
This is because if the tears are caused simply by dust or dirt in the eyes, a simple cleaning will solve the problem.
For this you will need to use a sterile eye lotion or a specific physiological serum for cats.
Just instill a few drops of the lotion directly into your cat's eye or both eyes, or soak a compress and apply it to their lids and eye area and to the inner corners.
If you're having trouble with your uncooperative cat, find out how to care for an aggressive cat.
If eye lotions will help proper cleaning of your cat's eyes, they cannot under any circumstances be used as eye drops because they will not cure conjunctivitis ...
How to treat a cat eye infection?
If your cat has eyes that continue to run even after cleaning them well, you should take appointment with his vet so that the latter can do a complete ophthalmologic examination.
Indeed, only a veterinarian will be able to prescribe suitable treatment for your cat. Indeed, treatments vary according to the causes of conjunctivitis. Be careful because the self-medication of an unsuitable eye drops can cause very serious damage to your cat's eyes!