Cats can be susceptible to brown eye discharge and it’s important for the owners to be aware of this and understand what to do next. As a Veterinary Ophthalmologist with over fifteen years of experience, I have handled many issues in cat eyes, including cases of brown discharges. In this article, I will provide an overview of the various conditions that can cause brown ocular discharge in cats along with other associated clinical signs to help you treat these issues quickly and efficiently.
Your cat’s eyes symptoms
Increased quantities in tear production are often a sensitive indicator of ocular surface inflammation. A change in color of the mucous thread to green or yellow is a reliable indicator of the presence of inflammatory cells and calls for a careful clinical examination as ocular surface disease is also frequently present. When your feline friend has an issue with their eyes, some common signs you may observe include:
- Brown ocular discharge or weeping
- Pain/blinking/keeping one or both eye(s) closed
- Third eyelid protruding
- Eye redness or swelling
- Eye cloudiness
- Coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge or any other symptoms
Causes of brown eye discharge in cats
Common causes include:
- Conjunctivitis
- Allergies
- Eye ulcers
- Eyelid infection
- Tear staining in flat-faced breeds
- Blocked tear ducts
- Cat flu – a contagious respiratory illness that manifests as sneezing, runny nose and weepy eyes. If left untreated, it can become life-threatening. Luckily, there is a vaccine that can help protect cats from the virus.
Let’s look at these causes in more details.
1. Conjunctivitis:
Conjunctivitis, the most common of all feline eye disorders, is an inflammation of the thin mucous membrane (conjunctiva) that lines the inner surface of a cat’s eyelids and coats the outer surface of the eyeball. Many cats will experience at least a mild episode of the condition at some point in their lives.
The clinical signs of the condition can be evident in either one or both eyes and will typically be observed as well in the third eyelid—the membrane positioned in the inner corner of a cat’s eye, between the lower eyelid and the eyeball.
The signs include:
- Pain/blinking/keeping one or both eye(s) closed.
- Presence of a discharge that, depending on the cause of the conjunctivitis, can be either colorless and watery or thick and dark-colored.
- The conjunctiva and third eyelid become swollen and red.
Treatment:
Veterinary treatment is usually all that is needed to manage mild conjunctivitis as it should not last long. Speak to your vet to discuss the right action plan. If your vet suspects that there is an underlying condition causing your cat’s conjunctivitis, they may need to run more tests or examinations to determine the cause. It is likely your vet will recommend the following treatments:
– Anti-inflammatory treatment
– Topical or/ and systemic antibiotic for bacterial infection
– Topical or/ and systemic antiviral medication for viral infection
– Lubricating drops
When to contact your vet
Contact your vet as soon as you notice a problem with your cat’s eyes – eyes are precious and the problem could get worse if they aren’t treated quickly. If your cat has had black or brown discharge and or weepy eyes for a while, book an appointment with your vet to have them checked. Even if the problem has been going on for a while, there is a chance that your pet could have a treatable condition.
A picture of a cat with conjunctivitis and brown discharge from both eyes.
2. Allergies
One of the most common medical conditions affecting cats is allergy. Allergy occurs when the cat’s immune system overreacts or is hypersensitive to foreign substances called allergens.
Signs of allergies include:
- Sneezing
- Sometimes nasal or ocular (eye) discharge (clear, brown, red, grey, or yellow)
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Itching skin – in one part of the body or the whole body
- Vomiting
- Flatulence
- Diarrhea
There are four common types of allergies in the cat:
- Insect (fleas)
- Food allergy
- Atopic dermatitis (house dust, pollen, and molds)
- Contact
They all share common physical expressions and signs in cats, and each has unique features.
Treatment:
If your cat displays symptoms of allergies, it may be necessary to manage the condition. There are three primary methods for managing feline allergies:
- Try to avoid the triggers;
- Treatment to manage itchy skin and watery eyes;
- Immunotherapy/vaccination treatment.
When to contact your vet
In case your furry friend is experiencing itchy skin, watery eyes or any other symptoms mentioned earlier, it’s crucial to meet with your veterinarian. Itchy skin and watery eyes in cats usually don’t subside on their own and can lead to discomfort and misery for your pet, regardless of the underlying cause. If your cat has a brown eye discharge and experience any of the following symptoms, you should go to veterinary emergency services:
- Collapse
- Difficulties breathing
- Hives
- Facial swelling
- Itchiness
- Swelling
- Trembling
- Wheezing
- Cold extremities
- Pale gums
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
3. Eye ulcers:
Corneal ulcers, which are injuries sustained to the cornea of the eye, must be treated in order to resolve. If left unattended, they can result in severe consequences such as blindness. Feline corneal ulcers have a wide variety of potential causes, including:
- Viral or bacterial infection. According to Thomas Kern, DVM, associate professor of ophthalmology at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the most frequent cause is recurrent infection with the feline herpesvirus (FHV).
- Cat scratches
- Ingrown eyelashes
- Foreign body
- Being exposed to caustic chemicals
A picture of a cat with an eye ulcer and brown discharge
The clinical signs of corneal ulceration include:
- Inflammation surrounding the cornea
- Ocular discharge (clear, red, brown, grey, or yellow discharge) or weeping
- Clouding of the cornea
- Photophobia
- Squinting, rubbing the eyes, behaving as if having vision problems
4. Eyelid inflammation or infection
Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelid. The clinical signs include:
- Scratching or rubbing its face or eyelids leading to secondary trauma to the surrounding tissues.
- Possible discharge from the eye that may be clear, brown, mucoid, or purulent.
- Inflammation has been present for a significant amount of time, there may also be loss of pigment or hair.
- Skin covering the eyelids may have dry crusts or flakes on its surface and small papules or pustules (pimples) may develop on the surface.
- One or more meibomian glands (glands that help lubricate the eyes) along the margin of the eyelid may become swollen.
- In more severe cases, the inflammation may spread and include conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva) or keratitis (inflammation of the cornea).
Below is a picture of a cat with an eyelid infection and brown discharge from the eye:
The cause of blepharitis:
- Entropion.
- Allergies.
- Infections (bacteria, fungal, viral, parasites, or protozoal).
Cats that have been infected with feline herpes virus-1 (FHV-1) may develop chronic blepharitis as a secondary problem. Bacterial infections may cause localized abscesses of glands in the eyelids or generalized infections of the eyelids. In some cases, infection with Staphylococcus bacteria (staph) may lead to an allergic reaction, called Staphylococcus hypersensitivity.
- Tumors.
- Trauma.
- Occasionally other inflammatory disorders.
Persian, Himalayan, and Burmese cats are more likely to develop blepharitis due to their facial conformation (flattened faces, and prominent folds of skin between the nose and eyes). These breeds of cats may have lagophthalmos (bulging eyes) and they are predisposed to lower eyelid entropion.
When to contact your vet
If you notice any issues with your cat’s eye, it is crucial to act quickly and seek advice from a veterinarian. The vet will carefully examine the eye and recommend the most appropriate treatment plan based on their findings.
5. Tear staining in flat-faced breeds
Flat-faced breeds like Persians are more prone to tear-staining since they have large eyeballs in small eye sockets, which don’t allow the tears to drain away properly. This is a common issue for these types of cats, and needs to be addressed accordingly.
6. Blocked tear ducts – cause tears to spill down the face
The lacrimal duct is part of the nasolacrimal system. The nasolacrimal system consists of a series of narrow tubes that allow tears to drain from the eye. This system allows excess tears to drain from the eye to the nose and mouth. While not as common in cats as in dogs, this nasolacrimal duct can become obstructed or blocked. Obstruction may result in tears overflowing and running out of the eye. This overflow of tears can lead to moisture and tear staining below the eye. You can click here to view an illustration showing the anatomy of a cat’s eye: Feline nasolacrimal duct (Source: McCracken T.O., Kainer R.A. and Carlson D. (2008) Color atlas of small animal anatomy: the essentials,: Blackwell Publishings).
The cause of lacrimal duct obstruction:
- Shape and size of the cat’s head and muzzle.
- Hereditary defect in the formation of the nasolacrimal duct. This defect results in the lack of an opening where the nasolacrimal duct meets the conjunctiva (pink tissue surrounding the eye). This is referred to as imperforate puncta.
- Inflammation or infection, within the eye or lacrimal duct, may lead to swelling that blocks the duct.
- Tumors that develop along the duct.
- Foreign material lodged within the lacrimal duct.
Treatment of lacrimal duct obstruction
Many cases of nasolacrimal duct obstruction are caused by inflammation. In these cases, anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics may alleviate the obstruction. In other cases, surgery may be required for treatment.
7. Cat Flu
Cats, like humans, can be affected by a flu-like illness that presents with symptoms such as fever, sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose. Cat flu is a contagious disease and once infected, cats may retain the virus for life. This can lead to them having long-lasting symptoms that persist throughout their lifetime. There is currently no definitive cure for the symptoms associated with a particular illness, however medical treatment can help reduce the severity and speed up recovery. Kitten are usually more severely affected by infections than adults because their immune system is weaker and not as capable of combating them.
Symptoms of cat flu
- Brown discharge or weepy eyes
- Snotty nose
- Sneezing
- Low energy
- Painful eyes (flu can cause eye ulcers)
- Reduced appetite or no appetite at all
- Oral ulcers
- Fever
- Sore throat (you might notice difficulty swallowing or gagging)
- Coughing
Causes
Causes of cats flu:
- Herpes virus
- Calicivirus
- Chlamydophila bacteria
- Bordetella
A cat that has an acute upper respiratory infection will be infective to other cats during the incubation period and for up to three weeks after developing symptoms. A cat that is a carrier of an upper respiratory virus may stay infective to other cats perpetually.
Cats that are unvaccinated, young or have chronic underlying conditions are more susceptible and may develop a serious illness. Adequately vaccinated adult cats may develop only a mild case of illness, which may resolve without treatment.
Treatment:
Your veterinarian may prescribe eye medication if your cat has a purulent eye discharge. Although viral infections do not respond to antibacterial drugs, broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs may be prescribed to prevent secondary bacterial infections from complicating the disease, particularly in kittens. Primary bacterial upper respiratory infections caused by Bordetella or Chlamydophila will be treated with specific antibiotics that are effective against these diseases.
Home care for cat flu
Once your cat has been treated by your vet, there are some things you can do at home to help your pet recover:
- Try to keep your cat’s life as stress-free as possible because stress can make illness worse.
- To encourage your pet to eat, try adding a little bit of warm food with strong scent like sardines, anchovies, or tuna to their meals, provided they do not have any allergies to these items.
A picture of a cat with sign of cat flu and brown discharge from their eyes
Read next: View our home remedies to help a cat with teary eyes.
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