What should you know about cat dark eye discharge?

Tears and mucus can dry to a brown or dark crust, especially after sleep. Irritation, blocked tear drainage, allergy, or conjunctivitis can also produce discharge. Allergic conjunctivitis often comes with itching and watering, while conjunctivitis may cause redness, sticky eyelids, and discharge that returns during the day. Colour alone cannot tell which cause is present.

Consider whether one or both eyes are affected, whether the eye is red, and whether vision or light comfort has changed. Contact lens use, recent injury, or chemical exposure makes prompt assessment more important.

Wash your hands before and after touching the eye. Soften crusts with clean cotton or gauze moistened with cooled boiled water, wiping from the inner corner outward and using a fresh piece for each wipe. Do not share towels, rub the eye, or use someone else’s drops. Pause contact lenses until symptoms have cleared and a clinician says they are safe to wear.

Get urgent medical help for eye pain, reduced or blurred vision, strong light sensitivity, marked swelling, an injured eye, or redness with severe headache or nausea. A chemical splash requires immediate flushing with clean water while arranging emergency advice. Prompt review is also needed when discharge is thick, recurrent, or limited to one eye.

Ask whether the discharge fits conjunctivitis or allergy, whether you need an eye examination or treatment, how long to avoid lenses, and how to reduce spread if an infection is suspected.