Common Causes and Treatments of Eye Discharge in Dogs
If your dog has clear eye discharge, chances are good its caused by allergies or something physical, like dust in the eye or wind blowing in the face. A watery discharge or mucus from one eye is often a sign of a foreign body, like an eyelash, while yellow-green or pus-like eye discharge could indicate a serious infection. Always talk to your vet to get at the root cause of your dogs eye discharge, because some problems can result in blindness or loss of an eye if left untreated.
Conjunctivitis. Mucus, yellow-green pus, or a watery eye discharge can all be signs of conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the lining of your dogs eye. Theres a wide range of causes for conjunctivitis, from allergies, injury, birth defects, and tear duct problems, to foreign matter, dry eye, distemper, or even tumors. Other signs of conjunctivitis include very red eyes, inflammation, blinking too much, squinting, crusty eyes, pawing at the eyes, or keeping the eyes closed.
To treat conjunctivitis, its important to learn whats causing it. Depending on the cause, treatment can include: removing the irritant and soothing the area with pain medication; antibiotics and saline washes to manage infection; surgery to treat duct problems or birth defects; antihistamines for allergies; or other medications.
Corneal ulcers. These can be superficial or deep sores that can be painful. They may be caused by trauma to the cornea, disease, a lack of tears, something foreign in the eye and other injuries. Corneal ulcers causes red and watery eyes, sensitivity to light, squinting, rubbing the eyes with a paw, a film over the eye, and discharge from the eye. Treatment may require surgery, antibiotics, or anti-inflammatories. Seek medical attention for your pet right away.
Epiphora (excessive tearing). Watery, teary eyes — resulting in stained or smelly fur and/or infected skin — can also be the result of many conditions, including abnormal eyelashes, inflammation, allergies, corneal ulcers, tumors, eye pain, and more.
Treating excessive tearing depends on whats causing it and may include: topical antibiotics or steroids for tear duct inflammation; antibiotics and topical medication for cornea damage; or surgery for duct obstruction, ulcers, or abnormal eyelashes. Â
Dry eye. A sticky, tenacious eye discharge could point to canine dry eye — a failure to produce enough eye-cleansing tears. Dry eye — symptoms can also include mucus and inflammation — may be the result of distemper, injury, a knock in the head near a tear-producing gland, or the bodys own immune system attacking the tear gland tissue. Infection is a serious risk for dogs with dry eye and can lead to painful, inflamed eyes. Ulcers on the cornea (surface of the eye) are also a serious risk since, without the lubricating effect of tears, the eyelid can scratch the surface of the eye just by opening and closing.
Treatment for dry eye depends on how severe it is and may include artificial tears for several weeks for mild dry eye; antibiotic eyedrops to help manage secondary infections; immunosuppressant drugs to help control the immune system; or surgery.
Glaucoma. This condition is caused by excessive pressure in the eye and can be spotted in a few ways, including a bulging eye or eyes, cloudy eyes, and sometimes tearing. Glaucoma causes a lot of pain; the vet may try to manage the ocular pressure with medications, but surgery may be recommended.Â
Breed issues. Flat-faced dogs like pugs, Pekingese, boxers, and bulldogs can be more prone to eye discharge than other breeds because their flatter faces often mean shallower eye sockets and protruding eyes.
Called brachycephalic breeds, dogs with more prominent eyes may have tear drainage problems; eyelids that roll inward (entropion), causing great irritation by the lashes; or lids that dont close fully over their eyes, a condition that can require surgery.
Breeds with loose facial skin, like bloodhounds, cocker spaniels, beagles, Saint Bernards, and some terriers, are more prone to eyelids that roll outward (ectropion), as well as cherry eye, a condition that occurs when a gland in the eyelid falls out of position. While antibiotics and steroids can help, surgery is often necessary for these conditions.
These are just a few common causes of eye discharge in dogs. Because eye problems can be a sign of brain or nerve injury, infection, or other serious problems, have your dogs eyes checked by a veterinarian to find out whats behind your dogs eye discharge.
This type of dog eye discharge means it’s time to visit the vet.
If your dog has colored green eye discharge, yellow eye discharge or another colored eye discharge, schedule a vet appointment immediately. Other signs of a potential problem include squinting, a red-looking eye, or if your dog is rubbing or pawing at his eye. If you think something is wrong with your dog’s eye, don’t wait too long to make that vet appointment — his eyesight could be at risk.
What Are Eye Boogers?
Eye boogers are a buildup of ocular discharge at the inner corners of a dogs eyes. This “gunk” can appear after your dog has been sleeping, much like people who wake up with sleep crust in the morning, or it may continually build up throughout the day. Eye boogers are primarily a mixture of mucous, tears, and skin cells and are technically referred to as rheum.