Dog's Eye Discharge and Excessive Tears: Possible Cause

When your furry friend starts showing signs of eye irritation, such as excessive tear production, a constant blinking, or scratching at their eyes, along with red and puffy eyes, it can be quite concerning. Many pet owners might find themselves at a loss, unsure whether to medicate their dog or not. However, understanding the reasons behind your dog's eye mucus and tears can be straightforward, and the solutions are often manageable.

If you're facing a similar situation with your pet, here's what you can do:

What's Causing My Dog's Eye Discharge and Tears?

The presence of eye mucus and excessive tearing in dogs can be attributed to several factors, including but not limited to:

1. Mechanical Irritation: Dust, smoke, or strong odors can irritate a dog's eyes, leading to tears. Additionally, if a dog's eyes are scratched, poked, or bumped, it can result in structural damage and infection, causing a lot of mucus and tears.

2. Eye Infections: Conditions like conjunctivitis, keratitis, and dacryoadenitis, caused by bacteria or viruses, can lead to excessive eye mucus and tears. These infections may also present with red eyelids, photophobia, and frequent blinking. In cases of canine distemper virus infection, dogs might exhibit symptoms like dry nose, thick nasal discharge, fever, and loss of appetite, indicating respiratory infections.

3.上火 Symptoms: Feeding your dog too many highfat, highsalt, or highprotein foods can lead to internal heat, which might manifest as excessive eye mucus and tears, along with noticeable brown tear stains.

4. Eye Structure Issues: Problems like entropion, ectropion, eyelashes growing inward or outward, and blocked tear ducts can irritate the eyelids, conjunctiva, and cornea, leading to inflammation, tearing, and increased mucus production.

How to Deal with Your Dog's Eye Discharge and Tears?

1. Keep the Eyes Clean

If your dog doesn't show any other symptoms, start by regularly cleaning the eye discharge to prevent bacterial growth and infection.

First, use a medical cotton ball soaked in sterile saline solution to gently wipe away the mucus and any foreign particles. Then, apply a few drops of Shan Jing (Jinyinhua Eye Wash) to soothe the eye discomfort. Next, ensure your dog's living environment is dry and clean to avoid the growth of bacteria. Lastly, adjust your dog's diet by feeding more cooling foods like bok choy, duck, pear, mung bean soup, cucumber, and avoid overfeeding highoil, highsalt, or highprotein foods.

2. Use Medication Appropriately

If your dog's eyes are red, inflamed, sensitive to light, and blink frequently, it indicates an infection. You can try using Bailangming (Neomycin Sulfate Eye Drops) and erythromycin ointment for a few days. If your dog's eyes swell after using neomycin sulfate eye drops, it might be an allergy. In such cases, consider switching to eye drops containing levofloxacin or tobramycin.

3. Seek Professional Treatment Promptly

If your dog's eye infection is severe, with symptoms like cloudy corneas, it's crucial to seek veterinary care immediately to prevent vision damage. Additionally, issues like entropion, ectropion, and blocked tear ducts often require surgical intervention. If your dog hasn't been vaccinated and shows signs of eye infection, thick nasal discharge, fever, and listlessness, it could be canine distemper, and a prompt veterinary checkup is essential.

In summary, a dog's eye discharge and frequent tearing can stem from various causes. As a pet owner, it's important to closely monitor your dog's behavior and health, taking appropriate steps to address the issue. For situations beyond your expertise, always seek the advice of a veterinarian.