Persian Cats and Eye Tearing
Epiphora
The medical term for excessive tearing or watering of the eyes is "Epiphora." Excessive tearing causes staining of the hair under the eyes on white or light-colored cats. It is important to determine the cause of your cat's excessive tearing, as some problems can also be irritating and painful. Possible causes of excessive tearing are:
- Inflammation of the eyes;
- Blocked tear ducts;
- Chronic irritation of the eyes;
- Eye infections;
- Allergies;
- Abnormalities of the eyelashes or eyelids;
- Teething;
- Diet;
- Corneal Sequestrum;
- Genetics; and
- Herpes Virus [feline viral rhinopneumonitis (FVR), and feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1)]
Eye staining or rust is often due to excess tearing because when the face hair is constantly wet from excessive tearing it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast. One of the most common yeast infections is Ptyrosporin (or Red Yeast) which causes a deep reddish-brown stain sometimes referred to "rust." Similar to what you see around the mouth on a Poodle.
To determine if the cat has one of the above problems that is causing the excessive tearing, take the cat to a veterinarian ophthalmologist to determine whether treatment is needed. There are eye drops and oral medications that reduce tear flow, dilate tear ducts, or bind iron molecules available from a veterinarian.
Please note: All Persian Cats have tearing issues due to their shortened muzzle and nose. Some of them it is excessive and some are barely noticeable.
Click here - how to clean a Persian cat's eyes.
For further reading - Feline Herpes Virus, click here.