When a puppy appears in the house, people become so attached to him that he simply becomes a full member of the family. They play with him, walk, even sleep together in the same bed. However, pets bring not only joy, but also alarm. Most often, the owners worry about them when they get sick. As in humans, barley in the eye can appear in dogs. How to treat it? What consequences can this lead to? What causes inflammation? These questions are often asked by dog owners. In this material, they will be given detailed answers.
What is barley?
Before you learn how to treat barley in the eye of a dog (see the article for a pathology photo), you need to find out what this disease is. In medicine, barley is a pimple with purulent contents that affects the eyelid. It appears due to inflammation, which originates in the sebaceous glands or the hair bulb. This process is accompanied by severe pain. In addition, the dog is uncomfortable, as puffiness occurs on the eye, and then pus forms. The affected area swells due to the fact that pathogenic microorganisms accumulate in it. It is they, multiplying, that cause the inflammatory process.
Types of barley
There are two types of barley in the dog’s eye . Veterinarians distinguish them by location. Based on this, they distinguish:
- External barley. The name of the pathology speaks for itself. The inflammatory process affects the outer side of the upper or lower eyelid. Initially, barley appears as a small red cone. When microorganisms multiply, this leads to the formation of purulent fluid. Ripening, she goes outside.
- Inner barley. The disease proceeds somewhat differently than in the first case. Inflammation captures the inside of the eyelid. Outside, the skin may not change or turn slightly red. A small seal will be felt with your fingers. In some cases, a faint tubercle appears.
Causes
Owners need to know that barley on the dog’s eye can appear when microscopic mites, fungus, bacteria penetrate the sebaceous glands or hair follicles. It is important to properly perform water procedures and monitor the hygiene of the animal. Otherwise, in advanced cases, barley may appear not one, but three or even four at the same time. In addition to microorganisms, the following factors can provoke the development of this disease:
- Improper nutrition. The diet lacks minerals and vitamins.
- Infectious disease - Staphylococcus aureus.
- Weak immune system.
- Inflammation of the mucous membrane.
- The consequence of stress.
- Hypothermia.
- Eye injuries.
Process development
How does barley develop in the eye of a dog? Before the onset of inflammation and maturation of the abscess, 3-4 days should pass. At the first stage, a small swelling appears. It is localized in the region of cilia. After some time, the swelling will increase, and the skin will acquire a red tint. So the inflammatory process proceeds within 2-3 days. In the second stage of the disease, a head appears on barley. It has a white and yellow color. It can ripen for several days. At the last stage, the abscess erupts, and all the contents come out. However, an abscess is not always formed. If the dog has good immunity, then barley can pass on its own.
Symptoms
Barley on the dog’s eye can be seen visually. As mentioned above, inflammation manifests itself in the form of edema and redness. However, these are not all the symptoms that accompany this disease. A dog may also have:
- Fever.
- Severe swelling of the eyelids.
- Redness of the skin.
- Restless behavior (the animal constantly scratches the eye).
- Purulent fluid secretion.
Dog barley in the eye: treatment
Before choosing a method of treating barley, you need to know exactly the type of inflammation. It was said above that an abscess can be external and internal. As for the latter, it is not recommended to treat it yourself. The fact is that the pet may require serious procedures that the owner will not be able to perform. As a rule, barley is opened with a scalpel and washed with a special solution. After these manipulations, the doctor conducts an antiseptic treatment.
But with external barley you can cope on your own. Therapeutic actions will be uncomplicated, so you can perform them at home. As a rule, to combat an abscess, the following scheme is used:
- They are washed with Furacilin, both of them, and not just the one on which there is inflammation.
- Use a tetracycline or hydrocortisone ointment. Apply them to the eyelid at least five times a day.
- In parallel with the ointment, antibiotics are prescribed - eye drops "Desacid", "Levomycetin", "Iris". They must be instilled within two weeks. Dosage - 2 drops no more than three times a day.
Important: this treatment regimen is recommended. However, before taking the described drugs, you must always consult a veterinarian.
There are not only medicinal methods for treating barley. As always, traditional medicine comes to the rescue. It has long been fought with such inflammation using dry heat. To do this, they took a boiled peeled egg, wrapped it in a scarf and rolled it around the eyelid. But you can use this method only if there is no purulent head on the barley. Otherwise, you can aggravate the condition of the animal.
Veterinarian Caution
If a dog has barley in his eye, what to do and what is strictly forbidden is something everyone should know. The treatment methods have already been discussed above, and now we need to find out what is in no case permitted to be undertaken.
Veterinarians strictly forbid squeezing barley on their own. This can not be done, as undesirable serious consequences may appear. For example, a dog will become infected again or become ill with meningitis.
Prevention
Like any other disease, the appearance of barley is better to prevent than to fight inflammatory processes later. To do this, you will need to reconsider the dog's diet. It must be balanced. The animal necessarily needs vitamins and minerals. Such nutrition can strengthen the immune system. According to veterinarians, this is the main preventive measure. It is important to remember that the dog must be kept clean, walk a lot with it, regularly perform hygiene procedures and feed only with high-quality food. In this case, the risk of barley will be minimized.