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Are these tear stains?

post #1 of 10
2/15/11 at 9:29am
Thread Starter 
Sorry for all the questions lately, I'm just full of them and always forget to ask the vet when I'm there.....

Anyway, I was wondering if Isis has tear stains on her face, or if that's just how her markings are. here are some pics:





if they are indeed tear stains, how do I go about getting rid of them? is it her diet? not enough water? genetics?
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post #2 of 10
2/15/11 at 9:49am
How would the tear stains get on the top of the bridge of the nose though? From paw smearing maybe? Still, if its the only brown tinged part of the cat, I think you're right.

Tear stains in dogs at least come from excessive tear production. Hair that gets in the eyes can irritate it (yours is unlikely), bacteria, or seasonal allergies just like people, or even food allergies.

Basically, anything you know of that can make people's eyes teary can do the same for cats and dogs, the difference being that their fur absorbs the moisture and discolors. That is how I understand it at least. A vet would be your best bet for diagnosing the cause and confirming if its really tear stains in the first place. I wouldn't just throw random stuff at it though, except perhaps a cleaner.
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post #3 of 10
2/15/11 at 9:52am
Even if those are tear stains, which I can't tell because it looks like it could be either her markings or tears, there's nothing wrong with her tears staining like that. Cat tears dry to a rust color naturally, so if anything that means her tear ducts are working normally.
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post #4 of 10
2/15/11 at 10:02am
Thread Starter 
i know that the bridge of her nose is a golden brown color, but right at the corners of her eyes are those dark brown markings that I thought could be tear stains. so if they are tear stains, then it's not a sign of something wrong with her diet or anything?
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post #5 of 10
2/15/11 at 11:03am
I don't think so. I think it's just part of her coloring. Both of my tabbies have light areas around their eyes and they coloring is similar to what your girl has by the corners of the eyes and nose. My female frequently has runny eyes, but no staining.
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post #6 of 10
2/15/11 at 11:07am
Thread Starter 
yeah, looking at your kitties' profile pics, those do look similar to Isis' facial markings. her being a lynx-point, she's got those tabby-esque markings. Her eye discharge had changed color recently ( I'm pretty sure due to her URI), and that's when I started thinking that it might be staining and not just her coloration.
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post #7 of 10
2/15/11 at 11:44am
Natual markings. Tear stains are often seen more on a white or cream color cat. Its the natural brown markings. As long as you don't see any runny eyes, your cat is fine.
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post #8 of 10
2/15/11 at 12:50pm
I think they are beauty spots. Your cat is truly beautiful.
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post #9 of 10
2/15/11 at 2:39pm
I think it's just her markings. Ask the vet next time you are there. Start a list of questions you have, add to it, and bring it with you to the vet. That way you don't forget anything. That's what I do with mine. She's a beautiful cat
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post #10 of 10
2/15/11 at 2:59pm
Thread Starter 
I always mean to write my questions down, but then forget. I should probably just keep a notebook ready, because when I store them on my phone, I eventually have to reformat and then I lose all that info... thanks for the compliments for Isis, my husband is a good kitty picker-outer. him and his "connections." it's how he picked her out and our other cat, said he felt some sort of connection. I feel that connection with just about every animal I think haha.
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