Dog Eye Swelling and Ulcers: Effective Medication Optio

When your furry friend's eyes exhibit redness and swelling around them, it's a sign that something might be amiss. This condition can stem from a variety of causes, such as bacterial infections, mite infestations, allergic reactions, or other eyerelated ailments. It's crucial to pinpoint the exact cause before opting for any medication.

1. Allergies

Environmental factors like pollen, dust mites, or certain cleaning agents, as well as food allergies, can trigger inflammation around a dog's eyes. This can lead to itchy, red skin around the eyes, and if the dog excessively scratches, it can result in sores.

Treatment Measures:

① Identify and keep your dog away from the allergen.

② Administer Clorpheniramine Maleate Tablets (Newmeino) to block the allergic reaction and alleviate itching.

③ Fit your dog with an Elizabethan collar to prevent scratching at the eyes.

④ Clean the area with saline solution and apply erythromycin ointment for inflammation.

2. Demodex Mites

Poor living conditions, weakened immunity, compromised skin barriers, and lack of regular deworming can make dogs susceptible to Demodex mites. Early signs include patchy hair loss in the form of circular or irregular shapes, often on the face, forelimbs, chest, or abdomen. This can lead to blepharitis, characterized by redness around the eyes and eyelash loss.

Treatment Measures:

① Shave the area around the eyes and clean away dandruff and scabs with saline solution.

② Treat the dog with deworming medication containing ivermectin or selamectin.

③ Maintain a clean environment to prevent mite proliferation.

④ Use an Elizabethan collar to prevent scratching.

⑤ Give the dog Cefadroxil Tablets (Esudar) to prevent secondary bacterial infections.

3. Blepharitis

Blepharitis in dogs refers to inflammation of the eyelid edges, affecting the eyelid skin, eyelash follicles, and meibomian glands. It can be caused by various factors, including bacterial infections, allergic reactions, trauma, or parasitic infections. Symptoms include redness and sores around the eyes, increased discharge, scabs, dandruff, hair loss, and eye congestion.

Treatment Measures:

① Wash the eyelid margins with saline or 3% boric acid solution to remove scabs and scales, twice or thrice daily.

② Apply gentamicin or erythromycin ointment twice or thrice daily.

③ Use Sulfamethoxydiazine Eye Drops (Bailangming) to prevent secondary infections.

4. Trauma

Accidental collisions, fights, or other physical injuries can also cause damage around a dog's eyes, leading to redness, skin damage, and ulcers.

Treatment Measures:

① Wash the wound with saline solution to remove blood and inflammatory secretions.

② Seek veterinary care for a proper examination and follow the doctor's advice for nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, hemostatic agents, and antibiotics.

5. Fungal Infection

Fungal skin infections in dogs can also lead to redness, hair loss, and ulcers. Common fungi include Microsporum canis, which can show a green fluorescence under Wood's light.

Treatment Measures:

① Trim the hair around the affected area and use saline solution to remove scales and scabs.

② Apply antifungal ointments such as Dasatin (Ketoconazole Compound Ointment) or Pipute (Terbinafine Hydrochloride Spray), but avoid applying them near the eyes.

③ If the infection is very close to the eyes, oral itraconazole may be recommended instead, taken once daily at a dose of 5 to 10 mg/kg.

In summary, addressing redness and sores around a dog's eyes requires identifying the root cause. It's not advisable to administer human or unvetted animal medications without a clear diagnosis. Incorrect treatment can not only fail to resolve the issue but may also worsen the situation.