# Problem with Eyes Please give Advice



## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

Ok guys this might be a long story. 

I had Tuna for exactly 3 years.. I saved him from the streets so I am not sure of exact age but I assume 7. 

since day one when I got him he had black crusty stuff in the corner of his eyes closer to the nose.
I cant find an exact picture right now but if you not sure what I am talking about here is a picture however there are barely much in the pic but usually he builts up quite a bit of the black crusty stuff










as you can see in the picture on normal days when he doesnt have crust in his eyes or at least much of it his eyes are still red around the rim (around the eye and the corners the skin tone is always red)
so I always assumed this is normal because this picture for example is from 2 years ago and he looks exactly like this today (red rim and corners)









only in the past 2 months ive noticed 3 occasions where his eyes were really red (more than usually and he had tears in one eye and kept having it closed)
I waited it out and 6-12H he was back to normal..but it happend again and after the 3rd time I started thinking if its related to his red skin tone around the eyes and the black crust built up in the corners.

so I finally took him to vet for the first time since I got him.

they did not give me much answers however I paid good$ for pretty much nothing and I am back to square 1. 

when I brought him in, he didnt have crust in his eyes at the time and his eyes were normal so the vet told me that she couldn't see the problem at the time. 

but she did give me BNP ointment and told me to use it 3times a day for 7 days

so I brought him home and put the ointment in.. after abit his eyes turned more red than usual and watery. I put the ointment in 3 times that day and the whole day slept and I mean all day.

the next day I put the ointment in the morning and again I noticed his eyes turned red and watery and seemed like all he wanted to do was sleep.

I than noticed that his eyes were really red and he seemed to be sensative to light and did not open his eyes fully but maybe only 60%.

I took these pictures about 3 hours after the eyes werent as red and he still had problems having one of the eyes fully open (before he had both like that)
so I guess it was wearing off.

after this I decided not to use the ointment anymore. 

and today he is back the way he alwasy been.. mild red and a lil crusties.

so guys tell me is this normal for him because obviously he been doing good for the past 2-3years and this ointment seemed to make things worse and I wont be using it again. But I still want to know why he builds up black crust and why the color of the skin around his eye and corner of the eye is always light red on normal days 



















do you see how around the eye the skin is kinda red.. thats how its been for the past 2 years just like that on most days other days it might be not as red but still kinda noticably red


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## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

I just took these 2.. havent put BNP in his eyes (even tho the vet said I should do it for 7days)

but if you notice his eyes are pink instead of red and there are still some crusties around the rim of the eye and the corners but he is not having a problem keeping both eyes fully open today unlike yesturday when I was using the ointment so thats why I stopped using it. as today he looks exactly like he did for the past 2-3years

any idea what causes those black marks around the rim /they always been there but I wonder if there is anything I could do so his eyes are perfectly clear and clean


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

When I rescued Oreo from the streets, she also had crusty eyes and nose. I brought her to the vet, spent $83 on a special test which revealed microplasma condition. The vet prescribed an anti-biotic and it cleared up. The vet said that stray cats often get those kinds of infections from being outdoors and picking up germs.


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## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

Hmmm So far I spent 470$ and got nothing out of it.. I cant use the BNP on its eyes as obviously by looking at the pictures it made his eyes burn and water and he could not keep em open after. So I guess ill take the BNP back to the vet and ask for a different anti-biotic 
for the eyes to try to get them not crust anymore?


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

I would recommend reading up on Lysine for eye problems in cats. It works very well to help clear up symptoms associated with the herpes virus, which is often at the root of the problem. 
One of my rescued cats, Rose, had a watery eye and a discharge that led to the eye closing completely. Ten days on Lysine and her eyes were perfect. You can buy it in the health food store in capsules and adjust the dose.


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## pauli (Mar 26, 2011)

I've had cats for many years and the crusts seem normal to me.
Look for any eye discharges that are yellow or green in colour.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

I would also try the L-Lysine. Most health food stores carry it in 500mg capsules. Suggest you split the amount and give half in the morning and other half for evening meal....mix the powder with a little canned food. If you don't see any change in a month, then try the vet again.

Some of the dark spots on the eye rim may be dark pigment....often cats with red/cream in their coat have these "freckles".


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## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

I will try that.. no harm can be done to my cat from trying this Lysin? like the BNP worked pretty bad on my car just dont wanna put him thru more stress I just want him to have clean clear eyes with no crust like my other 2 cats have.

What store exactly has it I am also in Toronto/Ottawa
like shoppers drug mart? which section would it to be in 



catloverami said:


> I would also try the L-Lysine. Most health food stores carry it in 500mg capsules. Suggest you split the amount and give half in the morning and other half for evening meal....mix the powder with a little canned food. If you don't see any change in a month, then try the vet again.
> 
> Some of the dark spots on the eye rim may be dark pigment....often cats with red/cream in their coat have these "freckles".


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## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

Thanks I will try that thanks !!!
I wish the vet told me about this that there is no cure 
made me waste my money for nothing those money hungry bastards calling themselfs animal lovers
PS: why are you 'assuming you're already feeding canned

what does that have to do with anything ?
besides maybe I am wrong but I read its not good to feed wet food

I feed my cats dry food


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

****runs to grab popcorn for the show about to begin****


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## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

marie73 said:


> ****runs to grab popcorn for the show about to begin****


lol uh ok what am I missing here ? actually its my girlfriend who told me that wet canned food is not good for cats ? so do tell me as I been looking for a reason to complain for something she did wrong lately, this could be just it lol

PS: this is the stuff I feed my babies 
I tried alot of other dry food like purina and IAMS and so on but I had alot more success with this brand of dry food

so do tell why I should use canned food over this


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## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

looks like I will have to read alot before bed.. so ill read it tomorrow for sure and thanks my girlfriend will get some complaining for convincing me dry is good..

but what about 100% grain free foods like the brand that I use above ? as most other dry foods use grains this one does not .. which might be the root of the dry food problem


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## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

OK thanks for all the info PS: why do youi keep calling dry food kibble lol I never heard that before

PPS what is a good canned cat food then ? what brand should I be looking for


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

First, texture is very important. Some cats will only eat pate, some will only eat chunks, some like morsels. It's going to take experimenting. 

My cats eat Merrick (Grammy's Pot Pie, Turducken and Thanksgiving Day). They'll also sometimes eat Merrick's Cowboy Cookout, which is mush, and Wellness Core, which is pate.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

I don't know how true this is but from observation of my orange fosters they remind me of my own boys which are red heads. They are more sensitive to foods, attitives, allergies. They're eyes show reations with allergies to foods products, chemicals and sunlight. My orange kitties get the red rims and crusty eyes that show reactions.

Herpes settling in the eyes is a common disease. Like a cold settling in the eyes which can become infections which cause blockage and scaring in the tear ducts. Herpes stay in their systems and flare periodically from stress, allergies, low immune systems. They're is no way to get rid of it. Only treat it with Lysine. Your cat will have this condition his whole life. This info was given by an eye vet specialist for my foster cats.

You are feeding ur kitty a good dry food but from your reading youll be educated that canned is superior for its health. If your kitties eyes continue to water and squint as in the photos you might want to put comfort drops of Genteal (over the counter drops) or Petrolube (sold on internet) in his eyes. 

Im not home to get the exact spelling. I hope Im right. FYI not all vets are good cat savvy vets. Check around to find one.


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

Mitts & Tess said:


> I don't know how true this is but from observation of my orange fosters they remind me of my own boys which are red heads. They are more sensitive to foods, attitives, allergies. They're eyes show reations with allergies to foods products, chemicals and sunlight. My orange kitties get the red rims and crusty eyes that show reactions.


Sammy (orange) almost always has a tiny bit of dark 'crust' in his eyes. He's never had weepy/watery eyes but since he was a kitten, always a little crusty. One of his vets once asked if he's ever had cat flu (nope). I just clean it away everyday and thankfully it's never been a problem.


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## Beckie210789 (May 9, 2011)

My Romy gets that in the corners of his eyes, and has for as long as I can remember. I always just wipe it away when I see it. Recently, he was in to the vet's office for a stomach issue, and the vet said he had allergies (explains the crusty eyes, slight dandruff, and waxy ears) my vet said that I should bring him back in after the new year for shots and we'd speak about the allergies then. (They wanted to get his stomach back in check before administering any more treatments) So we'll see if whatever his allergy is, will clear up his eyes/skin/ears with treatment.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Herpesvirus is so common in cats that nearly all cats (95%+) carry the virus. Once a cat has the virus, it's there for life. The virus can settle in the respiratory tract and/or the eyes. In most cats, the virus lies dormant most of the time. As stated by other posters, though, the virus can flare-up and cause symptoms when the cat is under stress, is immuno-compromised in some way, or has contact with another cat with an active herpes flare-up. A cat with an active flare-up may have respiratory symptoms such as sneezing and stuffy nose; or may have crusty, runny eyes; or may have both.

As mentioned, L-lysine inhibits the herpesvirus' ability to replicate, making it easier for the cat's immune system to fight it back into remission. L-lysine is just an amino acid, so it's perfectly safe to give to a cat even if he doesn't have a herpes infection. You can buy L-lysine anywhere vitamins are sold. I buy it at Walmart or K-Mart or wherever it's cheapest. I buy 500 mg tablets, then crush one and mix it into a canned food meal once a day while a cat is symptomatic (250 mg daily for young kittens).

Sometimes a cat can also develop a secondary bacterial infection while his body is busy beating back the herpesvirus. If a bacterial infection settles in the eyes, you'll also need to administer an optic antibiotic of some sort. As you've already noticed, some antibiotics can be irritating to the eyes (Terramycin is one of them). If you're having a problem with the antibiotic prescribed by your vet, request a different one.

Laurie


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## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

I want to thank everyone for the information in this thread and especially the cats diet
I read as much as I could and I will for sure be switching to canned food I will try a few brands like wellness for example.

mix it with lysine for tuna

lastly Is it ok to mix my dry food with wet food ? 
I have 2 huge 50$ bags of my cat food and I need to go thru it somehow so I was thinking mixing dry with wet..


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Once dry food gets wet it starts multiplying bacteria really fast. I wouldn't leave mixed food out for any length of time at all.

Ideally they would get three meals a day. You could give them canned two meals and dry the third. Just remember to lower how much kibble they get so they don't end up the size of a house. Or perhaps give them c anned morning and night and leave a little dry out during the day to snack on until it's all gone.


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## Tuna (Dec 21, 2011)

stupid question but do you say my cat doesnt finish the whole can of wet food how long is it safe to leave it out for him before it gets bad

like say my cat only eats half of the wet food and thinking he can just eat the rest later on the day how many hours can I leave the wet food out for him or am I suppose to feed him and put whatever left overs of the wet food away lol

I just never really fed cats canned food


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Lots of different opinions of that on here. I leave mine out for a couple of hours (they always eat it by then). When it was just MowMOw occasionally he wouldn't finish dinner and would eat it the next morning before I got out of bed (I don't recommend that though).

If you put the food down and give him 15 minutes and take it up again (stick it in the fridge and reheat with some hot water for the next meal) he'll learn quick to eat before it goes away.


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

Squeek always gets black crust in the eye with white fur around it (right eye), never in other eye surrounded by black fur. Lickorish is all black but has problems with discharge and goop in the left eye. Its a little droopy too, but she can open it when she's really interested in seeing something. I'm going to pick up some L-Lysene as they have both been sneezing, maybe that will clear up the eye problems. Also have a wellness visit schedule next week at the vet to get them established there.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I put the canned food down when I leave for work and it's gone when I get home. They rarely ever eat it right when I put it down.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

When you switch Tuna to canned food, be sure to do it gradually over the course of a week to avoid digestive upset. If you free-feed dry food now, I'd continue to do so while introducing small amounts (maybe 1 tsp) of canned food 2-3 times daily. Each day increase the canned food meals by 1 tsp for the next week or so and gradually cut back the amount of dry food that you leave out. If Tuna develops diarrhea (not uncommon when changing diets), slow down the process and feed a little less canned until his digestive system adapts to it.

It can also be helpful to feed a probiotic during the diet change period.

Laurie


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

I've been giving l-lysene to Squeek and Lickorish for less than a week now, already reduced eye gunk and less sneezing. Squeek still coughing a little, but seems to be less severe. I had some issues with Lickorish not finishing her food and Squeek trying to steal hers, so I locked Lickorish in a room until she finished. didn'tr want Squeek getting a double dose. Now I mix with less food, and if they want more after they're done with the medicated food, I give them a little more. Its easier than trying to manage 2 cats and 2 food bowls.


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