What is the black stuff in dog’s eyes? Simple and Effective Tips

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.

Diagnosis of Black Spots in Eyes

After initial physical and eye exams, your veterinarian will take into consideration the look of the black spot, any other symptoms or medical conditions affecting the eye, any histories of eye infections, sensitivity to light, corneal ulcers or glaucoma. Be sure to relate any and all changes in sight, behavior, attitude and energy levels of your dog, as well as when you noticed the spot and if it has grown.

During an eye exam, an ophthalmoscope will be used to inspect the interior of the eye, a tonometer will measure eye pressure, a Schirmer Tear Test may be performed to evaluate tear production, a fluorescein stain may be applied to look for corneal ulcers, and X-rays and ultrasounds can give insight into the sizes and conditions of masses and growths. Your vet will be looking for bleeding, cloudiness, signs of infection, or any other abnormalities in the eyes that can help lead to a cause.

If melanomas are suspected, blood and urine tests are performed, imaging is taken of various areas of the body, tissue samples are tested, and the lymph nodes are checked for cancer cells.

Causes of Eye Boogers in Dogs

There are several reasons why a dog may develop eye boogers. Some causes of eye boogers are completely normal while others require veterinary attention.

Normal Eye Discharge: Rheum, the gooey material that can be found in the corners of your dogs eyes, is completely normal if it is clear or slightly red or brown and seen in small amounts. Porphyrin, a pigment in the tears, can make the eye boogers appear red or brown. This is not to be confused with blood, which is not normal.

Conjunctivitis: The pink, fleshy part around the eye is called the conjunctiva. If this tissue becomes inflamed, it can cause excessive eye discharge, creating eye boogers. Conjunctivitis requires eye medications to treat and make the eye boogers go away.

Blocked Tear Ducts: Tear ducts are the tiny pathways through which tears leave the eyes. If these little tubes become blocked, excessive eye boogers can form. Congenital defects, inflammation, tumors, foreign debris, and infections in the tear ducts can cause blockages. Blocked tear ducts usually require veterinary attention so that they can be flushed out.

Irritation: Sometimes dogs will have watery eyes due to irritations from allergies, irritants in the air, or foreign particles of hair or debris. This excessive tearing can mix with mucous in the eye, skin cells, and particulate matter to form eye boogers.

Glaucoma: An increase in normal eye pressure is painful and can cause excessive eye discharge that can look like pus. Glaucoma requires immediate veterinary attention due to the pain it causes and the serious eye issues that can result from not being treated.

Physical Abnormalities: Some dogs are born with malformations of their heads and eyes that can result in eye boogers. If these abnormalities cause more serious issues, like corneal ulcers, they may need surgical intervention. The eye boogers should go away if the abnormality associated with the eyes is corrected.

Eye Injuries: Trauma to the eye including corneal ulcers can result in eye boogers. Eye injuries can include a scrape or puncture, car collision, or simply abrasion of the cornea from a hair or rough particle. All eye injuries require veterinary attention.

Dry Eye: If your dog is unable to produce enough tears to lubricate its eyes, debris may accumulate because of your dogs dry eyes. A thick discharge may be seen around the eyes if your dog has this problem.

How to Get Rid of Brown Eye Staining in Dogs

Dog eye discharge — whether in the form of dog eye boogers, green eye discharge or something else — can be completely normal… or not. Here’s what to know.

Have you ever wondered if your dog’s eye boogers are normal or not? A dog’s eyes can leak and tear for many reasons, some of which are normal and some of which are not. Tear stains are unsightly, but more importantly, dog eye discharge might indicate a problem that requires vet attention.

According to Beth Kimmitt, DVM, resident of ophthalmology at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in West Lafayette, Indiana, a dog’s eye is always producing tears, and these tears typically drain at the corners of the eye. “Technically, a normal eye should not have any ocular discharge, but a small amount of clear discharge may be OK,” she tells us. Clear dog eye discharge might look brown and slightly crusty when it dries.