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Pet Health Watch with Dr. Main
Should I Worry If My Pet’s Eye Has Redness?
Redness of the eye can have many causes, and is not
always a cause for alarm especially if the redness is
transient. For example, transient redness can simply be
caused by anxiety or excitement. That being said, redness
or conjunctivitis can indicate something more serious
such as glaucoma or uveitis (inflammation of the inside of
the eye). Therefore any persistent redness (conjunctival
hyperemia) should be investigated by a veterinarian.
Because treatments and reasons can vary, it is important
to have a systematic approach to the eye.
Often conjunctival hyperemia will also include swelling of
the conjunctival tissue and drainage from the eye. These
patients need a complete opthalmic exam to identify the
problem. This exam should include testing for “dry eye,”
staining of the corneal surface to look for ulceration, and
tonometry to check the eye pressure for glaucoma.
By completing these
tests the presence of
concurrent corneal or
intraoccular disease can
be determined. Because
the eye is delicate,
delaying treatment for
these conditions could
lead to permanent eye
damage or blindness.
Further, the eye can be
affected by systemic
diseases as well, and therefore a thorough physical exam
should be completed on the patient. This exam may
include blood work and testing for infectious diseases
that might influence the eye.
If the patient has simple
conjuctivitis, then the next step is
to determine the cause. In dogs
the condition is rarely caused by a
bacterial infection; rather allergies
and environmental irritation are the
more common etiologies.
In addition to allergies, there
can be foreign particles that
get trapped in the eye that need to be removed or
flushed out of the eye. And rarely there can be growths
associated with the conjunctiva or the third eyelid which
should be sampled and biopsied.
Some patients will form small bubbles on the back side
of the third eyelid called follicular conjunctivitis. This is
usually from particle irritation and occurs in younger
dogs. In these cases, rinsing the eyes can help as well as
topical medication over the course of several weeks.
Some chronic conjunctivitis causes can be driven by
allergies and may require long term eye medications.
In these cases the use of cyclosporin is likely safer long
term than drops containing steroids. Interestingly these
patients may only have involvement in one eye. If these
patients have systemic allergies where the eyes are
involved, often the treatment for the systemic allergies
will keep the eyes under control at the same time.
In conclusion, persistent red eyes should be evaluated
by a veterinarian within 24-48 hours. There are many
possible causes for eye redness, and thorough evaluation
is always warranted to determine the correct diagnosis
and treatment.
Dear WSHS,
I cannot express how much we love this big guy! We are almost fully switched
to the new food and he hasn’t had any problems. Yesterday’s bath was outside
which made it a lot easier to allow medicated shampoo to sit on him and the
entire process much cleaner. He is so much fun and always happy.
We found out he does bark though! It’s the funniest thing. He doesn’t bark
outside or at things he sees, but he will when he hears a dog in the distance
and even on television. He is just wonderful and we love him!
He sends his love to everyone at WSHS.
Jill
Emails and Letters from Adopters
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