My cat's eye is red, shut, with green discharge & white pupil. Why?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Trinidad. The most likely cause is an upper respiratory virus/organism infecting the inner part of the eyelids called the conjunctiva. There are a few viruses that cause this in addition to a few bacteria. Herpes virus, calicivirus, chlamydia, and mycoplasma are just a few of the organisms that can cause this in cats/kittens. These organisms are NOT contagious to people but are contagious to other cats. Kittens get infected by their mom and many of them become chronic carriers of the viruses. Once the infection takes hold and damages the conjunctiva, a secondary bacterial infection can take hold which often is noticed by a green/yellow eye discharge. Other signs can include those similar to a common cold in people- sneezing, runny nose, coughing, fever, lethargy, decreased appetite, etc. The other possibilities for this include a tear duct problem, injury to the eye, etc. Your vet can take a detailed history, examine Trinidad and focus in on the eyes and look for other signs of an upper respiratory infection. They can stain the eye and measure the pressure inside the eye if needed. Staining the eye will tell if the cornea is damaged from either trauma or a viral infection. Your vet can then advise a treatment plan including eye drops/ointment, something for pain, possibly some antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, etc. Good Luck with Trinidad.

Many times discharge from the eye in a cat can signal the start of an upper respiratory infection. Other possible causes are a blocked tear duct, allergy, or scratch on the cornea. Because anytime the eye is involved I'm very cautious I'd recommend seeing veterinarian especially if the issue does not resolve by tomorrow. A veterinarian can examine the eye to ensure there is no infection or signs of an upper respiratory infection starting. They can also check to make sure no corneal scratches are present as these can be painful and require antibiotic ointment to treat. Anytime the eye is having an issue it's always best to err on the side of caution and have it checked out. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Tiger recovers quickly!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes a scratch can be naked to the visible eye and you need a special stain to see it. I would recommend having a vet check that first. If negative, he may have herpesvirus. This is common in cats and can flair up in times of change or stress. If so, there are antiviral oral and eye medications if needed. Good luck and kisses to Onyx!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If it has been going on that long I would seek medical attention. There may be an ulcer or a scratch on the cornea (which you may not be able to see) that needs to be addressed. Kisses to Fuego!

I can see excessive discharge in the right eye and the eye is not as open as the left one. These signs indicate something abnormal and as always with eyes I would recommend to have the eye examined by a vet. The vet will examine the different parts of the eye and make sure no foreign material present as well as stain the eye to evaluate the cornea. Possible causes can be: trauma, foreign material, conjunctivitis, upper respiratory infection and more. Hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to an eye injury or conditions such as a corneal laceration, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. Good luck and best wishes!

Hi, and thanks for your question. That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!