Conjunctivitis is one of the diseases most seen in veterinary clinics, and it is rare for a dog not to suffer from it once or several times throughout its life.
Luckily it is not serious if it is stopped in time, something that is always possible, since the symptoms are quite evident , the kind that immediately make us see that it is best to go to our trusted veterinarian .
What is conjunctivitis?
The dog's eye, like a human's, has a transparent membrane to protect it from the elements and completely surrounds it.
Conjunctivitis is nothing more than the inflammation of that web for various reasons, something that causes the blood vessels that surround it to also swell and that is why we see that our pet's eye is red.
It is not unusual for this problem to start in one eye and immediately move to the other, as it is very contagious, just like what humans suffer from.
In the case of dogs, they usually rub the affected eye on their bed, lick their paw and scratch themselves, so it doesn't take long for it to move to the other eye if we don't go to the vet as soon as we see the first symptom.
What are the causes and types of conjunctivitis in dogs?
This disease can have several origins, and hence the importance of going to the veterinarian to find out where it comes from , because if we do not do so we can begin a treatment that will either harm the eye, or in the best of cases will delay the recovery of our eye. friend.
Allergies
Just like us, dogs also have allergies. Common ones are those due to spring plants, cleaning products or even dust if we walk through areas with a lot of dirt.
Bacterial infections
It is the most common cause in dogs . Some bacteria can reach the eye when playing with a dog that already had the infection, or even be there waiting for the moment, like when the dog has lower defenses due to a cold.
Virus
This is the most serious conjunctivitis and we see it more in cats, although dogs also suffer from it. The concern should come because this inflammation of the conjunctiva is accompanied by a viral disease such as distemper.
Not producing enough tears
Here the culprit is a problem in the animal's eye, which is too dry by not generating the tears it needs to lubricate itself.
It appears a lot in breeds with very exposed eyes, such as pugs or bulldogs, and it should worry us, since the treatment has to be for life, otherwise the animal will always have eye problems.
What are the symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs?
The symptoms are very easy to recognize even by the most inexperienced owner, who just by looking at his dog for a moment realizes that he is not well.
The most common is red eyes , something that is due to inflammation of the veins of the conjunctiva, as we have seen before, but there are symptoms that are even more obvious.
One of those, which is very well appreciated, is constant tearing. Our dog's eye is wet and the hair around it is soaked. Sometimes, we even notice how a kind of round bald spot has appeared almost suddenly around the eyeball.
This absence of hair may be due to matting due to humidity or because you have been scratching, another sign of conjunctivitis, since the eye itches.
On other occasions it is seen as a greenish secretion coming from the tear duct area, which tells us that there is an infection that we must treat.
Finally, another sign is that light bothers you a lot. Our best friend will look for darkness and when he looks at us he closes his eye so that the light does not enter.
Dog breeds more likely to suffer from conjunctivitis
All animals that have bulging eyes, whether purebred or mixed breed, are more likely to have this problem on a recurring basis.
We are referring to bulldogs , pugs or Pekingese and any of their crosses that inherits that type of skull with the eyes very far out.
Then we have breeds that, due to hereditary causes, have more conjunctivitis than others, such as the poodle or the cocker , so we must be alert to call the veterinarian when the symptoms begin.
Conjunctivitis treatment
When we notice that conjunctivitis has appeared, we are immediately tempted to take action on our own and we pull out the arsenal of home remedies that are of no use.
What can help, and will not harm the dog, is to clean the affected eye with saline solution and a gauze pad, being careful not to touch the healthy eye if it has not become infected.
With this we will remove the blemishes, leave your eye clean and refresh it a little, something you will appreciate.
Viral and bacterial
In the case of viral or bacterial conjunctivitis, a medication must be put in the eye, in the form of eye drops or ointment, which will have to be prescribed by the veterinarian.
It is placed in the eye several times a day and for the period prescribed, because if we shorten it we will only be helping the bacteria to become resistant and appear again.
Eye drops are suitable for humans, the active ingredients are the same, but you have to adjust the dose and that is something they will do in the clinic, where they can also prescribe eye drops for dogs.
allergic
Moving on to allergic conjunctivitis, here all you have to do is clean the eye with saline and some gauze, but you have to try to find out what causes it so as not to expose the dog to those agents that inflame the conjunctiva.
Dry Eye
We are facing the most complicated case, although veterinarians have studied it very well and the treatment is as simple as adding artificial tears in the form of eye drops to the animal.
Of course, it is somewhat heavy because it takes time and the drops are applied several times a day.
Prevention of eye problems in dogs
On the one hand, the vaccination schedule must be updated, which will prevent problems associated with viral diseases such as distemper, which are the most dangerous not only because of the way they affect the eye, but also because of the infections they cause. associated.
As for conjunctivitis due to allergies, prevention is simple and involves not subjecting the animal to the agent that causes it . Thus, in the case of herbs we will have to walk through clean places and if it is for a cleaning product, we will use a less aggressive one, such as ecological ones.
Another thing we can do in order to prevent, if possible, the appearance of this inflammation of the conjunctiva is to carry out good eye hygiene several times a week.
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