Dark Brown Eye Gunk

I noticed in the past couple of weeks Echo has been getting more and more eye boogers. They are almost black and crusty. They aren't in her eyes, but more on the corners of them & down towards her nose. I've looked at her eyes and the rims are normal color & there isn't any watering that I can see.

I've been wiping them daily or at least every other day with a warm wet wash cloth. She really fights me when I do it, so I don't know if it's hurting when I do that or if it's just she doesn't like me messing with her eyes.

Is this normal? Nothing else has changed in her health and everything is just normal. She doesn't itch them or anything either. I just don't understand why all of a sudden this would start.

Any suggestions or ideas? Thanks in advance!

I'd like to know too. It's a bit different situation with Zoey because she's ALWAYS has them. Little white gooeys in the corners of her eyes at least once a day. I just wipe them with my finger.. she usually lets me.

Someone suggested maybe allergies but I dunno

I thought that when cats get allergies they sneeze too. Echo doesn't sneeze at all...

Sicy, it's white gunk? I don't know if thats normal? I always thought that brownish was normal, but I'm not sure. Echo's gunk is really dark brown..almost black like dirt. When I wipe it away, it flakes off in one big clump even though I try to moisten it with the wet wash cloth.

No she doesnt sneeze.. and everything else is normal. Sometimes its brown though.. I think when it dries. Its just a little.. tiny drops in the corner of her eyes once a day or every two days.. I dunno why.

She eats, drinks, plays, poops, pees, everything normal... *shrug*

Same here...

This one of those things that make you go Hmmmm!

She is persian right Shell? Sorry I can't remember

No...that's Tiki. I'm used to the watery and gunky eyes with her. Echo is my calico DSH

my Leo has this too, and always has, my vet said the brown crusties outside the eye is normal, but any yellow/grey/greenish should be taken care of. Clear tears apparently can dry brown, but if it exccessive, (example you wipe it more than twice a and it returns) then see a vet...

My sister's cat did this all the time,cat lived to be 10?

You know, my little Missy started this same thing, this past week. She is NOT happy with me, for TRYING to make her look presentable either!!!
The vet told me not to remove it with my bare fingers,but to use a cotton ball or a clean Kleenex and not to use the same place on the cotton ball or Kleenex for each eye, in case it would introduce something into the other eye...

I wonder why you cant use your bare fingers? Zoey always closes her eye when I get near them and I dont use my fingernail, just wipe the corner down toward her nose with my thumb.

I think she'd freak out if I got near her with any object like a cotton ball or kleenex.

Originally posted by Sicycat
I wonder why you cant use your bare fingers? Zoey always closes her eye when I get near them and I dont use my fingernail, just wipe the corner down toward her nose with my thumb.

I think she'd freak out if I got near her with any object like a cotton ball or kleenex.

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Because you could have something on your fingers that could be introduced into the tissue of her eye and cause more problems.

Peaches is used to me washing her eyes. I use cotton balls. She just sits still like a good little girl. Henrietta hates it! She squirms and cries like crazy! Her eyes looked nasty when I first got her a week ago. They're much better already!

Shell, not sure about your non-persian kitty. Especially since this is a new thing for him. Maybe you should go to the vet.

Originally posted by mzjazz2u
Because you could have something on your fingers that could be introduced into the tissue of her eye and cause more problems.

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Hmm that's a good point. I'll see if a moist piece of tp will work.

I rip a little piece of paper towel in warm water to wipe their eyes, they don't mind much...

Ok Zoey wouldnt even let me get hear her with any type of cloth, tp, cotton etc.

I am just going to wash my hands thouroghly in anti-bacterial soap before I wipe her eyes. It's the easiest way. I never touch her eyeball either.

I can answer this question based on the same things that happens to dogs, and I'm assuming it's the same with cats...

When tears come into contact with sunlight, they turn brown, if they're left long enough without being cleaned up, they'll dry up, become crusty and black (or very dark brown). It shouldn't bother the animal, unless it obstructs his field of vision, but it isn't very nice to look at! (no pun intended) . There are commercially available tear stain removers (I'm familiar with a product called Diamond Eye), but they tend to be good only on the early stage, light brown and damp tear stains. You can get rid of the brown gunk with a damp cotton ball or kleenex. For longhaired cats, you can sometimes use a flea comb to VERY GENTLY try and lift out the crustyness (that has been previously moistened as much as possible), but don't force the cat if he objects (the last thing you want is a cat with a flea comb stuck in his eye!).

If you're ever hesitant on how to do, have your vet or groomer show you how... I've seen dogs come in with huge deposits of tear stains. Most of the time, it's Malteses and Yorkies that come in with the crustiness, but other dogs come in with them too. What I often end up doing is carfully scissoring out as much as I can, then cleaning what's left with a tearless shampoo and a flea comb...

Hope I helped some...

That doesnt explain white or clear small gobs of goo Or is it just white/clear until it dries and turns to brown?

it is clear/white and then turns brown...(when drying)

I tried to take a pic of zoey's booger! lol. You can barely see it.. but that's all it usually is anyway..