Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

172 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
What to Do if Your Dog Has an Eye Problem
If your dog has matter in his eye or if the eye waters, if the dog blinks, squints,
paws at the eye, and gives evidence that the eye is painful, or if the eye
appears red, the dog has an eye problem. You must examine the eye and
attempt to determine the cause.
SIGNS OF EYE AILMENTS
Eye diseases are accompanied by a number of signs and symptoms. The most
serious is pain. A dog with a painful eye should be taken to the nearest veterinary
hospital as soon as you notice the condition. Irreversible damage can occur in a
matter of hours.
• Eye pain. Signs of pain include excessive tearing, squinting, tenderness
to the touch, and sensitivity to light. Other signs of a painful eye are loss
of appetite, lethargy, whining, and crying. The nictitating membrane
often protrudes in response to pain. The dog may paw at the eye. The
most common causes of severe eye pain are acute glaucoma, uveitis, keratitis,
and corneal injuries.
• Discharge. The appearance of discharge helps to define the cause of the
problem. A clear discharge with no other signs suggests a problem with
the tearing mechanism. A painless discharge accompanied by redness is
typical of conjunctivitis. Any discharge accompanied by signs of pain
should alert you to the possibility of corneal or inner eye problems. A
thick green or yellow discharge, often mucoid, can indicate infection or a
foreign body. This may build up on the lids or on the hairs around the eye.
• Film over the eye. An opaque or whitish membrane that moves out over
the surface of the eyeball from the inner corner of the eye is a protruded
nictitating membrane. Causes are discussed in The Nictitating Membrane,
page 182.
• Cloudiness. Loss of clarity or transparency, accompanied by signs of
pain, suggests keratitis, glaucoma, or uveitis. Corneal edema, the
buildup of fluid in the normally clear cornea, will give the eye a uniform
blue-gray appearance. This is usually associated with signs of pain.
Cataracts are the most likely cause when the eye is not painful. If the
eye is entirely opaque you might think the dog is blind, but this is not
necessarily the case.
• Hard or soft eye. Changes in eye pressure and firmness of the eyeball
are caused by diseases of the inner eye. A hard eye with a dilated pupil
indicates glaucoma. A soft eye with a small pupil indicates uveitis.
• Irritation of the eyelids. Diseases that cause swelling, crusting, itching,