CAUSES:
Foreign matter irritation, lump or cyst irritation, entropion, dry eye, insect bites, infections or injury and other eye problems.
Always prevent the dog from rubbing its eyes and making them worse, you may have to put an ELIZABETHAN COLLAR on the dog temporarily.
TREATMENT:
You may need someone’s help to hold the dog while you look to see a problem.
If you can see visible foreign matter try to flush it out using sterile ‘Liquid Tears’ä as a lubricant.
If the dog is quiet enough you may even be able to remove it using a small piece of soft, damp cloth to wipe it away.
Using tweezers is very risky, if the dog moves the eye is damaged!
Sometimes the eye can become injured or has a degenerative problem and your vet recommends its removal. The surgery is better than an eye that doesn’t work. After the eye is removed the eyelids are stitched together and the hair grows back, you will barely notice. Dogs adapt well to the situation especially if the eye was barely functional anyway!
It is not as bad as it all sounds.
If it is better for the dog, do it!
GRASS SEEDS
Grass seeds can get lodged around the inside of the eyelids, but often the vet has to remove them with the dog sedated or under a General Anaesthetic.
‘Dangers around the home’ not medical.
LUMPS / CYSTS
If it is obviously a lump causing the soreness simply lubricate the eye with ‘Liquid Tears’ä until your vet can examine it for treatment or possible removal.
Make sure you prevent the dog from rubbing its eyes and making them worse.
ENTROPION
Entropion is where the eyelids of the dog are turning in towards the surface of the eye and the lashes rub on the eye surface, causing them to be irritated and weep. As the dog rubs its eyes it causes the eyelid to become more swollen and the eyes sorer.
This is usually genetic and specific to certain breeds. These are Retrievers, Rottweilers, Ridgebacks and Chows. But any breed can have this problem.
Again, prevent the dog from rubbing its eyes.
Have it examined by your vet. They may recommend corrective cosmetic surgery to help the situation. This surgery is very difficult to judge because if the vet turns the lids too far it could cause the opposite problem of ECTROPION, which is where the lids do not contact the eye surface enough. It exposes the conjunctiva of the eye making it susceptible to infection and irritation by the elements.
Because of the sensitivity of this surgery it may take more than one operation.
It is better to take too little than too much. Swelling of the skin around the surgery site also alters the initial appearance, once it settles down the effect of surgery can be judged. If it is left untreated there is a high risk of an ulcer forming on the surface of the eye, this can cause permanent blindness if not treated as the ulcer can scar the cornea.
DRY EYE
“Dry eye” is a condition where there is a lack of tears or a blockage of the opening of the tear glands and there is nothing to lubricate the eye.
The eye or eyes usually have thick pus covering them.
It becomes sore and itchy and the dog begins to rub the eyes. Again prevent further rubbing and apply ‘Liquid Tears’ä and bathe the eyes to ease the soreness and clear away the infection.
This relief is only temporary, not a cure, veterinary inspection of the eye /eyes should be sought as soon as possible.
Dry eye is usually examined and tear production measured using a paper test strip. Artificial tears, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drops will be applied. Regular bathing of the eye / eyes will also be necessary.
This problem is most common in older dogs and toy breeds like poodles.
INSECT BITES
If around the outside of the eye can also cause the dog to rub at its eye.
Swelling would be obvious and a sting may be visible.
Prevent further rubbing, then consult a vet when you can. Drugs will be given to ease the reaction and protect the eyes.
INFECTIONS
Environmental infections or illness will cause a pus discharge from the eye and soreness. Take your dog to the vet for the necessary treatment.
Bathing the eye in a weak saline solution or just ‘Liquid Tears’ä does help until you get to the vet.
If both eyes are heavily discharging and the dog is off colour / lethargic take the dog to the vet ASAP.
However, for a slight white discharge in one or both eyes, bathe the discharge away with mildly salted warm water and flush with a few drops of ‘Liquid Tears’ä every 3-4 hours to cleanse the eye surface. This helps relieve a painfully dry sore eye. It may also flush a mild environmental irritation like dust. If no improvement then take the dog to the vet as it may need more precise medicinal treatment.
EYE INJURIES
If you see your dog get a penetration wound to its eye take it to the vet IMMEDIATELY!
Or if a sudden swelling on or around one or both eyes take the dog to the Vet IMMEDIATELY.
Prevent the dog from rubbing it’s eyes and making things worse by using an Elizabethan collar.
EYE PROBLEMS
Following are the most common forms of eye problems.
CEA
CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly) is the most common form of eye problem found in the Collie, both rough and smooth variety. It is also found in the Border Collie, Shetland sheepdog, and Bearded collie. It is believed to be controlled by a genetic cluster, or large group of genes, and thus, it is hard to control by breeding, and ranges in severity.
PRA
PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) is common in MANY breeds of dogs (including mixed breeds), and is not isolated to the collie like CEA. PRA affects the entire retina and is the canine equivalent of retinitis pigmentosa. This disease manifests itself differently in different breeds. The most common form of PRA in the collie is detectable at early age (6wks and over). The form of PRA in Irish Setters is also early-onset. In Labrador Retrievers, on the other hand, the age of onset is much later, typically four to six years of age, making it much harder to find and isolate carriers in this breed.
PRA has been detected as early as six weeks in puppies, and these puppies are usually blind by six to eight months. An Electroretinograph can be used to detect the early signs of PRA.
All dogs affected with PRA eventually go blind. Carriers show no clinical symptoms. Symptoms are subtle, starting with night blindness, some eye dilation, to progressive blindness. It’s quite common to not notice anything is wrong until the dog is nearly completely blind. Pro-active testing is always recommended, especially for breeding stock.
GLAUCOMA
This is a condition where the pressure of the fluid in the eye increases until the sight is gone in that eye. If it strikes one eye, the other eye is likely also to be affected. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in dogs. Any underlying problem that increases the fluid pressure inside the eye is the culprit, most of the time this is due to inadequate drainage of fluid from the eye (as opposed to overproduction of fluid). A few forms of Glaucoma are thought to be hereditary. Signs of glaucoma include reddened conjunctival tissue (red eye), weeping, light sensitivity, or even enlargement of the eye.
As pressure increases, the pupil can become dilated and the cornea cloudy.
Early diagnosis is critical to save the vision of the dog, and involves treating the underlying causes of the increased pressure if at all possible.
Once the retina is damaged and the sight is gone the options are as follows:
Inject the eye with a fluid, which kills the fluid producing cells in the eye, hence no further increase in pressure and no pain. This is not a guaranteed solution.
Remove the eye and sew the lids shut. (Probably the most practical).
Remove the eye and replace it with a prosthetic (i.e., glass eye).
There are potential problems with infection of the eye socket.
CATARACTS
Cataracts are relatively common in dogs and most are hereditary. An ACVO-certified veterinarian can easily detect these cataracts. Haziness or cloudiness in the eyes in older animals is often not cataracts. Hereditary cataracts can be found in many breeds of dogs and can be detected early in age, so all breeding stock should be screened for Cataracts before being bred.
Cataracts may be stable or progressive. In the former case, owners may never be aware that their dog has cataracts until or unless the dog is examined. In the latter case, the dog often adapts very well to the gradual loss in vision until a certain point is reached. General diagnosis can be done by Ophthalmoscopic examination; if a more detailed examination is needed, a slit lamp examination must be performed.
Surgery is the only option for cataracts that seriously impair vision.
Most surgery involves removal of the lens, implants are not typically done.
Recovery and prognosis for these dogs are generally good.
BLINDNESS
Dogs that become blind rarely have all that much trouble with it. Unlike humans, sight is not a primary sense, dogs would be much more upset at losing their sense of smell. Most people with a blind dog find that dealing with blindness is not difficult nor traumatic for the dog.
To avoid your dog’s confusion, do not move your furniture around (except for any piece that the dog does keep bumping into). Be sure the dog knows when you are near so it is not startled. When you go out on walks, establish habitual trails. Your dog will adjust quickly.
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