Be Aware! Red Eyes in Dogs Signal These Health Issues!

When your furry friend's eyes turn red, it might be a fleeting irritation or a sign of a more serious condition. It's crucial not to take this lightly. Promptly identifying the cause and providing appropriate care is essential to ensure your dog's wellbeing.

Next, Dr. OxygenPet will delve into the common reasons behind red eyes in dogs. Take a look and see if any of these align with your pet's symptoms!

1. Physiological Factors

After a vigorous workout, dogs may experience a surge in blood circulation and increased intraocular pressure, leading to temporary redness in their eyes. This usually subsides after a few minutes to a couple of hours as they rest.

Treatment: No intervention is needed.

2. Eye Disorders

● Entropion/Inverted Eyelashes: These can continually irritate a dog's eyes, causing them to tear and become red.

● Eye Infections: Conditions like conjunctivitis, blepharitis, cherry eye, and keratitis can be caused by bacterial or viral infections. Common bacterial culprits include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas. Viral agents can include canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, and canine cough.

● Dry Eye: Reduced tear production can lead to dryness, causing redness, itching, and discomfort in the eyes.

Treatment:

① Rinse your dog's eyes with saline solution to remove any foreign objects or discharge.

② Use Beranming (Neomycin sulfate eye drops) to soothe the eyes. For mild symptoms, apply 1 to 2 drops 1 to 2 times a day. For more severe discharge, increase the frequency to 3 to 5 times a day.

③ If home remedies don't improve the situation or if your dog shows additional symptoms like loss of appetite, drowsiness, abdominal pain, runny nose, or cough, it's best to seek veterinary care for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

3. Allergic Reactions

Dogs can be allergic to pollen, dust, certain foods, or cleaning agents, leading to red, itchy, and uncomfortable eyes.

Treatment:

① Use antibiotic eye drops, such as Tobramycin or Neomycin sulfate, to treat the inflammation.

② Administer Newmore (Chlorpheniramine maleate tablets) to block the allergic reaction promptly.

③ Identify the allergen. If food allergies are the issue, consider switching your dog to a hypoallergenic prescription diet.

4. Eye Worm Infection

Dogs that haven't been dewormed regularly may contract eye worms, causing redness, tearing, and an increase in discharge. In severe cases, you might even see the wriggling worms.

Treatment:

① Visit your veterinarian for a checkup. If adult worms are found, they can be carefully removed with professional tools.

② Regularly deworm your dog both internally and externally to prevent parasitic infections.

③ Maintain a clean environment and avoid feeding your dog raw meat.

5. Eye Injury

Red eyes can also result from a dog accidentally being poked by a sharp object during play or from an injury sustained in a fight with another dog. Additionally, if a dog's head is injured, leading to increased intracranial pressure, not only will the eyes become red, but the eyes may also bulge forward.

Treatment: Seek veterinary care immediately. Selftreatment is not recommended.