Epiphora (Excessive Tear Overflow)

Epiphora is the overflow of tears down the face rather than a disease in its own right — it is a sign that the tear system is out of balance. In a healthy eye, a thin film of tears is made constantly to keep the surface clean and comfortable, then drained away through a tiny opening at the inner corner of each eyelid and down a duct into the nose. Epiphora appears when that balance tips: either the eye is making far more tears than usual, or the drain is not carrying them away.

The over-production side is the body doing its job. Anything that irritates the eye — dust, a stray hair, an allergy, a scratch, conjunctivitis or a foreign body — makes the eye water in an attempt to flush the problem out. The drainage side is more about plumbing. The tear duct can be blocked by inflammation or the scarring left by an old infection, and in flat-faced breeds such as Persians and Exotic Shorthairs it is often simply too kinked by the shape of the skull to work well, so tears spill over even when nothing is wrong.

The visible result is much the same either way: damp fur under the eye that, over time, turns a rusty reddish-brown as compounds in the tears oxidise. That stain is harmless in itself, but the constantly wet skin beneath can become sore or infected, which is why gentle daily cleaning matters.

Most of the time epiphora is a cosmetic nuisance rather than an emergency, particularly the steady, clear watering seen in flat-faced cats. What changes the picture is any sign of pain or infection — squinting, a cat pawing at the eye, redness, or a thick yellow-green discharge. Those suggest something the eye needs help with, from an ulcer to a foreign body, and warrant a prompt vet visit rather than watchful waiting.