Proper Eye Care for Your Dog
A very common problem that seems to plague dogs is the eye infection. Just like it is with humans, the eyes of a dog are delicate, so they require some attention, with a little bit of care and some cleaning from time to time. Even though tears, lashes and lids are forms of protection that are natural, they don’t always work perfectly against dirt and dust, so sometimes they get in the dog’s eyes.
One of the problems that dogs are susceptible to is conjunctivitis. This is an infection which appears on the conjunctiva, which is a thin membrane which protects the eye’s front. The effect is dryness and redness of the eyes. As the eyes get inflamed, you will notice a thick exudate which appears on the eyes. This will make it harder for the dog to open their eyes. A bit of ointment that is given to you by a vet is all that is needed to treat this problem.
Even though a dog will usually look cute if he has long fur, you should remember that with a longer fur come potential problems with the vision being obscured. You should trim it down if possible, so he doesn’t get the ends of the fur in his eye, which could cause irritation or damage. From time to time you should check the dog’s eyes, so you can remove any foreign bodies or dirt that might’ve gotten in them.
The eyes of a dog can be affected by a number of different conditions and diseases, including the cataracts. This is a condition where the lens becomes more clouded and after some time it gets opaque. As time passes, it can result in blindness for the eye that is affected. If the eye tissue has foreign bodies in it that irritation can cause a corneal ulceration and a possible change of the tissues that surround it. If there are problems with the tear ducts, you might notice frequent tearing from the dog, which could be epiphora, a disease where there is lachrymal fluid leaking.
Besides looking at the dog’s eyes to notice the problems that might appear, you can do checks that are more thorough once a week, letting you find any issues as soon as they appear. The skin near the dog’s eyes can be cleaned with a bit of threadless cotton wool which is dipped in a bit of warm water, so you can remove dirt, dust and mucus.
Dog eye infection – Learn more about the symptoms of dog eye infection and treatment for dog eye infection.