Causes and Treatments for Dog Eye Discharge

Ensuring your dog's eye health is a crucial aspect that pet owners should pay close attention to on a regular basis. An unusual increase in eye discharge can often be a sign of underlying health issues. If your furry friend is producing excessive eye mucus along with symptoms like excessive tearing, red conjunctiva, and more, it's time to sound the alarm!

Understanding the Formation of Eye Discharge

Eye discharge is a type of oily substance secreted by the eyelid glands, which helps to lubricate the cornea. When it mixes with dust, cell debris, and the like, it transforms into a yellow, brown, or black substance. Normally, a small amount of eye discharge is perfectly normal and harmless for dogs, and can be easily cleaned away. However, if the discharge is excessive or accompanied by other symptoms, it may indicate a health concern.

What Causes Excessive Eye Discharge in Dogs?

1. Eye Infections: Bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections can lead to eye problems in dogs, such as conjunctivitis or keratitis, resulting in a surplus of puslike eye discharge. These issues are often accompanied by other symptoms, like redness, frequent blinking, squinting, excessive tearing, photophobia, and scratching at the eyes.

2. Poor Diet: Consuming too many highsalt, highfat foods can cause dogs to overheat, leading to increased inflammation and the production of more yellow or brown eye discharge, along with potential tear stains. Severe overheating can also result in symptoms like soft stools, constipation, and bad breath.

3. Environmental Factors: Dry seasons, such as autumn and winter, bring more dust to the air, or if your dog lives in a poorly maintained environment, can lead to eye irritation from dust, hair, and other foreign particles, thus increasing eye discharge.

How to Treat Excessive Eye Discharge in Dogs?

• Keep the eyes clean: Gently wipe around your dog's eyes with sterile saline solution or a petspecific eye cleaning solution to remove excess discharge.

• Improve the living environment: Maintain a clean indoor space, regularly clean your dog's living area, and reduce allergens like dust mites and smoke to avoid eye irritation.

• Adjust the diet: Keep your dog's diet light and incorporate foods like pears, cabbage, apples, spinach, duck meat, and green bean porridge, ensuring they have plenty of water to drink.

• Prompt medical intervention: If eye discharge is excessive and accompanied by redness, swelling, or pain, it may indicate an eye infection. Try using antibiotic eye drops, such as Baiming (Neomycin Sulfate Eye Drops) and erythromycin ointment, for a few days. If home remedies don't work, seek veterinary care immediately.

In summary, while a little eye discharge is normal, it's essential to take notice when your dog's eye discharge becomes excessive. By providing proper care and necessary medical attention, you can effectively maintain your dog's eye health, ensuring they have bright, healthy eyes for years to come.