Expert: Jessica - 1/22/2010

Question
I have an orange and white tabby.  He is 9 to 10 years old.  About 3 months ago I adopted a 2 1/2 yr. old female.  My male has not been happy.  About a month ago his eyes started to have a heavy, watery discharge.  I took him to the vet and he said it was probably herpes brought out by the stress of the new cat.  He gave me an ointment which I used for 10 days.  It helped.  A couple of weeks later I noticed that there was black "gunk" in the corner of his eyes.  He has always had some so I wasn't concerned at first even though there was much more than usual.  It's gone on now for weeks and I also see that around the inside of his eyelids it appears black.  To be honest I don't know what color it normally is since I never had the need to look.  He is otherwise just fine.  I keep cleaning his eyes and I've started him on Lysine, but it really doesn't seem to be a cold.  When I clean under his eyelid with warm water and a Q-tip the black comes off.

He never had any health issues until I brought home the second cat, which was the first one he'd ever seen since he was a kitten.  I'm sure it's stress related.  Do I need to be concerned?  Honestly, since adopting the second cat I've spent a lot of money on vet bills and meds.  I really can't afford much more, but I love my animals and don't want to take a chance on anything serious developing.

I'd appreciate any help, advice I can get.

Thanks

Jane

Answer
Hi Jane.  Eye discharge tends to dry up and become black because of a pigment called porphyrin.  So the presence of a black crust or discharge around the eye doesn’t always indicate an infection or serious problem.  It can suggest a drainage problem, which is an aesthetic issue but not a health one, or allergies, although viral upper respiratory infections are also on the list.  I’m glad you’re using the lysine, and I would continue to use that.  You might also consider using a saline eye drop to keep the eyes moisturized and flushed from any allergens that may be bothering him, as well.  

If you have any antibiotic ointment left over, you can apply some of this to his eyes just in case there is any infection.  If you decide to do so, be sure to wait at least 15 minutes between applying the ointment and any saline eye drops.  Other than that, just try to keep the eye area clean with a moistened cotton ball.  

However, if you notice that his eyelids become red or inflamed or his eyes seem swollen, discolored or have any white patches on the surface, he should see a vet again.  He may need a different ophthalmic ointment and perhaps an oral antibiotic.