Dog Eye Discharge

May 14, 2024 | Pet Health, Pets

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Dog Eye Discharge can be a result of anything from breed type to allergies.  It can also be more serious and cause for concern.  You want to be aware of excessive blinking, squinting, irregular discharge, or pawing at the lids.

Back in 2022, I wrote a post “Doggie Eye Boogies And What They Mean” which gives a broader description if you would like to gain more information on this topic.

 
 

Jake and Maggie playing in the yard!

See if you can find Jake in the last photo below 🙂

Dog Eye Discharge | www.twoadorablelabs.com
What can cause dog eye discharge?
 
Breed
Flat-faced dogs, like pugs, Boston terriers, and boxers, tend to suffer from eye leakage more than those with pointy noses.   Dogs with large, round eyes and short, smooshed faces contribute to these eye issues and make dog eye boogers more common.
Dog Eye Discharge | www.twoadorablelabs.com
What is Epiphora?
Epiphora is exessive watery eyes in dogs.  It is a symptom rather than a disease and is associated with a variety of conditions.  Some of the causes of increased tear production in dogs include conjunctivitis (viral or bacterial), allergies, eye injuries, abnormal eyelashes (distichia or ectopic cilia), corneal ulcers, eye infections, anatomical abnormalities such as rolled in eyelids (entropion) or rolled out eyelids (ectropion), and glaucoma.
 
It can also mean sinusitis, trauma, fractures, tumors, obstructed tear ducts, or inflammation.  VCA has an informative article on the meaning, diagnosis, and treatment of Epiphora.
 
 
 
Dog Eye Discharge | www.twoadorablelabs.com
Mucus replacing tears:
 
Some dogs may have a problem with developing too few tears. Typically, this happens when a pup’s immune system attacks and destroys its tear-producing glands.  Eye infections may cause dry eye and lead to more trouble. Without tears, the dog’s eyes try to lubricate themselves with a white-gray mucus. Yet this discharge only makes them red, itchy and painful.
 
What is Keratoconjunctivitis sicca or KCS?
Inflammation of the cornea and surrounding tissues from drying.  The most common cause of KCS in the dog is immune mediated inflammation of the tear glands. Other causes of KCS include but are not limited to: Congenital disease, such as small or absent lacrimal glands. Infectious disease, such as canine distemper virus.  Is it contagious?  Non-infectious conjunctivitis (e.g., from an injury or allergies) is not contagious. However, if the conjunctivitis is the result of a virus or bacterial infection, it has the potential to be transmitted from one dog to another.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dog Eye Discharge | www.twoadorablelabs.com
Cleaning your dogs eyes and recap:
*Avoid using your fingers to avoid harm to the eye if they should jerk their heads or transmitting bacteria from your fingers to their eyes.
*Wash with a soft wet cloth.
*Refrain from cotton balls or other products that may shed into their eyes and cause further irritation.
*Trim the hair around their eyes to keep from irritating them.
*Check their eyes regularly.  Their pupils should be the same size, and the area around the iris should be white. Look for excessive tearing, squinting, and red or white flesh under the lower lids.
*Keep an eye out for cloudiness, thick or colored discharge, or a visible third eyelid.
*Try your best to keep your pup’s eyes clean from boogers and gunk.
 
 
References:
I’m Bobbi Jo, a lab-lover who took my passion for animals and dogs and turned it into something bigger.  When I adopted Jake and Maggie, my love for them became the driving force behind Two Adorable Labs, and my blog was born.  My hope is to not only share them with the world, but to help educate others on the importance of animal health and well-being.

Two Adorable Labs has become a collection of all that I love.  I’ll send one post each week on things that bring me joy on animal health, home decor, and food recipes for humans and our furry friends.  I hope you enjoy these posts and much as I do creating them!

Dog Eye Discharge | www.twoadorablelabs.com
Dog Eye Discharge | www.twoadorablelabs.com
Dog Eye Discharge | www.twoadorablelabs.com
Dog Eye Discharge | www.twoadorablelabs.com

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Love, Jake and Maggie

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