What to do about your cat's runny eye

Q: My cat constantly has a runny eye. I have tried creams from the vet, but it keeps coming back. Any ideas?

A: Your cat may be suffering from a blocked tear duct, where the lubricating fluids produced by the tissues around the eye are unable to drain properly, leading to infection. This can be caused by trauma or is secondary to cat flu. Speak to your vet, who may suggest performing a dye test to see if the duct is working properly. If it is found that it is blocked, your cat will have to go under anaesthetic so that your vet can catheterise and flush the tear duct, hopefully allowing it to drain properly again.

Scott Miller, vet