My cat's eye waters frequently with no irritation. Vet visit needed?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I would say that based on the picture and your description, as long as the eye does not look reddened or inflamed and the discharge is not green or yellow then I would say waiting 2 or 3 days should be fine. If at the end of the two to three day time frame the discharge is still there and is not any better or is worse, then I would schedule an appointment with a veterinarian to have this looked at. The eye discharge could be from allergies, infection or trauma. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions you may have and I would be more than happy to answer any you may have.

Her duct that draining the eye could be clogged. I would put a warm compress on inner part of the eye near the nose and gently massage. You could also try Benadryl twice a day to see if there is an allergy component. If this doesn’t help, I would talk to your vet about y’all trying an antibiotics eye drop with or without a steroid to see if that helps it. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/

A clear discharge can be caused by some irritation such as dust or excessive draft. This would not be concerning and would pass within a few hours. Sometimes cats have an obstructed tear duct and then this could also cause a transparent watery discharge. Another cause would be a viral respiratory infection. In that case however , both eyes would be affected. Monitor the discharge and if it turns yellow or green or milky she will need to be seen by a vet for a bacterial respiratory infection.

fbIf you notice squinting, rubbing at the eye, increased discharge, redness, decreased vision, or if the eye appears to be protruding, please get Rose to a vet right away. Do not apply anything to the eye without checking with your vet first. You can clean underneath the eye with a cloth dipped in clean warm water twice a day to help prevent buildup.

Gently try to wipe the eye to see if that is just some discharge. If it does not come out, it may be a mass and she should see her veterinarian. If it is discharge, as long as she seems normal, you may monitor her for a few days to see if this is a one time thing. If it progresses or worsens, have her seen by her veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. It is very common for an upper respiratory tract infection to also cause eye symptoms. This may include a clear watery discharge and inflammation of the eyelids and conjunctiva. If the discharge becomes thick and yellow/ green or your cat squints or is holding the eye closed, she should be rechecked and started in eye medication as well. If the symptoms are mild as they are now, it may resolve on its own when the virus runs its course and goes away. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Clear eye discharge is not uncommon. I would not be worried about this unless the discharge turns yellow or green which would indicate an infection. You can use saline solution or a commercial eye wash to rinse the eyes out daily if he will let you. Otherwise just wiping the discharge away when you see it is fine. I would use a cotton ball soaked in warm water to wipe the eyes and not a Q-tip. They also have pre-made eye wipes for cats if you would rather use that. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-cat-eye-wipes ) ( https://www.petco.com/category/cat/cat-health-and-wellness/cat-ear-and-eye-care ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.