Causes Of Eye Discharge In Dogs
Dog eye discharge can be caused by a variety of potential problems. In some cases, this can indicate the presence of an ocular illness or disorder. In order to narrow your investigation to the likely causes of any canine eye discharge, it’s critical to further characterize the discharge according to type, chronicity, and whether other symptoms are occuring at the same time.
There are various kinds of discharge. The three main sorts of ocular discharge are pus or thick, snot-like discharge (purulent or muco-purulent), watery discharge (serous), or bloody discharge (sanguineous). Thick, snotty discharge can indicate a bacterial infection of one of the external ocular tissues or might point to a condition known as dry eye, which occurs when the tear glands stop making enough tears to keep the eye effectively lubricated. If the snotty discharge is a finding and is accompanied by redness, agony (indicated by squinting or pawing at the eye), or wide spread signs for example lethargy and inappetance then bacterial infection is rather more probable. If the discharge has been gradually observed over two weeks or months and is not accompanied by any other aberrant signs, then dry eye may be more likely.
Serous or watery ocular discharge can for a variety of reasons. Mild discharge can arise as teh result of a a secondary condition (the result of another problem in the body) to mild irritation from exposure to wind, second hand smoke, or tiny objects or blades of grass in the eye. Certain canine breeds, such as the pug, maltese, and shih tzu have disproportionately huge eyes that interfere with the ability of the tears in the eye to empty out inside the nasolacrimal channel the way nature intended. Instead , the opening to the channel becomes blocked and tears just spill out onto the dogs face. If the runny or watery eye isn’t accompanied by any other unusual signs, then it most likely is simply an anatomical issue and does not warrant any further treatment. If watery discharge is accompanied by pain or squinting, eye pawing, or inflammation it might suggest a corneal scratch or ulceration. Corneal ulcerations are extremely serious because they will be able to get infected, progress rapidly, and can ultimately threaten to rupture the eye if not treated. If you observe any signs of pain or redness you need to visit with the vet immediately.
Sanguineous or eye discharge mixed with blood isn’t considered normal and in all cases indicates the presence of an issue. Possible causes for bloody ocular discharge in a dog include trauma, severe infection, ruptured eye, cancer, or possibly even a wide spread difficulty with blood coagulation. If you notice bloody discharge from your dogs eyes you need to schedule a visit with the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Depending on the root of your dogs eye discharge, certain medications may be prescribed to treat the fundamental problem. If the discharge is watery and is just an anatomical problem, treatment is not mandatory but you may desire to clean the area 1x daily to cut back on tear marking. If the difficulty is an infection, dry eye, or a corneal ulceration, appropriate eye drops will be prescribed by the veterinarian. If the discharge is bloody, then more than likely more testing will be necessary.
Cathy Doggins is the writer of many articles on eye issues which can be found by clicking on this link. She is a frequent contributor to this site, a leading online publication on puppy health. When not caring for her two dogs, Cathy is often found at a local shelter.
