My indoor cats have recurring green/brown eye discharge. What's wrong?

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. The most common reason for the green ocular discharge in the kittens is Chlamydia bacteria The other possibility is a herpes virus. ( https://www.petful.com/pet-health/chlamydia-cats/ ) I suggest you get the kittens to your vet for an exam. They can then dispense some eye medication to see if the symptoms will clear. If it is Chlamydia it is easily treated and shouldn't get to the point of them losing sight or the eye itself. If the mother cats are not up to date on their vaccinations you should do that as this can help alleviate symptoms in the kittens. If they are not handleable, you can get humane traps from your vet or the local shelter and trap the cats. They can then be vaccinated through the trap. Of course, the kittens should get their vaccinations too! This should be something easily remedied. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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!

Coughing is often a sign of asthma or other lung inflammation. Eye discharge is often a sign of an upper respiratory infection, especially if your other cat is now showing symptoms as well. Since there is green discharge you should see a veterinarian who can prescribe antibiotics if needed, and potentially take a chest x-ray as well.

Poor Penelope and Bluebell. I'm wondering if they have an eye infection. Any eye problem should be checked out by a vet promptly as leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I'd take them into a vet today or tomorrow. I hope this helps!

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! I'm sorry to hear Mojo is having eye issues. Discharge from the eye can have a variety of causes, including an infection, a lack of normal tear production, or a virus, for example. If the eye is worsening and looks red, I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his eye issue and start any treatment (eye drops or antibiotics) that he may need. Good luck!