Why does my dog have eye gunk? Essential Tips

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.

Steps for Applying Your Dog’s Eye Medication

Treatment for eye problems sometimes requires eyedrops or ointments, both easier to administer with a few quick tips:

Have the eyedrops or ointment close at hand, then clean away any discharge around your dogs eyes with warm water and a cotton ball.

For eyedrops, tilt your dogs head back a little. Then, resting your hand on your dogs head so you dont hit its eye with the dropper if the dog moves, squeeze drops into the upper part of your dogs eye.

To apply eye ointment, gently pull down your dogs lower lid, creating a pocket for the ointment. Rest your hand on your dogs head. That way, if the dog moves, you wont hit the eye with the ointment applicator. Then squeeze a ribbon of ointment into the dogs eye.

Gently open and close the lids for a few seconds to help spread the ointment or drops evenly.

First, take a good look at your dogs eyes. The pupils should be the same size and your dogs eyes should be bright, crust-free, with white around the iris. There should be little or no tearing, no squinting, and the inner eyelids shouldnt be visible. Gently pull down your dogs lower lids: they should be pink, not red or white.

If you see tearing, discharge, tear-stained fur, cloudiness, a visible third eyelid, closed or squinted eyes, or pupils of unequal size, something could be wrong. Its time to give your vet a call.

To help keep your canine companions eyes bright and healthy, keep long hair out of its eyes (take your dog to a groomer or use round-tipped scissors to trim the hair); keep irritants like shampoos, soaps, and flea medicine away from the eyes; and, finally, watch for signs that may indicate an eye problem, like redness, pawing, rubbing, and squinting.

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.

Eye Discharge in Dogs

Dog eyes function much like ours and are subject to many of the same vision issues, including dry eye, infections, and inflammation. Another condition that dogs have in common with us is eye discharge—sometimes referred to as dog eye boogers.

Some eye discharge is normal, but what if your dog has a lot of eye boogers?

Our guide is designed to help you understand more about those unsightly eye boogers including what they are, what causes them, and how to clean and prevent them. As a reminder, any discussion about your dog’s vision should always begin with your veterinarian.