My cat has red/brown eye discharge and won't eat. What should I do?

I'm sorry to hear that Dr Bigotes seems to have an infection. The yellow discharge from the eyes is very common with conjunctivitis and/or ulcers and does require an eye antibiotic ointment to clear it up. Frequently cats will have a viral infection that can cause this problem as well. I would recommend using a warm compress for 5 minutes a few times a day on her eyes to help remove some of the discharge. You also can gently flush the eyes with sterile saline to remove some of the discharge to see if that makes her more comfortable. I am also very concerned that she is not eating. She may have something else going on that is causing her to loose her appetite, like an upper respiratory infection. You can try heating the food to make it smell more pungent to see if that helps her to smell it better and hopefully eat. Ultimately, I do think you need to take Dr Bigotes into your vet when you are able because she likely needs to have antibiotic ointment for her eyes and to look for an ulceration that may need further treatment. She also may need further treatment for the inappetence.

It sounds like an upper respiratory infection. They are common in cats and can be incredibly contagious to other cats. Make sure to wash your hands and change your clothes after dealing with Tom. Many of these infection are viral and simply have to run their course. Occasionally antibiotics are used to treat secondary bacterial infections. Cats don't like to eat if they can't smell, so if you can give him smellier foods, like tuna or some varieties of wet food, he may eat a little.

This can be a sign of a respiratory infection and nasal congestion. It can also be a sign of a corneal ulcer or other trauma to the eye that can be causing pain. Since he is not eating and has potential to have an ulcer, it is best if he gets seen at an emergency clinic tonight to get medication started before he gets dehydrated.

This is probably an upper respiratory infection. it's very common in young cats and is very contagious to other cats as well. It is treated with antibiotic eye drops/ointment and oral antibiotics for about 2 weeks. if left untreated many cats will end up blind or even die from the disease. I advise going to your vet asap to start the treatment right away.

It is hard to tell by the information above but it is possible that a stray cats has an upper respiratory infection or infection in its eyes. I would try to find a vet sooner so antibiotics can be started if needed. In the mean time I would recommend keeping the cat in safe /warm area with plenty of food and water. hope he feels better

Poor Chance. It sounds like you are doing an amazing job with him. The blood from the nose and eyes could be from severe irritation of the mucous membranes or due to a viral infection. Since he is alert and interactive I would keep doing what you are doing. I would be syringe feeding him some food every 3-4 hours. You can also hold him in a small bathroom with the hot shower going so he can breathe in the steam. This will help to loosen up the mucus and also help to moisturize his mucous membranes. There is no need to get him wet or near the water. Just hold him since steam rises. Also, if you have a humidifier, you can run that at night while he sleeps. No need to put any medicine in it - just water. If the bleeding continues, I would have your vet recheck him to ensure he doesn’t need any additional meds or his current meds changes. I hope this helps and he continues to improve.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Allie! The most common cause for an excessively teary eye is a viral upper respiratory tract infection and they can cause a fever. A fever can cause lethargy and not wanting to eat. Other possibilities are an injury to the eye that is painful. Since he isn't eating and lethargic he needs to be examined by a Vet. Cats shouldn't go longer than 2-3 days with out eating as they can get very sick from a secondary liver problem. I wish Allie a speedy recovery!