Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Amo_angelus on February 06, 2009, 04:47:05 AM
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So I've had Mitzy for a while now and as long as I've known him he's had black sleep all around his eyes that I keep wiping away for him. He's been to the vets for other things before and they've not mentioned it, but it's beginning to bother me. I can see these globs of gunk appearing in his eyes, stayed there for a few days before being pushed out onto his fur for me to wipe away. It's actually quite disturbing to see them forming and I was wondering if this was normal in cats as my vets haven't mentioned it when he's been in before. It doesn't bother him and he's quite healthy in every other sense, but I'm just wondering if it's worth an hour trip to get it checked out. Or if it's normal and not worth the stress for him.
He's 8 ish and a regular moggy rather than an actual breed. If that helps. He's the kitty in my siggy and avatar.
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Cats tears are reddish brown so can look like black gunk. It depends how well cats clean themselves and some are better than others :evillaugh:
I still think if you are concerned, a vet trip is always worthwhile. Does he blink a lot or does one eye close more than the other?
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Yeah, they start off as a reddish brown in his eyes and darken to black. So they're perfectly normal then?
His blinking seems fine, I was just concerned that is was a sign of something bigger. I know gunk in other species is often a tell tale sign of infection and I was just wondering if it was normal or an early warning of something. He stares a lot or sleeps a lot and when he does blink it's both eyes together...or a wink once in a blue moon.
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Reddish brown is normal but should be clear. If there is any cloudiness then there could be an infection. Hopefully others can add to this as I'm no expert.
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Thank you. Yeah, they're coloured but clear and he's blinking fine. I've just never seen anything like it in my other pets, Mitzys my first cat. And while I've had him several months now, I never really noticed it before. He closes his eyes and purs a lot.
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Hi, I've not experienced this in my cats to excess usually just if they've not bothered to wash their face perhaps after sleeping alot. I don't think it would be anything to worry about but I would mention it to my vet.
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It's just I don't see my vet regularly, nor do I get the chance to ring up normally as I work nights and my vets is a good hours bus ride away. It doesn't seem to be anything serious otherwise I'd have rushed over there and bugged the receptionists to give me an emergency appointment.
I'll mention it to my vet next time I'm passing (I have to take my rabbits in for their jabs shortly, so I reckon I'll ask then), or if it gets cloudy or looks to be causing him problems.
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George gets it all the time (I suspect because he doesn't wash properly round his eyes) - Ed used to get them, but not as much (I suspect because he was better at cleaning round his eyes).
It's never been a problem with George - wasn't with Ed till he went blind, and then I kept finding hairs stuck in it, and in his eyes generally that I'd have to take out.
But if it concerns you, call the vets - better to put your mind at rest than worry.
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I wouldn't think its anything to worry about, Max gets this in his eyes sometimes, I've always assumed its like the 'sleep' we get in our eyes.
Mention it to the vet when you're next there, I'd only suggest a trip should the eyes look irritated.
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I don't think you need worry. Our Munchkin gets it too and I asked the vet about it not long after he adopted us having not encountered it previously. The vet said it was probably the result of untreated chlamydia (sp??) when he was a kitten and nothing to worry about.
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Does it dry like magoos does? He often sports an eye bogey.
2 of my others have slightly deeper eyes and they sometimes get a jelly build up there too.
If Mitzy is happy for you to do so, wipe his eyes everyday with damp cotton wool (use warm water) and it will prevent anything crusting up and getting a secondary infection.
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He often sports an eye bogey.
You speak my language!!! :rofl: Both Mr T and Chloe have the same "problem" Chloe isnt the slightest bit bothered and as for Mr T - he has dicovered he can wipe his eyes on my hand,.... (or my face, or my sleeve or ........ :tired:)
It shows up better on the Chloe pics - Mr T, being black, it doesnt seem so obvious .....
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You call those eye bogies? :evillaugh: You should see the monsters that my droopy eyed cocker makes :sick: he also knows the "wipe them on mum's jeans" trick. :naughty: :innocent:
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Ah, now dog -eye-bogies are a whole different kettle of fish ......Lovely, isnt it!!! :sick: :rofl:
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Yeah, Mitzy is quite happy to allow me to clean his eyes. And he usually cleans them himself if I don't get there in time, so it's not really a problem so much as something I'd never seen before and hoped it wasn't a symptom of infection. I'll mention it to Andy when I'm next at the vets, but if it's normal I reckon he'll be fine as it doesn't seem to bother him at all.
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I wish i could show my vets this thread, she was questioning me about Penguins eyes when i was there :P asking if she was sneezing or anything, and gave me that "i'm a vet, what do you know" look when i pointed out they're just more visible on her 'cos she's got a white face. :innocent: Next time i'll make a point of cleaning her face before taking her. :evillaugh: She's also one of these kitties who doesn't bother with all that cleaning malarkey, much more important things to do. :)
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Some vets irritate me with that "I know better because I'm a vet" attitude, when a lot of the time it stems from them not actually knowing, but refusing to admit that.
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FRanta gets these and so does Ducha a bit. Misa not really and dont think Sasa does, but as said its just normal.
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Skye is bone idle and doesn't clean her eyes at all until............. I start cleaning them. She takes over from me then. I just have to keep reminding her to clean them :rofl: