New pregnant cat... how serious is this eye discharge?

May 22, 2021 9:52 AM

We took in a stray and SURPRISE PREGNANT. Confirmed Wednesday at vet. They didn’t notice this eye discharge or it appeared after. That makes one eye basically have a halo of water/goo. Is this worth emergency vet or taking her in monday?

We will call the vet when they’re open Monday but weekend they’re closed. I hate moving her again as she’s super pregnant and also very new to being inside maybe and skittish. She’s finally out and confident. She’s an amazing sweetheart, eating a ton, using litter box, very small (6.9 lbs with kittens!!) and we adore her already.

So anyway I took a picture of the discharge when I wiped some off just now with a tissue. I also got it on my hand Wednesday I realize when petting her. The eye looked fine then. It’s still clear just... wet. Cat tax and picture of discharge.

posted by OnTheLastCastle to Pets & Animals (9 answers total)

I’ve had two cats with feline herpes that presented as a frequently teary or runny eye. My little guy may grow out of it, but previous cat lived with it. I believe it’s a fairly common infection in strays. Your vet may be able to do something so it doesn’t transmit to the kittens, but I’m not positive on that front.
posted by PussKillian at 10:04 AM on May 22, 2021 [3 favorites]

I am not a/your vet.
I had a cat (the lovely Miss Maggie) who chronically had this. It would come and go and never seemed to bother her. The vet wasn’t concerned. Of course, every cat is different—but personally I think you’d be ok waiting to get it checked.
posted by bookmammal at 10:57 AM on May 22, 2021

If a cat won't / can't open that eye, I'd think emergency vet. For tearing and mucus on its own, I'd feel comfortable with a Monday visit.

As @PussKilian says, feline herpesvirus is common in strays and this could be a mild case of that, unlikely to get serious. But it can be serious in kittens, so do talk to your vet about, if they think this might be FHV, how to minimize transmission risk. It could be other things, and some cats have tear leakage from non-infectious causes, too.

The discharge goo appears to be reddish-clear? That's not something I've seen before. Not saying it's something serious (I have no idea what it is), but show the vet your picture.
posted by away for regrooving at 11:11 AM on May 22, 2021

Response by poster: The eye looks totally fine and is clear except for the wetness/discharge around it. Which isn't actually in her eye at all as far as I can tell. She's not scratching it and can see fine it seems. Sounds like it's fine to wait and call Monday, thank you all!

The goo is kind of reddish/brown. It's not blood I don't think.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:18 AM on May 22, 2021 [1 favorite]

Consider Euphrasia homeopathic potency 6X.
Works on my running eyed cat.
posted by Mesaverdian at 11:35 AM on May 22, 2021

If it's reddish-brown gunk, that's a normal gunk.
posted by away for regrooving at 11:53 AM on May 22, 2021 [3 favorites]

Please don't use homeopathic remedies on your cat, especially at the recommendation of random internet strangers. If it's truly homeopathic, it probably won't do anything because it's just water, but if by "homeopathic" you mean the vague and meaningless "natural remedy," there is a chance of side effects. Anything that has a potential effect can have potential side effects.

The safety and effectiveness of euphrasia in cats has not been studied, as far as I can tell.

A quick Google found this animal hospital's page, which is very diplomatic about the whole "no good evidence on its safety and effectiveness" thing, but does have this to say:

Eyebright should be used cautiously in pregnant or nursing pets, or in pets that have had eye surgery or have diabetes. Some formulations of eyebright can be toxic if applied directly in the eye, so always check with your veterinarian before using this supplement in the eye.

Cat eye-gunk is a very common problem and is usually not serious. Of course, it could be a sign of a more serious infection beginning, so you should monitor it, but in your situation I would just call the vet on Monday and ask if they think she should be examined again or not.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 4:07 PM on May 22, 2021 [10 favorites]

This would not freak me out; I think you're fine to call on Monday. Especially if she's opening it and not scratching at it.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 4:59 PM on May 22, 2021

Agree with everyone else. High odds that it's feline herpes, which, especially if she's eating well and breathing well, isn't a big deal and isn't particularly treatable (there are supplements that can help, but with a pregnant cat that's a very Ask Your Vet thing). And I'd expect to see signs of discomfort or inflammation if it was serious (cats are generally good at hiding discomfort, but with an eye and a careful human, you'd see something I think). Also- be sure to ask your vet for advice about which evet if you have options - we have one in our neighborhood, and it was a bad scene all around. The one the vet suggested was a fair bit farther away, but because it's better run, it saves time, and is more trustworthy.
posted by wotsac at 9:36 PM on May 22, 2021