eye tears

by Caroline
(ottawa,Ontario, Canada)

My cat has brownish red tears... They are gel like. Is this normal? He is 15 years old.

RESPONSE:

It sounds like this might be conjunctivitis. The signs of a mucoid or watery discharge can be a rusty dark red color (as well as clear, gray, yellow or green).

Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the pink membrane part of the eye which lines the white part and the inner eyelid. It can become very red and oftentimes swollen. the primary causes are infectious. The 3 most common ones are Feline Herpesvirus-1, Feline Chlamydia, and Feline Mycoplasma. A vet will perform diagnostic tests to determine which one is the culprit.

Mycoplasmal infections usually respond well to treatment with topical antibiotics, and Chalmydial infections also can respond...but then recur. However, FHV-1 infections do not, and can be frustrating to treat. I advise seeking your vet's help to determine which it is.

For a better understanding of the eyes of a cat see Cats Eyes Another articles is Feline Sore Eyes and also see Cat Eye Problems.

The complete reference list is here: Cat Menu

I hope that your cat has an easy to treat version that can be helped with a topical antibiotic but the main thing is to start treating it. Older cats are especially vulnerable to problems as they age and assisting them as soon as you can will be a benefit. I wish you well with the task and the successful treatment of the eyes.