Pet Dogs Information

It is sometimes noticed that your pet dog gets restless with a swollen or a reddish eye. Occasionally, he might rub his paws against his eyes so as to ease the discomfort he is facing from the infected or irritating eye. This condition should never be ignored because this may be the first sign of an interim allergic reaction or a terminal eye disease.

Most of the infectious ocular eye problems begin with red and sensitive eyes. Normally, a few drops of eye medicine is enough in treating the problem. Otherwise, major eye surgeries have to be performed if the infection gets severe.
We have listed below the various eye diseases that generally occur in dogs:

Conjunctivitis :::

In this disease there is itching in the eyes because of swollen mucous membranes of the eyes. There is increased blood flow which makes the eyes appear red and swollen. There are various viruses and bacteria that transmit this disease. Ticks carrying certain parasites are also responsible in giving birth to conjunctivitis. Dischanrge from the eye is generally clear or mucus-ridden, depending on the severity of the condition.
 

Keratitis or Degenerative Pannus :::

This is an opthalmic disorder that causes pigmentation and formation of superficial blood vessels on the eyes. If this condition is not attended to early, it might lead to a decrease in the visionary level of your canine companion. Although this condition is not painful yet a thick ropy discharge is seen in severe cases. Sometimes, Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca also gives birth to this disease.

Cherry Eye :::

Cherry Eye disease mostly affects young dogs. This condition is mostly characterized by a prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid. Here, the gland protrudes and gets inflamed. In this case, if one eye gets the disease, the other eye is easily prone to the problem. In order to get rid of this disease, sometimes surgical replacement of the gland becomes a necessity.

Scleritis :::

In this condition, the outer cover of the eyeball (sclera) gets inflamed. This generally involves only one eye. The infected eye shows a red, swollen and hard cyst-like structure on it. Different parasitic diseases like 'Toxoplasmosis' or 'Lyme Disease' gives rise to Scleritis. Sterois are primarily used to cure the problem. But, in severe cases, the disease might result in permanent loss of eyesight.

Uveitis :::

This condition can be very painful. This disease may be a result of harmful parasitic disease like 'Toxoplasmosis'. Here, the entire uveal tract, or a part of it, gets infected and inflamed. The symptoms of the disease include moist and sensitive eyes, eyelid spasms and small pupils. This ocular disease is also sometimes seen in humans and might lead to damaged vision if proper treatment is not taken at the right time.

Glaucoma :::

Glaucoma is a serious eye disorder that requires immediate medical attention. When the free flow of eye fluids is obstructed, it results in Glaucoma. This builds up a huge pressure in the eyeball and gives rise to cloudy pupils and swollen red eyes. The condition needs to be immediately controlled else it may lead to damaged retina and optic nerve and might even result in the removal of the infected eye.

Cataract :::

This condition is primarily caused due to the presence of white opacities in the lens of the eye. The disease can either be congenital or acquired after birth. Sometimes, complications like 'Diabetes Mellitus' also lead to cataract. Various infections, injuries or radiation therapies may also lead to this problem. When the condition of cataract gets acute, it might impair vision. Surgery is a must in most cases.

Blepharitis :::

Blepharitis is a serious ocular condition. This condition is characterized by infected, red and swollen eyelids. The signs include puffy eyelids, sensitive eyes, spasm of eyelid, abscesses, scales and a thick discharge from the eyes. Various factors like hormonal disorders, nutritional imbalance, chemical reactions, parasitic infections and even insect bites may lead to the problem.

Watery Eyes :::

Sometimes, a dog might also suffer from various eye infections due to certain abnormalities in the growth of the eyelashes. In some cases, the eyelashes turn inward and constantly rub on the surface of the eye. This condition is known as 'Entropion'. In other cases, two lashes may grow from a single hair follicle (Districhiasis) and the extra lash may cause of severe eye irritation. All this leads to watery eyes.

If any of these eye problems is noticed in your dog, the veterinarian should be immediately consulted. If the diagnosis is prolonged, surgery might need to be performed which might result in irreversible ocular damages in most of these cases

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