Red Eyes in Dogs at Night, after Grooming, Allergies, Home Remedies and Treatment

Discussed below are the red eyes in dogs causes and treatments at night, with discharge, around eyes and home remedies to relieve the redness.

Red Eyes in Dogs

Red eyes in dogs are usually as a result of extraocular or intraocular inflammation or accumulation of blood in the eyelid, conjunctiva, cornea and other parts of the eyes. The redness can affect both or one eye depending on what the cause is.

Diseases can lead to the weakening or damage of parts of the eye while irritants could lead to irritation and inflammation. Flat faced dog breeds and dogs with long hair on their faces as well as older dogs and those struggling with diabetes or high blood pressure are also predisposed to eye health issues.

Causes and Treatments of Red Eyes in Dogs

Listed below are some of the causes of red eyes in dogs, additional accompanying symptoms as well as appropriate interventions.

Trauma or Eye Injury

Trauma may occur when a sharp or blunt object has its force applied on the dog’s eye or when they strike the eye’s surface. In the case when there is no bleeding and the eyes only become red, the force only caused trauma without penetrating the eye.

It is also possible for sharp objects to connect forcefully with the eye thus causing injury in the form of abrasions and lacerations. Trauma and injury can occur in dogs of any age but have a higher likelihood of occurring in puppies. Outdoor dogs especially working and hunting dogs are likely to experience red eyes as a result of injury since they frequently get into contact with tree branches and bushes in the woods. In addition to the red eyes, you are likely to observe bruising in the face, pawing at the eye and increased blinking.

Dog Red Eyes Allergies

Allergies in dogs can be as a result of food or environmental substances. There are four main categories of allergies to which dogs are susceptible to. These are contact allergies, airborne allergies, flea allergies and food allergies. Among some of the symptoms, a dog will show after it suffers an allergic reaction include red watery eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose, coughing, wheezing as well as itchy eyes resulting in pawing.

To get rid of the inflammation, your dog needs to stop being exposed to the allergens. In addition, administration of antihistamines can help get rid of dog allergy symptoms; red eyes included.

Red Eyes in Dog after Grooming

Some dogs will itch excessively and have red eyes after a visit to their groomer.  This could be as a result of using products with ingredients that your dog is sensitive to. It is also possible for this to happen if the groomer clips the hair too close to the skin around the eyes resulting in the skin getting irritated. Further, the use of the wrong clippers could see your dog suffer burns that result in scratching and thus reddening of the eyes.

Ensure that your groomer is highly experienced and professional. In case you notice eye irritation, try and see if any of the above could be the cause. Also, pay attention to what grooming products they use as your dog could be sensitive to them.

Conjunctivitis

This is also commonly referred to as pink eye or red eye. The condition occurs when there is inflammation in the conjunctival tissue. This can be brought about by infections or foreign materials in the eyes of a dog. The condition results in swelling, redness as well as mucous or watery discharge in the eyes of a dog. In addition, the eyes become itchy. If it progresses without treatment it might make the eye mildly painful.

Glaucoma

The eye is filled with a viscous fluid known as aqueous humor. This is usually regulated carefully to ensure that the eyeball remains in its proper shape. According to petwave.com, “This happens from a very slow, but fairly continuous, exchange of fluid between the inner eye chambers and the blood in systemic circulation. This balance is disturbed in dogs with glaucoma, because aqueous humor is being produced faster than it can be removed, causing pressure to build up.”

If left untreated, the elevated pressure leads to the damage of the retina and causes degenerative changes in the optic nerve. This eventually leads to blindness.

Red eyes in dogs resulting from glaucoma will have additional symptoms such as different sized pupils, cloudy eyes, tearing and squinting. With time, vision problems may arise making the dog walk gingerly, have difficulty finding toys and bump into objects.

Although there are no known ways of preventing glaucoma, regular checks can give way to management before the condition progresses into blindness. Additionally, Dogs that only have one red eye as a result of glaucoma should be monitored closely so as to ensure that it is noticed at the onset to make management easy.

Foreign Objects

The presence of foreign bodies in the eyes can be irritating. This will cause the eyes to be red and to also have some discharge. The object may be visible or not and may include plants, specks of wood, seeds among others. The solution to this is always removal of the foreign body which can be done at home. However, if the foreign object is embedded in the eye, it is best removed by a veterinarian. Antibiotics may be offered after removal to eliminate inflammation and minimize the chances of eye infections.

Other Eye Conditions

The causes of red eyes in dogs are more than those discussed above. Most eye conditions will cause your dog’s eyes to turn red. These include:

• Dry eye syndrome:
• Uveitis
• Corneal ulcers
• Tumors
• Blepharitis

Dog Red Eyes Home Remedies

The best treatment for red eyes in dogs is pegged on the cause. Once the cause is dealt with, the redness will go away. There, however, are some dog with red eyes home remedies that can offer relief to the redness. These are discussed below.

Sterile Saline Solution

This is great for treating dog red eyes that also have secondary infections. This is usually accompanied by a thick yellow or green eye discharge. In such cases, a saline solution can help rinse off irritants as well as allergens. Simply use a washcloth to rinse off the area around the eyes to dislodge discharge, eliminate debris and irritants.

Tea Bags

Tea contains tannin which helps reduce inflammation. For dogs whose red eyes are accompanied by a watery discharge. Holding a tea bag to on their eyelids can help. Simply moisten a plain tea bag and hold it against the affected eye for a while to help soothe inflammation.

Ointments

There are various dog eye ointments available over the counter. Talk to your veterinarian and get one appropriate for your dog’s case.

Dog Has One Red Eye

It is possible for a dog to have one red eye. This is because some conditions do not occur simultaneously. Eye conditions could set off on one eye and if not treatment moves on to the next one. In cases of injury, it is possible for the eye exposed to trauma be the only one suffering inflammation and irritation.

Dog Red around Eyes

When you notice dog red around eyes, it is most likely that the problem is not with the eyes but with the skin. Skin conditions such as infestation by mange or fleas could result in the skin surrounding the eyes becoming itchy and swollen. As a result, the dog will scratch the area which will, in turn, cause both skin and

Dog Red Eyes and Discharge

When a dog has red eyes with a visible discharge, it is possible that they are suffering from conjunctivitis. Where the discharge is watery and coming from one eye, the most probable cause is a foreign object. On the other hand, yellow or green pus-like discharge from the eye is indicative of eye infection. Talk to your veterinarian so they can offer the most appropriate diagnosis.

References

• Petplace.com: Ocular Eye Trauma in Dogs
• Vetsrteet.com: My Pet Has Red and Irritated Eyes. What’s Going On?
• Rover.com: Why are My Dog’s Eyes Red?
• Webmd.com: Discharge from a Dog’s Eye