Why is My Cat Producing Reddish-Brown Tears and What Medication Can Help?

Reddish-brown tears in cats can be caused by several factors, including the consumption of overly salty food, blocked tear ducts (nasolacrimal duct obstruction), or eye inflammation. It's crucial for owners to accurately determine the specific cause of their cat's reddish-brown tears to ensure appropriate treatment.

What to Do When Your Cat Has Reddish-Brown Tears

1. Excessive Salt Intake: When cats consume food with high salt content or eat too much dry food, they are prone to experiencing increased internal heat, which can lead to increased tear gland secretions and frequent tearing. Similarly, excessive eye discharge, once oxidized, will turn reddish-brown. To address this, owners should adjust their cat's diet to be bland and also incorporate cooling foods and ensure that the cat drinks enough water. Excessive salt intake is detrimental to your cat's overall health and coat color. Therefore, avoid giving your cat food with excessive additives, such as ham, low-quality cat food, canned snacks etc., and refrain from giving human food to the cat, ensuring its diet remains bland.

2. Eye Inflammation: Reddish-brown tears can also indicate eye infections or irritations like conjunctivitis, blepharitis, corneal ulcers, or dacryocystitis. In such cases, excessive eye discharge is common, and this discharge turns reddish-brown upon prolonged oxidation. This often accompanies symptoms like eyelid redness, conjunctival edema, and difficulty opening the eyes. Closely examining your cat's eyes can help determine if inflammation is the cause. If eye inflammation is the cause of the reddish-brown tears, anti-inflammatory treatment should be started. You can use pet-specific anti-inflammatory eye drops, and to prevent the cat from scratching the eyes and worsening the condition, an Elizabethan collar can be used. Should the symptoms not improve, consider the possibility of mycoplasma, chlamydia, or viral infections and promptly take the cat to a vet for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Source:5D Pet World