Green discharge from eyes

Last night, I noticed a small bit of green discharge in the corner of Picasso's eye. I thought it might've been sleep crud, so I wiped it away.

Today, I noticed it coming back after I cleaned it off, and now to the other eye. Her eye is slightly squinted, she doesn't appear to be in pain and there's no obvious infection (eyes are clear, no redness and not watery).

I cleaned both eyes out with cooled boiled water and paper towel (one towel per eye). I want to see if it helps if I cleaned the eyes.

I will be calling the vet in the morning to get it checked out. Green generally means infection, right? I am thinking that her body isn't quite healed from the virus she had almost 2 weeks ago and might've developed into URI.

Any ideas what it might be? I want to do some research while I wait for the vet to open up in the morning.

Only a vet will be able to tell you what kind of bacterial infection she has. But greenish, yellowish discharge is not a good thing. Those usually indicate some kind of infection.

Are colds and URI similar? my google tells me it could be either. guh. I hate it when my babies get sick!

Originally Posted by Draco

Are colds and URI similar? my google tells me it could be either. guh. I hate it when my babies get sick!

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My experience with URI is that the discharge is clear.
A green/yellow discharge is generally a bacterial infection IMHO.

I'm glad you've got a call into the vet - if they don't give you an appointment right away, I'd stress to the desk that it's green discharge, she's newly adopted and she wasn't well just a few weeks ago. Pull all the strings to get her in tomorrow.

My internist tells me clear or silver is usually a cold (for humans); green or yellow is an infection and is the sign to get an appointment quickly. I apply that to my cats.

I feel so badly you're running into all these speed bumps, but pray that all will be well very soon.

A "cold" generally is less severe than an URI. It's VERY common for kitties in new environments to get an URI from the stress of the whole move, new place, and such. It could also be related to whatever she had that was going on with her paw.

You can use a warm wash cloth to wipe out the eye booger and act as a compress to soothe her eyes.

I just brought my little Angus in for the same problem yesterday. It started off as a little more discharge than I'm used to seeing on Sunday night and then Monday morning it appeared a little yellow, almost slightly green. I called Tuesday morning to make an appointment and the earliest time they had was Wednesday afternoon. By Tuesday night his conjunctiva looked more red/inflamed and he was visibly squinting. I was so worried.

So, I brought him in yesterday and the vet asked if I had another cat and I told him I did, so he decided to look for ulcers in case they had been playing too rough and Angus perhaps got hit in the eye. The vet used a technique of putting fluorescein dye into the eye to check for ulcers. If they are present, areas of ulceration take up the dye more readily. But, luckily, he didn't have ulcers, so he was just prescribed an antibiotic eye gel that I have to apply twice a day and then the vet will re-check him in a week.

I posted a post-appointment photo of his sad expression after we got home here: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=233771

I think, with URIs, you would see more systemic signs, like she is less active, eating less and more lethargic. If she's her usual self just with some ocular discharge, in my opinion, it's a more localized infection.

thanks everyone.

The vet is going to stop by tonight after work, she's doing it as a favor since she took care of Picasso through the shelter and I am on her way home anyway.

Picasso's still active, but she tires quickly, and she's eating.

This morning, she still has the discharge. I am about to clean her eyes again with the boiled (cooled) water, warmed up just to a comfortable level.

Glad the vet is going to check Picasso out. It sounds like Picasso will be getting an antibiotic in the near future Let us know what you find out.

From what I described to the vet, she said its most likely a cold, but want to check anyway. She'll be bringing eye ointment and antibiotics. She wants me to try the ointment first since Picasso was on antibiotics last week (finished friday) and she doesn't want her back on so soon. if the discharge continues after a few days, then I'll start her on antibiotics

the vet just left. gave me ointment and antibiotics. she said only use the antibiotics if she starts getting nasal discharge. just a cold

What kind of ointment was it? I am taking some to a person in a different neighborhood to take care of a neighborhood cat. I have packed up tobramycin drops and terramycin.