Eye infections are a surprisingly common issue that all types of dogs struggle with. Dog eye infections can happen for several reasons, and it’s important to find out what’s causing them so that you know how to treat them. If you’re wondering how to know if your dog has an eye infection and what to do about it, you’ve come to the right place.
- What Does a Dog Eye Infection Look Like?
- Common Types and Causes of Dog Eye Infections
- How Can I Treat My Dogs Eye Infection Without Going to the Vet?
- Can a Dog Eye Infection Heal on Its Own?
- What is the Best Medicine for a Dog Eye Infection?
- Conclusion
What Does a Dog Eye Infection Look Like?
Dog eye infections aren’t quite as easy to spot as human eye infections. While your dog will experience many of the same symptoms that you would, they don’t have the ability to tell you that their eye hurts, so you’ll have to observe them carefully to notice a problem. Here’s what to look for that indicates your dog may have an eye infection.
- Excessive pawing at the eye
As with humans, dogs will rub or paw at their eyes when they’re itchy or irritated. This is normal if your dog gets water in their eye, is poked in the eye, or looks into the sun for too long. However, if your dog is pawing at their eyes more often than usual and for no reason, it could be a sign that they’re irritated due to an infection.
- Redness
Redness in the eye can result from excessive pawing or from the infection itself.
Swelling
Whatever’s infecting the eye will cause the eyelid to swell.
Discharge
Discharge, liquid, or pus coming out of your dog's eye isn’t just a symptom of an eye infection, but it could also be a clue as to the type of infection your dog has. The discharge could be clear, green, smelly, yellow, or pussy, and they all mean different things.
Squinting
If your dog’s eye infection gets to the point where they struggle to open their eyes and are constantly squinting, the infection has been present for a while.
Your dog might also keep their eyes closed more often because it’s uncomfortable for them to open them. In addition to each of these symptoms, your dog may also act more sluggish or irritable because of the eye infection.
Common Types and Causes of Dog Eye Infections
There are two basic types and causes of dog eye infections: viral and bacterial.
Viral Dog Eye Infection
Viral dog eye infections aren’t as common as bacterial ones, but they can still happen. The most common types of viruses that cause eye infections in dogs are herpes, hepatitis, distemper, and canine influenza. These types of infections typically require specific medications and antibiotics to treat them.
Bacterial Dog Eye Infection
Bacterial eye infections are the most common type of dog eye infections. Bacterial eye infections often happen because your dog gets poked in the eye or has its cornea cut during play or roughhousing. Infectious bacteria then enter the eye through the small opening and contaminate the cut, resulting in an infection.
These bacteria can then lead to several different infections including Lyme disease, leptospirosis, canine brucellosis, and more. While cuts are the most common cause of bacterial eye infections, they can also stem from an unwanted visitor getting into your dog's eye. Hair, fur, pollen, fungi, and other nasties can get into a dog’s eye and they aren’t able to blink them away, leading to a dog eye infection.
In addition to viruses and bacteria, dog eye infections can also be caused by parasites, fungus spores, chemicals such as shampoo or soap, and bugs.
How Can I Treat My Dogs Eye Infection Without Going to the Vet?
We always recommend taking your animal to the vet as soon as you notice an eye infection. And while the safest path to healing a dog's eye infection is to take them to the vet, there are certain home remedies that might be able to relieve the issue until your vet appointment (always get your veterinarian's recommendation before trying any medical procedure).
Eye Drops
Saline eye drops are a great way to wash debris out of your dog's eye if their infection is being caused by dirt, fur, grass, or something else that got into their eye. Make sure that the drops you use are saline and approved for dog use.
E-Collar
An E collar won’t cure your dog's eye infection, but it will keep them from scratching their eye and making the problem worse.
Cold Compress
Just as a cold rag pressed against your eye will help you feel better, it will also relieve some of the discomforts your dog is experiencing.
Artificial Tears
Artificial tears are like advanced eye drops for dogs. They’re especially effective if your dog has an infection known as dry eye, because artificial tears get dropped into your dog's eye, and stay there to provide lubrication.
Can a Dog Eye Infection Heal on Its Own?
In most cases, a dog eye infection won’t go away on its own and will require help from either you or a vet to heal. Like we said before, you can try the above home measures for a day or so, but don’t delay taking your dog to a vet if your dog isn’t getting better.
Treatment for a Dog Eye Infection
Once you notice that your dog has an eye infection you should take them to a vet immediately. Your vet will be able to accurately assess your dog’s eye infection, diagnose what’s causing it, and devise the perfect treatment. Treatment usually involves antibiotics and medications for viruses and bacteria, and antihistamines if your dog's eyes are irritated because of allergies.
Conclusion
A dog eye infection can be very scary, but it’s usually treatable and won’t have any lasting ill effects. However, to ensure a good outcome for your dog, it’s important that you take them to a vet as quickly as possible for proper treatment. If you’re worried about the cost of taking your dog to a vet, paying for treatment, and nursing your dog back to health, you should consider signing up with GoodCharlie Energy.
Not only are we one of the best new retail electric providers in Texas, but we also cater our energy plans to your dogs. Everyone who enrolls in one of our plans gets 24/7 video vet access and a $750 pet emergency fund, which should be more than enough to pay for your dog’s eye infection.
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