My cat has a red, runny eye with milky discharge. What can I do?

I'm sorry Cherry has eye discharge. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do for her at home. The eye is such a delicate and important structure that any eye problem is considered an emergency. That's because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. Given she won't let you look at it, it's like very painful to Cherry. I would have Cherry seen by a vet immediately for this, as it needs to be examined and treated right away.

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!

Hello, sorry to hear about Milkshake. Most common causes of a red eye with discharge may include a flare up of an upper respiratory tract infection such as herpes or a superficial corneal ulcer. If you note any sneezing or nasal discharge then he is most likely to have an upper respiratory tract infection. Milkshake should be evaluated by his veterinarian as soon as possible in case he does have a corneal ulcer or an upper respiratory tract infection. Other less likely causes include a superficial eye infection, glaucoma, or uveitis. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Sneezing and eye discharge make me suspicious of a viral infection, especially feline herpes virus. Herpes virus can cause a myriad of eye problems including ulcers, conjunctivitis, and keratitis. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by a veterinarian soon as you don’t want the problem to get worse. In the meantime I would use a warm water compress on the eye several times a day for 5 minutes at a time. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

This could be due to a scratch on the eye and/or an infection. The possible infection can be on the outside, or inside of the eye. There are also some eyelid disorders that can cause damage to the eye. Without seeing it, I can't narrow it down more than this. However, the cloudy discharge is concerning enough that it's best to take Shasta to a vet within the next 24 hours. Infections and other problems can quickly cause irreversible damage to the eye, so it's best to have it diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. For now, you can flush the eye 3-4 times a day with saline (can get this at the pharmacy or supermarket in the eye care section) to help clean and soothe it. Below is a link to a good video that demonstrates how to do this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGzdUTUdNI I hope that helps and Shasta gets better soon.

I would recommend taking her to the vet today. It could be an infection, conjunctivitis, or a corneal ulcer or abrasion. The vet will do a thorough exam and use a special stain to see if there is an ulcer. Then they will prescribe appropriate medications. Try to keep her from rubbing the eye any more, as this could cause trauma to the eyeball.

Koko is probably suffering from either an eye infection or an eye injury, you will have to take him to the vet in order to get the eye checked, he will probably need an antibiotic eye drop prescription for 1-2 weeks.