Does your dog sit in your car with your window shields rolled up, or does it insist on feeling the air gushing across his face, with his head popping out? Does he frolic behind bushes in your garden or play with other dogs or humans? Do you take care of the sanitation of your dog’s zone?
These are a few commonplace everyday examples that put your dog’s eye health at risk.
Eye injuries are common in dogs growing up. Some common eye injuries in dogs include lacerations on the eye surface, ulcers in the cornea from excessive rubbing, and eyelid injuries.
This article will shed light on common ocular symptoms in dogs and what you can do to bring relief to your canine friend.
Common Symptoms Of Eye Injuries/Infections In Dogs
An eye injury or an infection can be painful for your dog to cope with. In most cases, reddening of the eye accompanied by excessive tears is a concrete indication of an eye problem. But, in some cases, ocular symptoms might surface without external injuries too.
Symptoms that might demand your quick attention include:
- Twitching of the eyes
- Eyelid spasms
- Pawning near the eye area
- Swelling of the eyes
- Rapid blinking
- Yellow or green discharge
- Sensitivity to light
- Ocular haze
Some injuries can result in your dog not being able to open its eyes completely. Discharge from the eyes can be a symptom of some allergies. Inflammation of conjunctiva tissue can cause irritation and discomfort to your dog.
Anisocoria is a condition where a dog has two different-sized pupils. This is a symptom of an underlying serious issue. This can be a result of a head injury, exposure to toxins, or glaucoma.
If you see any of these symptoms, you should take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Avoid undertaking home care for eye problems unless advised to do so by a doctor. According to the online pet pharmacy, PetCareRx, it is imperative that you, as the dog parent, adhere to the vet’s treatment plans.
Don’t put your dog’s eyesight or pain sensitivity in danger because eye conditions can quickly worsen and spread because they can appear to be much worse than they are.
Types Of Eye Infections
Your canine friend is dependent on you for its well-being. Its dependency increases, especially when it is ill, and you need to step up immediately. Some conditions worsen in a quick fashion, even when the dog is taken care of.
Eye injuries, if left untreated, can result in lifetime trauma for your pooch. Some infections can cause permanent loss of vision in your dog if they are not taken care of in time.
Here is a list of common eye infections that plague dogs.
Conjunctivitis
Pink Eye or Conjunctivitis is one of the most commonly occurring ocular infections in dogs. This condition involves the inflammation of the conjunctiva, a mucous membrane covering the front of your dog’s eyes and the lining of the inner surface of the eyelids.
This is a bacterial infection, although in some cases, existing medical conditions can also be responsible. Pink eyes can result in puss, mucous, or discharge from your dog’s eyes. If not treated properly, it has the potential to cause blindness.
Dry Eyes
Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca, commonly known as dry eyes, involves little to no production of tears. If this condition persists for very long, the dog is at risk of severe corneal ulcers.
In many cases, doctors misinterpret this condition as bacterial conjunctivitis and treat it with various antibiotic courses. Your dog will be in normal condition till the antibiotics continue, but the clinical signs can reappear days after the medication gets discontinued.
Corneal Infection
Corneal infections or ulcers can occur due to a variety of reasons. Inflammation of the cornea, also referred to as Keratitis, is very painful and can also cause permanent vision problems for your dog.
This condition is generally induced either by bacterial or fungal infection or due to an injury at the surface of the cornea. Dog breeds like Boston Terriers and Bulldogs have short muzzles and prominent eyes These breeds are more prone to developing keratitis than other dog breeds.
Uveitis
This condition occurs with the inflammation of one or more of the components of the uvea. Your dog, if suffering from this condition, would generally avoid bright light, and they would generally keep their eyes shut. Reddening of visible parts of the eye involves excruciating pain. Bleeding and excessive tearing can also occur with time.
Common causes include infectious conditions like leptospirosis, as well as bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and Rickettsial infections. Blindness may result from this illness if it is not treated quickly.
Treatments For Your Dog’s Eyes
Caring for your dog’s health after being diagnosed with a condition must always center around the plan prescribed by your vet.
A few treatments for specific eye conditions are listed below.
Treatment For Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
Your vet will prescribe antibacterial eye drops to control this situation. Ointments like Tobradex for dogs can be administered to control the bacterial infection in your dog’s eyes. This solution stops the spread of fatal gram-negative infections.
Your vet might also prescribe oral antibiotics for your dog. Cold compresses are also effective in soothing eye pain.
Treatment For Dry Eyes
Specially formulated artificial eye drops that mimic natural tears are generally administered for your dog’s dry eyes. Anti-inflammatory eye drops and tear boosters are also prescribed in certain situations.
The basic treatment plan’s aim is to relieve the pain and control the inflammation. Topical eye medications and anti-inflammatory drugs are administered to tackle the pain and the inflammations.
Treatment For Keratitis (Corneal Ulcer)
Dogs diagnosed with corneal ulcers are generally prescribed topical steroidal antibiotics and immune-modulating therapy at a frequency of three to four times a day, to begin with.
Pain relievers can also be given to control the pain that accompanies the ulcers in the eye.
Conclusion
Your pooch is your best friend, someone who would gladly wait for you to come home at night. Your best efforts at grooming your dog or taking care of its health can sometimes not be enough.
In such cases, do not take things personally and do what is best for your dog. Its treatment should be the most important thing at that time. Nurse it back to health and enjoy its beautiful company.
