Each owner wants his pet to live a long and happy life. It is advisable once again not visiting a veterinarian. There are two reasons for this. Contacting the clinic indicates the presence of alarming symptoms and the deterioration of the pet’s health, which is always sad. And the second point - today the help of specialists is quite expensive.
Norm or pathology
Vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite - everything is clear here. Need a consultation immediately. And if the dog’s eyes are red and festering - is it a disease or you just need to wait a bit? Most often, owners prefer the second option. In fact, there can be many reasons for this. The hair wrapped up, ran into an unexpected obstacle - then the redness and lacrimation will pass within a few days. But there are serious reasons, which cannot be dealt with without a veterinarian.
Close inspection
Do not immediately draw any conclusions. If the dog’s eyes are red and festering, the first thing to do is pay attention to the condition and behavior of the pet. After that, evaluate the nature of the discharge itself. They can be mucous or purulent, which in itself says a lot. During the examination, the veterinarian will not devote the owner to the details of his observations; he often does not have time for this. But the loving owner himself must know the physiology of his pet and the symptoms of the disease.
So:
- Mucous secretions are oxidized tears. If there are few of them, this state can be considered the norm and not worry. The color of the eyes does not change, the animal feels great, eats well.
- A large number of secretions, even if they are transparent and do not contain pus, are a symptom of irritation. The cause may be dust in the eye, inflammation of the eyelids, or conjunctivitis. In general, it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis without a veterinarian examination. These diseases are not too serious and can be easily cured, especially if you tackled this issue on time.
- If the dog’s eyes are red and festering, most often this indicates a more serious lesion. Pay attention to the color of the selection. If they are yellowish or greenish, this indicates inflammatory diseases of the eyelids. A number of other ailments can also be attributed to this, for example, purulent discharge is characteristic of a plague.
Self-diagnosis is strongly discouraged. The specialist must evaluate the condition of your pet and prescribe treatment. Moreover, you can not start to independently treat a dog with antibiotics. At the consultation, you will need to remember all the details when you first noticed the presence of secretions that happened these days (they gave new food, new furniture was bought, repairs were started). Do not forget to pay attention to the doctor and the minimum changes in the behavior of the animal. Does your pet refuse to feed, is he actively running for a walk.
Eye infections
There are a huge number of them: fungal, bacterial, viral (blepharitis, endophalmitis, uveitis, bacterial conjunctivitis, viral keratitis) and a number of others. Almost always, in the presence of a common infectious disease, the animal has an elevated temperature. In parallel, the pet refuses food, he may have severe vomiting or diarrhea. Shortness of breath also indicates the development of infection.
If the disease affects only the organs of vision, then, in addition to purulent discharge, the dog has swelling. Often the animal begins to blink and frown, as it experiences pain. If the dog’s eyes are red and festering, then immediate action must be taken. And you need to start by visiting the clinic.
Allergic reaction
This is one of the most common causes of this problem. If the dog's whites are red and festering, then you need to think about whether you are feeding it correctly. Today, many are moving pets to dry food. But this is not always the best option for your pet. Consult your veterinarian. He will tell you which brand to choose and what it is better to refuse. Cheap feeds are usually sold in stores by weight, which have a very low protein content and no meat. This is offset by dyes and flavors. Needless to say, such a product is a strong allergen.
Unfortunately, it is not always easy to identify the cause. The reaction may be cumulative. For example, a few months ago you transferred your pet to a new feed, which is positioned as a high-quality, super premium class. And suddenly you notice discharge from the eyes. You need to immediately go to the doctor and tell about all the events that have occurred recently.
It is important to know what the animal responds to. This can be household chemicals, hair care products, dust or flea bites, medications and vitamins that are injected. In addition, the animal will have severe itching of the eyes and ears, as well as the entire body. Sometimes there is a deterioration in the condition of the coat and skin, and peeling and itching appear. In this case, it is important to find the source of the allergy, as well as use antihistamines.
Lack of vitamins
This is also directly related to nutrition. Purulent lacrimation may be due to a lack of vitamin A. It is found in offal, vegetables, herbs and eggs. Most often, animals that are unable to eat properly and variably suffer from hypovitaminosis. This should also include those who eat plenty, but the diet is limited to low-quality feed of economy class, poor vitamins and trace elements. In this case, the only thing that needs to be done is to diversify the diet with meat, fish, cereals and vegetables. Gradually, the condition will return to normal.
Trauma response
If the dog lives in an apartment and walks under the supervision of the owner, then there are not so many chances that he will not know about the event. Another thing is if the animal goes outside on its own. If on the day after the dog’s return, one eye is red and festering, it can be assumed that it was damaged during a skirmish with tailed rivals or cats. If the animal has damaged the eye, the discharge will first be transparent, and only after the infection has joined the pus.
It is still easier. The dog was injured by stumbling into a branch. Or a small pebble bounced and hit the eye. In this case, exactly the same thing happens as in people after an impact. The dog's eyes are red and festering; she is worried or tries to spend more time in her house.
In case of eye injuries, it is indicative that problems are observed only on one side. The dog squinted or completely closed the injured eye. The second one is clean. The treatment in this case is symptomatic. It is necessary to examine the eye so that there are no foreign objects left in it. After this, treat with infusion of chamomile or calendula and observe. If the condition does not begin to improve within two days, consult your veterinarian.
Eye irritation
We continue to consider possible causes. Does the dog have red eyes and fester? Maybe, recently, she had the opportunity to contact with caustic substances such as bleach, turpentine, alcohol? If the animal has access to the garage, then this is quite possible. Here it must be added that a one-time inhalation of the vapor leads to lacrimation. But if the dog is forced to inhale vapors of caustic substances regularly, then the discharge can become purulent. In this case, contact must be excluded, followed by improvement. In addition, the doctor may recommend flushing the eyes with light antiseptics, decoctions of herbs.
Breed features
It's about animals with long hair that falls over their eyes. This may be a poodle, lapdog, Komondor and others. Elementary ignoring the regular haircut can lead to the development of such symptoms. Does the dog have red eyes and fester? So, you need to carefully examine them. If the hair hangs freely from the forehead, then the hairs will act as a permanent irritant to the mucous membranes. You can rinse and bury them as much as you like, but until you solve this issue, there will be no lasting improvement. If it is not possible to make a haircut, then you need to adapt a soft bezel that will keep the coat raised.
Weakened immunity
Like humans, our smaller brothers have many diseases. This refers to illnesses not only of the organs of vision, but also of the heart, lungs and liver. Any of them provokes a weakening of the immune system, which also contributes to the penetration and development of eye infection. Therefore, it is so important to first diagnose, and only then begin treatment.
The dog's eyes are red and fester very often in old age. This is due to a natural decrease in immunity. Therefore, in animals older than 10 years, this problem is considered a variant of the norm. Your doctor may choose chloramphenicol, tetracycline, or other drops to help maintain eye hygiene.
How to help and what to do
The dog's eyes are red and festering - so you need to make an appointment with a veterinarian. This is not even discussed, since there are many reasons for this condition. The problem is serious, without proper treatment, complications can develop that will lead to loss of vision. After the diagnosis, the doctor will tell you what can be done.
But what if the visit is impossible right now? Do you live in a rural area, and is it far to go to the nearest clinic, or is the appointment scheduled for the next day? In this case, you can try to provide first aid to relieve pain in the animal.
Memo to the owner
- The first step is to cleanse the eye of secretions. This will allow an examination, as well as bring some relief to the condition of the pet. Pus must be cleaned with a clean bandage, cotton wool is worse in this regard, since it can stick to a sore eye. The bandage needs to be moistened, for which a decoction of chamomile, calendula or other anti-inflammatory herbs is suitable. In fact, this is where first aid ends. But when the vet is unavailable, what should I do? The dog’s eyes are red and festering, which means that the inflammatory process is ongoing. To level it, it is necessary to use antibiotics.
- The choice in the pharmacy is quite extensive. Most often, pharmacists offer Albucid. But this drug causes a strong burning sensation, so it is better to look for an alternative. Chloramphenicol helps when the eyes are red and fester. Drops for the eyes of the dog do not cause discomfort, they can be instilled up to 6 times a day. And of course, before each procedure, you need to remove pus from the eyes.
- They remove the inflammation of the Cyprovet drop well. They are instilled 1-2 in each eye, four times a day.
- You can wash your eyes with a solution of furatsilina. To do this, dissolve one tablet in a glass of warm water. You can combine this treatment with anti-inflammatory drops.
- Tetracycline ointment helps well. It must be applied under the extended eyelid of the animal. After that, close your eye and massage it well.
Instead of a conclusion
All these measures can do a good job if the dog's eyes are red and festering. What to treat the animal - the veterinarian must decide, do not forget about it. That is, with the help of drops and decoctions of herbs, you can alleviate the condition of the animal, especially if the exacerbation occurred on a day off or in the evening.
But visiting a veterinarian is a mandatory measure if pus appears in the eyes of the dog. After the diagnosis, the specialist will prescribe the correct treatment. It can be an antiviral or antibacterial drug. If an eye injury is detected, wound healing agents will be required. The removal of a foreign body is not excluded. With the allergic nature of the disease, antihistamines will be prescribed. Only after a competent diagnosis will the treatment be correct and effective.