Owning a dog can’t be all cuddles, walks, and playing in the park. You also must ensure you’re keeping your dog healthy and happy. If you’re not, you risk not only your beloved pet suffering but also passing on diseases to other dogs!
Today we’re looking at one of the most common health problems your dog can suffer, explaining how to recognize it and what to do to help your dog recover!
Conjunctivitis
You may have experienced this uncomfortable eye infection – it’s widespread in children, and most schools participate in the occasional spread of conjunctivitis. It’s unpainful, usually not dangerous, and if you have been through it personally, you’ll want to spare your dog as much discomfort as possible.
Spotting the Signs
Conjunctivitis in dogs is quite common, so learning what to look for to identify the condition is well worth doing.
Squinting or blinking: if your dog is blinking more frequently than usual or has to squint, this could indicate discomfort around the eyes caused by swelling conjunctivitis brings with it.
Behavior: A painful or swollen eye can change your dog’s behavior – if you notice your pet pawing or scratching at their vision more than usual, it could indicate that you need to look closer.
Discharge: In some cases, conjunctivitis can cause a release from the eyes of either clear mucus or green pus – this is the strongest indicator that something is seriously wrong.
Color change: This condition is often called pinkeye because it changes the color of the ‘white’ of the eye to light red or pink.
Causes
Many different things cause conjunctivitis, from simple things like foreign objects like grit in the eye or bites or injuries in the area around the eye to more involved causes, like infections or complications from eye diseases like Glaucoma. Allergies can even trigger it!
If conjunctivitis in your dog is caused by something like dirt in the eye, or injuries, you might feel guilty, like you’ve failed to keep your pet clean and safe leadingan to infection. Be reassured: conjunctivitis is almost unavoidable in dogs. It’s best to consider the side effect of a dog living a full life.
What to Do
The first thing you need to do when you suspect your dog has conjunctivitis has contacted a vet: they’ll be able to examine your pet, confirm the diagnosis, and prescribe the medication needed to clear the infection.
If a foreign body’s obstruction causes this case of conjunctivitis, they’ll need to remove it – if that’s hard to do, then an anesthetic may be necessary. Once the obstructing body is removed, conjunctivitis will likely heal quickly.
If an infection or disease causes it, eye drops may be necessary, and depending on the severity of the illness or injury, a ‘buster collar‘ may be required to give it a chance to heal.
