Dog Eye Care
The eyes are one of the most delicate parts of the dog's body.
It is important for an owner to check them often, to know when they are healthy and when they are not healthy and, if necessary, and to contact a veterinarian to solve the current problem.
Sight is one of the primary senses for a dog, in fact: eye pathologies usually start from the part that is in contact with the outside (conjunctiva, cornea) but if they are not treated it goes deeper and deeper, and it is this is why we must always make sure that things do not get worse: the risk is blindness.
In this article we will see how to recognize a sick eye, and we will also talk about the dog's eye care, which can partly be done by the owner. We will therefore understand what we can do and what the veterinarian must do.
Dog's eye: how it is made and how to recognize if it is healthy
Let's talk about the external part of the dog's eye, to understand what its structure that affects most eye diseases is.
The internal part, in fact, also has pathologies but on which the owner can do absolutely nothing.
From the outside, we first find the eyelids, which in the dog are three: one above, one below and one below the other two, called nictitating.
The third eyelid of the dog is difficult to see, because it comes out and covers the eye only when the other two are already closed; if it remains clearly visible, there is a problem and you need to go to the vet.
The lower eyelid is often quite loose, and if we want (as for ours) you can pull it out and see the inside: in this way you appreciate its color, which must be pink.
If it is white it means that the dog has problems such as anemia (and the mucous membranes of the mouth are also white), while if it is more commonly red it means that it is inflamed.
Inflammation usually does not concern the eyelid itself, but the mucous layer that covers the eyelids and the cornea of the eye, which is called the conjunctiva.
When it is inflamed, it is called dogconjunctivitis, which is inflammation of this superficial part.
Conjunctivitis is seen in this way , in addition to observing that the eyes often water; if the dog has light eyes, or when you see (in part) the sclera, i.e. the white of the eye, you see that it is red and not white.
If conjunctivitis is left untreated, the bacteria or viruses that cause it can go deeper and then the cornea, which is the outer lining of the eye, becomes inflamed: things are more serious here, because the cornea can corrode, and a dull spot is usually seen in the middle of the eye, on the pupil.
The dog often rubs his eyes and tears abundantly, because he has a lot of pain.
The internal parts of the eye are essentially composed of water, which is located inside the eyeball.
Internal problems usually depend on diseases that affect other parts of the body; we can see the opaque and non-transparent eye, but unlike the previous situation the dog has no pain and the eyelids are perfect: in this case you have to go to the veterinarian who must understand what the underlying pathology is (usually old age or infectious diseases) but we can do little.
Dog eye care
To take care of the dog's eye, inflammation must be external.
In general, when the dog is well it is better to avoid cleaning the eyes, which clean themselves thanks to their system based on tears.
They should be checked, but if we touch too much with the fingers we risk making it come, conjunctivitis to the dog, so better avoid unnecessary maneuvers.
When the dog has a red eye, what we can do is reduce inflammation, and consequently pain.
Note that we can remove the inflammation but not the bacteria and viruses that cause it, so it is necessary, however, as a first thing, to go to the vet unless the inflammation is very mild (perhaps due to the cold).
The vet will prescribe an antibiotic or antiviral eye drop or paste, depending on what is the cause of conjunctivitis, and we will have to apply it on the eye following its indications: be careful because this step (do not pay attention to the green sites, which often are not written by a veterinarian ... whoever writes this article, on the other hand, is) does not replace natural cures, which we will see now.
Natural cures are in fact anti-inflammatory, that is, they reduce the effect of inflammation on the eye and consequently pain.
They can be used, and many products are also present in the Dogs Health shop, but they must be used simultaneously with the drug prescribed by the veterinarian, because they help solve the problem, but they cannot do it alone.
The anti-inflammatory eye drops, based on plant extracts (also famous, such as chamomile) reduce the pain and action of the immune system which fights against harmful microorganisms; we can reduce its function because they are killed by the drug supplied by the vet.
The anti-inflammatory treatment, natural or (in the most serious situations) also prescribed by the doctor, can last even a few weeks, longer than the antibiotic cure, and can be applied directly from the package or with the help of a sterile gauze, which drops a few drops in the dog's eye.
At this point he will close his eyelids and we must massage with closed eyelids, for the eye drops or the paste to spread.
In principle, the difference between eye drops and ophthalmic paste is that the former has a lower effect, and should be put several times a day, the paste less.
But the paste is also more difficult to apply, so if you are not practical, the use of eye drops is preferable.
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