Dark brown discharge from cat's nose and eyes

lea98

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Hello everyone. I've had my cat for about 4 months now, ever since I found her on my front steps one cold/rainy day. She always breathes in from her mouth and exhales the same way. She had seen the vet before, I had taken her the following month after I took her in to allow some weight gain and adaptation. Besides being underweight and having some dark brown (almost red) discharge from her eyes and nose, she was given a clean bill of health. The vet had mentioned the discharge was a result from having a URI at a young age, probably before I found her, that caused something about the eyes and nose being disconnected to the throat? Something like that. The same day she received vaccines, some coatings for her eyes and nose, ear cleaning, nails were trimmed, and was spayed.

It is now 2 months after her spay and she still breathes the same way and occasionally will get that gunk on her eyes and nose again. Will it ever go away?
 

IndyJones

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Brown or red discharge is not normal. It sounds like you are seeing blood in mucous. I'd take her in and have a test done on the mucous. There is a chance she could have an infection. If a respiratory infection goes on unchecked it could become pneumonia which can be fatal.
 
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lea98

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Brown or red discharge is not normal. It sounds like you are seeing blood in mucous. I'd take her in and have a test done on the mucous. There is a chance she could have an infection. If a respiratory infection goes on unchecked it could become pneumonia which can be fatal.
She's had the breathing through the mouth for four months now but the vet I saw said she should be fine now that she has a home and the URI cleared up by the time I found her. He said she could of had it when she was a few weeks old since she spent her most vulnerable days in the coldest time of winter. The discharge is not as bad as it was, and it isn't constant. In fact it is happening less and less.
 

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Lots of cats get 'sleep' in their eyes.  And a runny nose might just be down to allergies, like dust mites.  Just wipe it off.   Mouth breathing can mean something very seriously wrong, however.
 

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Mouth breathing means something is obstructing part or all of the airways making it hard to breathe (think when you have a cold and your nose is blocked up)
 
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lea98

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Lots of cats get 'sleep' in their eyes.  And a runny nose might just be down to allergies, like dust mites.  Just wipe it off.   Mouth breathing can mean something very seriously wrong, however.
She could have allergies seeing as it's not consistent. Or an equivalent to a kitty cold.
 

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I would also be concerned with the mouth breathing. It's not normal behavior for a cat. Hopefully it is something simple like allergy but i would definitely be taking her for another check up if i were you, maybe at a different vets. Not saying you had a bad vet to start with but from my experiences their opinions on things can vary widely. 
 
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lea98

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I would also be concerned with the mouth breathing. It's not normal behavior for a cat. Hopefully it is something simple like allergy but i would definitely be taking her for another check up if i were you, maybe at a different vets. Not saying you had a bad vet to start with but from my experiences their opinions on things can vary widely. 
I would hate to go to another vet. This veterinarian has taken care of all my animals and all of my family's animals, everyone in town goes to this vet. It's mainly because this is a bit of a one horse town and the nearest vet besides this one is four hours away. I think it could be a stuffy nose because after all I am from Texas and here it can be 81 degrees one day and 21 degrees the next. It's constantly raining and sunny, the weather is severely bipolar.
 
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lea98

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Mouth breathing means something is obstructing part or all of the airways making it hard to breathe (think when you have a cold and your nose is blocked up)
She mainly does it when she purrs and when she sleeps. I'm not sure if that could be considered snoring?
 

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That could definitely be considered snoring!  Brian used to snore so loudly I could hear him in another room.  If it is her snoring then you should feel honoured, as it takes a cat to be super relaxed before it sleeps deeply enough to snore.  It sounds like she's a wee bit snotty, like many of us, and so makes noises & leaks fluid more than others (and doesn't have a handkerchief).  Maybe try putting boiling water in a bowel with an optional couple of drops of eucalyptus to act as an expectorant and loosen up her nasal & throat passages.  You can just place the bowel nearby where she's sleeping. 
 
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lea98

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That could definitely be considered snoring!  Brian used to snore so loudly I could hear him in another room.  If it is her snoring then you should feel honoured, as it takes a cat to be super relaxed before it sleeps deeply enough to snore.  It sounds like she's a wee bit snotty, like many of us, and so makes noises & leaks fluid more than others (and doesn't have a handkerchief).  Maybe try putting boiling water in a bowel with an optional couple of drops of eucalyptus to act as an expectorant and loosen up her nasal & throat passages.  You can just place the bowel nearby where she's sleeping. 
I wasn't sure if cats snore or not because I have never owned a cat before, I have only owned dogs. So I'm still learning about caring for one [emoji]129303[/emoji]
 

voncat4

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Mouth breathing is very serious,take your cat to the vet,I lost a cat who was breathing through his mouth,vet said it was a quirk,not so he died of Hyper Cardio Myopathy ,he was rushed to vet,put on oxygen,lungs drained of over 200ml fluid,then on to vet hospital but passed away later that night without us.Its extremely serious watch for fast breathing , the mouth is open to try and get enough oxygen in.Please get a second opinion.
 

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I think of cats as miniature furry people, they're really ever so alike us.  This is a helpful concept to bear in mind when it comes to cat behaviour as cats are extremely sensitive, emotional, and intelligent beings, whose behaviour can often be explained once you put yourself into their shoes/paws.   Their physical makeup differs greatly to ours though, so keep a watch on your sleepy-snotty-snorry one's mouth breathing, just in case it needs further investigation by your vet.  

I can't imagine life without cats, they've simply always been here.  It's not natural to me to be without them.  It warms my heart that you have discovered life with them 
 
 

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There are list of hidden toxins around your home and garden,get information if your new to cat care,Lillies, antifreeze,some other plants, garlic,onions,please be safe than sorry.
 
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lea98

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I think of cats as miniature furry people, they're really ever so alike us.  This is a helpful concept to bear in mind when it comes to cat behaviour as cats are extremely sensitive, emotional, and intelligent beings, whose behaviour can often be explained once you put yourself into their shoes/paws.   Their physical makeup differs greatly to ours though, so keep a watch on your sleepy-snotty-snorry one's mouth breathing, just in case it needs further investigation by your vet.  

I can't imagine life without cats, they've simply always been here.  It's not natural to me to be without them.  It warms my heart that you have discovered life with them :rub:  
Thanks for your help and yes, she is a lot more complex than my dogs. But I do enjoy having her around. I think she's the only cat I ever liked lol. I never saw myself owning a cat in all my life until she showed up on my steps [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 
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lea98

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Mouth breathing is very serious,take your cat to the vet,I lost a cat who was breathing through his mouth,vet said it was a quirk,not so he died of Hyper Cardio Myopathy ,he was rushed to vet,put on oxygen,lungs drained of over 200ml fluid,then on to vet hospital but passed away later that night without us.Its extremely serious watch for fast breathing , the mouth is open to try and get enough oxygen in.Please get a second opinion.
Oh my![emoji]128555[/emoji][emoji]128562[/emoji] I'm so sorry about your kitty[emoji]128546[/emoji][emoji]128546[/emoji] I'll get a second opinion but I don't think it's anything that serious. She does play, jumps around, gets into mischief. Nothing that makes me think she's hurting.
 
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