Watery Eyes

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Watery Eyes

by Dave
(Niagara Falls)

Cat Watery Eyes can result from several different causes, some of which are minor and others more serious. The image above illustrates a cat with a herpes virus infection in the eye, given as an example of what can happen if the eye is not treated quickly. If your cat's eye is anything close to looking like this, go to the veterinarian at once.

Information About Less Serious Cases of Watery Eyes in Cats Is Given Below.

The following is a question from a reader about his cat's watery eye. Following his question and my answer are dozens more questions and answers about similar conditions in cats' eyes.

Hello,

I noticed yesterday evening my cat started getting a watery eye. He would look like he was going to sneeze but never did and his eye would just start to water.

My thought was he had something in it but how do you help a cat remove something from his eye?

His eye is not red or swollen. And the only times he shuts it more then the other eye is when it starts to water. He isn't rubbing or scratching it.

This morning it didn't look like it was still watering.

I was reading on the internet that you can try a home remedy of a salt water saline and drop it in the eye 3 times a day. I was wondering what you think about this?

He is an indoor cat although he was recently outside on Sunday. He is longhair and 5 yrs old. He is still drinking and eating well.

Thank you for your help!

Hi, Dave,

If his eye is no longer watery and he has no other symptoms, DO NOTHING! If he had something in his eye, it is probably gone.

Cats can certainly get foreign particles (dust,dirt, hair, etc.) in their eyes just as we can and the eyes may get a little red and produce excess tears in response to the irritation. If the eye is just a little teary and all else is well with a cat, it is generally ok to wait a few hours to see if it gets better.

However, I do have to say that, in general, when there is any unusual appearance to a cat's eye, the safest thing to do is to go to the veterinarian. Eyes are too important and irreplaceable to take chances. An injury or disease in a cat's eye can progress rather rapidly to become a very serious, sight-threatening condition.

Many things other than a bit of dust in the eye can cause excessive tearing and can be the start of something more serious. You can find this information on our very thorough page on eye conditions in cats.

As far as using home-made solutions to flush a cat's eye, I wouldn't do that either. That could be dangerous - it could severely damage his eye.

You can easily buy artificial tears from the pharmacy or a saline solution for contact lens users. Those solutions are definitely pH balanced for eyes and will cause no harm.

Thank you for writing.
Dr. Neely

Comments for
Watery Eyes

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Nov 26, 2011

Pua Follow Up
by: Andrea Calhoun

Just wanted to mention I eventually took Pua to an opthalmologist and she did have a blocked tear duct that was successfully flushed out.

Over the year since, she does occasionally get teary, but we now know it's because of the infection she had as a kitten. Her duct is a bit scarred, but we just wipe and it's fine. Gratefully for her, it's not constant.

Aloha!

Nov 07, 2011

My two kittens
by: Mariah

I have two kittens, and almost two weeks ago, I took both of them to the vet because my 4 month old one started sneezing and acting weird like not eating as much and couldn't breathe and I noticed she was not playing as much. The vet put her told me she had a fever and gave me medicine to give to both her and my 3 month old kitty just in case.

The fever went away for both of them, but now the 4 month old can barely breathe out of her nose and isn't eating because she can't smell her food, and the 3 month old has a very swollen, very watery and gunky eye.

What should I do about this because I'm not sure what they have and I think it might be the herpes virus (the one that cats can get) but I'm not sure.

Your kittens need to be brought back to the veterinarian, or brought to another vet for a second opinion. Your kittens may need additional antibiotics, a different kind of antibiotics, or antibiotics for their eyes. In any event, they do need to be seen by a vet again as soon as possible.

Regards,
Dr. Neely

Oct 30, 2011

Antiviral Eye Drops
by: Jim

Can someone elaborate on the "anti-viral eye drops". What is the actual product? I did read about the use of interferon but not sure if this is oral or topical. We have two 4-month old male kittens with persistent watery eyes and they have been on several antibiotics, the latest was a 3-week course of doxycycline. We have read where the evidence regarding lysine is inconclusive. Are there other products to try? They received 2 sets of core vaccines back in July, would there be any benefit to another round of vaccines? Any advise would be appreciated as we can not adopt them out with their watery eyes. Thanks!

Your veterinarian should be willing and able to discuss the use of anti-viral eye drops for your kittens with you if feline herpes virus is the suspected cause of their persistent watery eyes. Examples of a few anti-viral eye drops available are Idoxuridine, Viroptic, and Vira-A, and are all very useful for kittens with severe feline herpes virus.

It is also possible, however, that these kittens simply have blocked tear ducts. You should ask your vet to run a tear test to see if the tear ducts are blocked. If the discharge is clear and watery, and the tear ducts are blocked, these kittens may always have watery eyes.

All the best,
Dr. Neely

Oct 07, 2011

Watery Eyes Feline Herpes Virus
by: Jenny

Hi,

We adopted a 3 month old kitten from a shelter 2 months ago, and after 2 days, I noticed she had brown crusties in both eyes, a wet nose, and the left eye was very watery and "blinky". I took her to the vet anyway because I wanted to get her completely checked out (coming from a shelter and being so little) and she had a teeny corneal ulcer way up in her eye that only the doc could see.

They started treating her with antibiotic drops 3x/day for 2 weeks. It cleared up and then started up even worse, more tearing and I could see little dots in her eye! More corneal ulcers!

Another 2 weeks of antibiotic drops and it was still bad. Finally went to a specialist (eye doctor) who immediately diagnosed my little baby girl with Feline Herpes Virus 1. Now she's on anti-viral drops in both eyes twice a day and she's getting much much better. But whenever we try to wean her down, one of the eyes starts flaring up. Doc says this could take months.

Meanwhile, for those out there that are using antibiotic eyedrops over extended period, you may notice kitty having diarrhea problems. Our vet prescribed Fortiflora (half pack at each morning and dinner meal) and after 7 days, she was back to normal.

Meanwhile, we have our vet on speed-dial and she can diagnose up or down drops. I guess she'll just have these chronic eye/nose issues and we'll hope when she settles down (she's 5 months now), the virus will lay dormant. Pray pray pray!

Thank you for adding your experience. You are correct - it can take weeks to months for a herpes virus infection in the eyes of a kitten to resolve. However, I don't believe I have seen a single case where the corneal ulcerations did not stop occurring. Many cats are left with blocked tear ducts and chronic or intermittent sneezing and nasal discharge, but the corneal ulceration fortunately is most often confined to the initial stages and once resolved will stay away. Conjunctivitis may flare up from time to time, but not the ulcerations. And they can live totally normal lifespans so you have good reason to hope and pray this will come to an end.

Best,
Dr. Neely

Aug 23, 2011

Watery eyes
by: Jamie

My kitten is about 18 weeks old and her right eye only is watery. She makes a weird sounds like she is throwing up or coughing. She hasn't thrown up yet but I'm wondering if this is a problem and I should take her to the vet or wait it out see what happens.

Dear Jamie,

Please take your kitten to the veterinarian. Young kittens don't usually accumulate enough hair in their digestive symptoms to be presenting with a hairball cough, and especially with a watery eye and the coughing you described, your kitten may have an upper respiratory infection.

All the best,
Dr. Neely

Jun 15, 2011

Sick Kitty
by: Jenny

I just recently got my first cat. He is a very friendly, playful kitten. When I got him, he had a sneeze once in a while, but now it got worse. Also, one of his eyes is watery, a little swollen and a clear discharge comes out. He still eats and sleeps the same. What should I do?!

You should definitely have him seen by a veterinarian. It sounds as if he may need a cat eye antibiotic and possible oral cat antibiotics as well.

Best,
Dr. Neely

May 08, 2011

Eye discharge in ederly 24 yr old cat,antibiotics and pain meds
by: Tamara

My 24 yr old cat has a blocked tear duct which produces a pink/brownish colour which is olny obvious when wiped off with white cloth. The vet has prescribed antibiotic eye drops (same drops used for humans) and it cleared up but reappeared over the years. He is very healthy for a 24 yr old so it is not a serious condition. I am however worried about his flatuence. He sleeps next to my head and the smell is not pleasant. I never knew cats fluffed until recently. Diet is the same, so it must be old age. Years ago I was told he had kidney problems bc he drinks a lot of water, but he is still alive and appears happy and content. The neighbors broke his jaw and he survived that too. Always have antibiotics on hand in case he gets sick on a weekend but take him in if it is serious.

Jan 28, 2011

kittens.
by: Ellen

so are you saying i could use contact solution for my kittens eyes?

Hi Ellen,

You shouldn't use contact solution for your kitten's eyes, mainly because the ingredients in them vary and without knowing the brand or the ingredients, I couldn't say whether it would be safe. Additionally, using contact solution wouldn't necessarily treat the cause of the issue.

If your kitten has watery eyes and hadn't previously, the best thing to do would be to bring him/her to a vet.

All the best,
Dr. Neely

Sep 24, 2010

My cat just started sneezing and left key is watering
by: Mike

Hello,

My cat was adopted from a shelter about 4 months ago. Has had all of her shots, test and in good health. All of a sudden about 3 days ago she started sneezing and like once or twice. Day 2 more sneezing, and today constant sneezing and her left eye is watery, but not swollen or any discharge coming out, just a little watery. Any Idea on what could be the issue, like a cold. Should I have her checked out?

Thanks

Mike

Sounds like a "cold" (upper respiratory infection) and some cats sometimes get over these on their own, but it is always safer to take the kitty in to see the vet.

Best,
Dr. Neely

Aug 23, 2010

One Watery Eye! >^..^<
by: Andrea from Honolulu

We rescued Pua at 5 months in April '10 from a shelter with a bad eye infection. After 2 weeks of Tri-Optic, she was fine. Since then however, she has occasionally had the beginning of a recurrence, but with ointment for a day or 2, it stops, and our vet said not to worry because it never worsens or gets like it had been...eye totally crusted and closed.

In the last couple of months, though, she has developed what many commented here, one teary, watery eye. No irritation, no pawing at it, just a light pinkish brown water in the same inner corner as the infection was. My thought is that there was some scar tissue from the bad infection and she now has a faulty tear duct. I got some herbal eye wash to try to flush it out, which she is very good about, and loves when I wash it with warm water.

Does this seem to go along the lines of what you've been discussing? her face is masked grey with white and the tears are starting to stain the white part.

Please, any advice would be appreciated, her insurance won't cover anything about her eyes for 2 more months..

Andrea

It sounds exactly like a blocked tear duct and should not be a problem.

Jul 11, 2010

sneezing and watery eyes
by: martin

i just got 2 kittens 2 weeks ago they are now 7 weeks one kitten named tiger he started sneezing and has yellow discharge under his eye it drys up into his fur he is normal nothing changed he used the bathroom fine im wondering is this normal will it go away ? i was just the vet 2 weeks ago for a check up the doctor said they were both fine and wait until 8 weeks to get there shots ... so should i worry about it ?

He should be seen by your vet right away. A young kitten that is sneezing and has discharge from the eye that is yellow can become very ill and/or have very serious eye disease.

Jun 04, 2010

watery eye and sneezing
by: joe

My cat was spayed and received vaccines 2 Mondays ago. She likes to hang out in the garage and she comes in the house which is much cooler. She has been sneezing lately and today I noticed her eye is watering. Is she doing this from the immune vaccines or maybe going from in the house to the garage? She's a year old. Thanks, Joe

The most likely explanation is that she picked up a virus while she was hospitalized for her surgery and vaccines. The surgery and vaccines both are stressful to a cat and stress decreases the immune system. Anytime a cat or person is in a hospital setting, there are always viruses present that can be acquired.

I am not sure if she is free outdoors from your description of going from the garage to the house. If she is outdoors, the other alternative is that she has picked up a virus from another cat.

In any event, she should be seen by a vet. She could have a fever, get dehydrated, and may need medication for her eye and possibly antibiotics by mouth.

May 21, 2010

watery eye - brown disharge
by: worried

Our cat suddenly developed one watery eye. She doesn't act as if it hurts, but it is constantly tearing. She will rub it from time to time and seems to be more of an annoyance to her.

She's behaving just the same, except for this one eye heavily watering. The strange thing is, one of our other cats had this condition for one night (after the other one mentioned), and then it was gone in the morning, while the issue remained with this cat.

The discharge is mostly clear but has been brownish. It seems she's been prone to watery eyes, but never this bad and never for this long. Things usually clear up in a day or so. She's not sneezing or having any other known symptoms.

Is this something to be worried about?

It is impossible for me to say 100% that you shouldn't worry since I can't see the eye. However, it sounds like a blocked tear duct which is not a problem and requires no treatment. However, if the eye is at all cloudy or red or the tissue around the eye is red or the discharge becomes yellow or green or white or the pupils are different in size, then she should be examined at once.

Apr 19, 2010

right eye mucus?
by: Sonia

Hello doctor. I recently adopted a kitten from a rescue organization about 4 weeks ago! I would say about 3 days ago.. He started squinting his right eye a lot. Upon looking at it I noticed he released this green/white mucus like stuff? I cleaned it off but more comes out through out the day? I have also caught him rubbing his eye after he licks his paw? Is this an eye infection?

Yes!

Apr 11, 2010

Left watery eye
by: wardo

This is a great conversation and very helpful! My oldest cat (soon to be 12) has recently begun watering from his left eye. It's only his left eye. it doesn't seem to be bothering him and he shuts if every once in a while. I assume it's an old age thing, but I will be taking him in to get it checked out! Thanks!

Mar 20, 2010

tear ducts
by: Renee

I went to a new vet about my cats watery eyes. The vet says he is very healthy and if these steroid drops she gave me didnt clear up the block tear duct it was not a big deal. Could it be correct that he has blocked tear ducts in both eyes? or is it usually just one? Should I bring him somewhere new for some type of virus testing? I have given him drops already for infection and that didnt clear it up so I'm assuming there is no infection, plus the tears are not green or yellow. Any suggestions?

Blocked tear ducts often occur in both eyes. I agree that if that is the condition, it is not a big deal. Just clean your kitty's face under the eyes as needed and stay alert for the signs of infection you mentioned. It is possible to have a flare-up of the original virus from time to time and need antibiotic treatment.

Best,
Dr. Neely

Mar 18, 2010

My little cat has this, too.
by: Brenda from MO

He is six months old and a yellow striped with white tabby. I rescued him at about five weeks from inside the engine compartment of a friends car. He was covered in blood and I thought he was hurt, but after I washed him, it became apparent it was another animal's blood. Apparently he wasn't the only one originally inside the engine area. Anyway, He's been neutered and has had all his shots, but he is very active and has a very dominant and willful personality. I hope he outgrows some of his excitement, because he is an indoor cat. His eyes have always watered, from the get go. Now it is only the left one that waters badly, and now it is worse than ever; he gets swollen around the eye and then in a rush, the water will come out and he looks fine again. He squints that one eye and looks a little like Dead-Eye Dick. He doesn't have too much crust under his eye, but he has dark streaks in the inner corner and the outer corner has an even longer streak. He likes to have his eye massaged, but he hates it when I get close to the inner corner. He acts like it hurts. My question is, should I take him to the vet? I'm not sure if he needs it. No infection is present, at least not to my eye. His eyes are both clear and beautiful, except for several times a day having the tears and the swelling.

That also sounds like a tear duct problem, however it is a little different. The fact that it swells and then you see a sudden release of tears and also that he is sensitive to your touching the inner corner suggests you should have a vet take a look. There may still be something that can be done to alleviate or improve this condition or you may need to massage the area on a regular basis to prevent the swelling and to express the tears. That's something the vet should decide and teach you to do.

Best,
Dr. Neely

Mar 08, 2010

gooey eye
by: Angela

Hello Dr,

We adopted a little 5 month old kitten one month ago and he has had a constant problem of a draining eye. It drains clear and occasionally white opaque liquid. The vet prescribed a triple antibiotic ointment to be applied Q 8 H x 10 days.

Everything cleared up fine while we were using the ointment. When we stopped the ointment it started draining again. The vet instructed that we continue for 7 more days. Again everything cleared up fine but after the 7 days of TAO it began again. The sclera is not red. The drainage is never odorous, yellow or green. The only thing that may be abnormal as far as appearance is the inside of the eyelid (it is sometimes a bit of a darker pink than the other).

We called the vet and he suggested that we put him under anesthesia to unclog the tear duct (he "suspects" this is the problem).

Does this sound like a clogged tear duct to you and if so need we put him through anesthesia?

Oh, his only abnormal behavior is that he plays fetch like a dog and sits on our shoulders like a parrot. Eats and drinks great. Has an occasional sneeze but no more than once or twice a day.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi, Angela,

It sounds exactly to me like a blocked tear duct although of course I can not be 100% sure without examining him.

Many cats live with blocked tear ducts all their lives and the only effect is the aesthetic one -- your cat has tears dripping on his fur which sometimes turn brownish and isn't particularly attractive. If you wipe the eye for him, that is all you need to do.

Surgery to unblock tear ducts in cats has not been extremely successful. Their tear ducts are very tiny and often reblock from scar tissue. I have personally lived with several cats in my lifetime that had blocked tear ducts and never considered surgery. I also have seen many, many cats in practice that have not had surgery. They have healthy eyes, see well, and again, the only abnormality is that their owners need to wipe their eyes, usually on a daily basis.

Thank you for writing,
Dr. Neely

Feb 25, 2010

Watery Eyes and Throw up
by: Renee

I have a three year old male cat who has been fine his whole life besides a basic upper respiratory infection when he was young. It was 4 months ago that I brought in a 9 week old female kitten. Ever since my oldest cat suddenly has watery eyes. Not goopy or yellow, just constand watering, not pouring out, but it happens like once every hour. He squints his eye when it gets real watery and sometimes just keeps them closed so it leaks out the inner corner. The last two days he has been throwing up white foamy liquid. My new kitten has none of these symptoms but it seems as if as soon as I brought her in he has been this way. Could it be allergies? I have noticed SOME sneezing, but when I did, I called my nearest vet and they gave me Clindamycin Hydrochloride and Tobramycin Solution which did nothing for him. The sneezing is gone and he acts totally fine, he plays and runs with the kitten all day long. What should I do?

Cats almost always show their allergies in their skin. It is more likely that your new kitten brought in a virus and/or stress. I recommend your older cat be checked out by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Best,
Dr. Neely

Aug 15, 2009

sneezing, watery eye-allergies?
by: Jackie

This is a great site and very helpful. I have a, now 5-month-old, kitten that I adopted from a shelter on a Saturday. She started sneezing and one eye started tearing, so I took her to the vet on Monday. He thought she likely had a respiratory infection and put her on Cefa Drops. I gave her the drops for 7 days, she seemed to get better, then started sneezing again, and the right tearing. I called the vet and he put her on another course of Cefa Drops along with Tobranycin Ophthalmic drops 0.3%. I gave her the cefa again for 7 days, and try to use the drops twice a day as prescribed. She seems extremely healthy and happy otherwise, but still sneezes occasionally and the right eye still tears up several times a day, so I was wondering if she could have allergies? Should I try another vet? She is not stuffed up and eats like a pig.

What your vet has done is perfectly acceptable. Kittens can get stubborn respiratory infections that take a little longer to go away. Cefa Drops are an excellent antibiotic and so is Tobramycin for the eyes. Conjunctivitis can in some cases last a long time in cats, sometimes for months. It is also a possibility that your kitten has a herpes virus infection which has become chronic and may need intermittent treatment her whole life. The other possibility is that the tear duct in one eye has become blocked as a result of the infection. That happens rather frequently and is of no concern as far as the lifespan of the cat or the health of the eye. You may simply have to wipe the eye periodically. At any rate, continue treatment and have the kitten re-checked by the vet who thus far has done everything correctly.

Good luck,
Dr. Neely

Jul 19, 2009

Blocked Tear Ducts & Sneezing
by: JanB

I've read with interest comments on this problem of watery eyes and the Dr. has noted it isn't usually a worry if no infection develops. However my puss is 17years old and while otherwise in good health has developed serial sneezing along with the watery eye. She also swallows and yawns a lot and isn't eating very well. I think the excess saliva and tears bothers her a lot and interfers with her appetite. I have not rushed to the vet in this instance because I wanted to know if thre was anything I could do for her first. Vet bills are very costly here (like $70 just to see the animal). Would I be better advised to have a consultation? In case there is a tumor or other problem at the heart of the watery eye matter?

Yes, this is definitely a case that needs a vet visit. Her age alone is cause for going sooner rather than later anytime something unusual appears.

In addition, I don't know if you meant to say "eye" instead of "eyes", but if it is only one eye, that also indicates a need for an exam.

Not eating well is not a symptom of watery eyes or excessive swallowing or yawning. Excessive swallowing is not necessary caused by excessive saliva and if it is, excessive saliva may have an underlying cause that needs to be identified. Sneezing that is new along with the other symptoms she displays AND her age make it quite necessary for her to be seen by a vet.

Best wishes with everything,
Dr. Neely

May 06, 2009

watery eyes, brownish crust
by: Anonymous

Hi,
I have a cat who in all other respects appears healthy. However, one of his eyes often waters, and sometimes there is a brownish black crust that we have to clean away. He never seems in any pain, there is never any green or yellowish colour to his discharge.
Should I be worried?

Sounds like a blocked tear duct which is of no concern. Just keep his eye wiped and only be concerned if the discharge ever turns yellow or green or if his eyelid becomes swollen and red.

I've owned many cats with this condition and it has no effect whatsoever on their happiness, health or longevity. Dr. Neely

Dec 21, 2008

Mommy weeps from one eye...
by: Jon

I recently took in an adorable little grey tabby hanging around my house (I always leave food outside for the occasional neighborhood stray). She had obviously been "roughing it" for some time. Her tail appears to have been slightly amputated (a little short, with a kink at the end of it) and her left eye wept frequently. After I took her in and started feeding her, she began putting on a lot of weight...or so I thought. Sure enough, she was pregnant. She ended up giving birth to five very healthy little babies (all of whom now reside in my house along with mommy).

None of the kittens have any trouble with their eyes, but mommy still weeps from her left eye. She does not seem irritated by it in the least, (and actually loves it when I wipe her eye clean occasionally). When I took her to the vet to get her spayed, he didn't have much to say about the weeping, so I assumed it was nothing of great concern. Your comments on the website were reassuring of my assumption.

By the way, your website is one of the best I've come across for information (and just fun stuff) regarding cats. Thanks!

Jul 16, 2008

Blocked tear duct?
by: Dave

Thank you for getting back to me so fast.

I have a feeling that his problem might be a blocked tear duct. It seems fine beside every so often he will have a wet spot under his eye but it is not continuosly watering. This is not the first problem my cat has had and I hate to just run to the vet if there is anything I can possibly do to help him at home. The problem is everytime I call my vet just to get advice they tell us to rush him in.
He is in no distress, it is not swollen, red, and the discharge is just clear tears.
He in the past had a urinary blockage which cost us lots of money and 2 hospital stays for 3 days. It was worth every penny to save the little guys life. I just wonder how serious a blocked tear duct is. I have been trying to hold warm compresses to the eye. I just wondered if I use the saline drops would that give him any relief for this problem?
Thank you for your time!

Hello again, Dave,

It may very well be a blocked tear duct which is so, so common in cats. Your description sounds so much like a blocked duct.

If it is, you don't really need to do anything except wipe his eyes when the discharge builds up. Just use a soft cloth with warm water, being careful to wipe around the eye and not on the cornea.

As long as there is no swelling or redness or discharge that is yellow or green, you are most likely safe in waiting. However, if you go to the vet, there is a test they can perform whether his eye is watering that day or not that will tell you if it is a blocked tear duct. It's simple, inexpensive, and reassuring.

I have seen many cats in my practice with blocked tear ducts and have lived with several myself. In fact, one of my kitties now, Bobby, has had a blocked tear duct for 10 years. It is of no consequence except aesthetically and for that, I just wipe his eye as needed.

I hope that helps. If you have further questions, I'm here!!! Dr. Neely

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