Even though you are a responsible pet owner, several eye issues may appear from time to time with your dog’s eye. It’s always disturbing and heartbreaking to see your dog in pain with an eye infection, or even worse, red, itchy, and swollen eyes.
Since eye inflammation can lead to vision loss, you should always seek professional help and call your veterinarian immediately.
The medical term for itchy, red, and swollen eyes is called blepharitis, and it could affect one or both eyes. Additionally, your dog may develop other symptoms like blinking spasmodically; this condition is called blepharospasm. But this does not stop here. Your puppy may become nervous; therefore, it will rub or scratch its eyelids and face, leading to secondary severe traumatic injuries.
The skin around eyelids may have dry flakes, crusts, or small pustules and papules(single or multiple). Once you see all of these signs accompanied by mucoid, purulent, or clear discharge, loss of pigment or hair, it is an alert to take your dog to a vet.
Ignoring this issue is not the answer. Maybe the cause is minor, but it can lead to a life-threatening condition.
So, let’s dive in and find out more about swollen eyes in dogs.
Why is My Dogs Eye Swollen?
Each condition that irritates the eyelids can cause blepharitis in dogs. The most common causes include eye allergies, congenital abnormalities, infections, and tumors.
Very often, the root of blepharitis may be a congenital abnormality from the birth date:
- Entropion – Eyelid edges turn inwards
- Distichiasis – Eyelash abnormalities
- Trichiasis – One or more eyelashes grow inwards toward the eyeball.
The shape of a dog’s face and muzzle may also develop blepharitis in dogs. Dogs with prominent facial folds, flat faces, bulging eyes, and narrow and highly long muzzles are more prone to developing swollen eyes and blepharitis.
Like humans, dogs can also develop allergic reactions to a particular food, inhaling allergens or insect stings that may lead to developing blepharitis.
Benign sebaceous adenomas and malignant sebaceous adenocarcinomas are tumors that originate from the meibomian glands and can additionally cause blepharitis. Other types of tumors that also cause blepharitis in dogs are the mast cell tumors.
When there is no identified underlying cause, the condition is called idiopathic blepharitis in dogs.
Eye infections
Eye infections are a prevalent cause of swollen eyes in dogs and can affect different spots. Be aware that infections can be diagnosed only by your vet, so make sure you don’t take some unprescribed medicine.
In some cases, bacterial infection with Staphylococcus can lead to an allergic reaction that causes hypersensitivity. A bacterial infection causes an abscess of the gland’s eyelids and generalized eyelids infection.
Uveitis
Uveitis is a deeper eye infection that affects the interior eye, including the ciliary body, iris, and choroid. Tick-borne disease, cancer, virus diseases, and other systematic cause can lead to uveitis.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, known as pink eye in humans. This thin mucous membrane covers the outside of the eye, which is why it is prone to many inflammatory disorders.
Other common causes of blepharitis in dogs include trauma, Sarcoptes and Demodex mites, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, nutritional disorders, Cushing’s disease, or environmental irritants.
Dog Breeds That Are Predisposed to Swollen Eyes
Based on the dog’s conformation and heritage, some breeds are more prone to swollen eyes or, medically said, blepharitis.
The following dog breeds are more prone to blepharitis:
- Chinese Shar-Pei
- Chow Chow
- Shih Tzu
- Golden Retriever
- Labrador Retriever
- Lhasa Apso
- English Bulldog
- Pekingese
- Rottweiler
- Pug
- Poodle
Adopting or buying one of these breeds means that you will have to be extra careful with their eyes and regularly check for redness, swelling, or watering around the pet’s eyes. Of course, these dogs could be prone to any other disease besides blepharitis. Therefore, please do your homework and research the dog breed before committing to it.
Signs & Symptoms of Blepharitis in Dogs
When your puppy develops blepharitis, it could be either in one or both eyes, causing them to be swollen and red.
Your dog will look for comfort and relief in everything, so don’t be surprised if you catch your dog scratching or rubbing the eye with the furniture. This scratching will only give your puppy temporary relief, and what’s more worrying, it could leave serious consequences.
The following causes are the most common for blepharitis:
- Uncontrolled blinking or squinting (blepharospasm)
- Conjunctival inflammation
- Loss of pigmentation around the eyes
- Redness of the sclera (the white part of the eye)
- Pain in the eye area
- Scaly or flaky skin around the eyes
- Eye discharge
- Swollen eyelids
If your dog shows some of these symptoms and signs, you cannot do much about it. Instead, call your vet immediately and ask for professional help.
Diagnosing Blepharitis: Swollen Dog’s Eyes
You are the first to notice your dog’s swollen eyes; therefore, you should tell your vet about the medical history, symptoms, and any possible injury or incident that may have brought this medical condition.
Next, your vet will perform a full medical examination, biochemistry profile, complete blood count, and urinalysis. These exams may show any underlying cause that has led to blepharitis.
Suppose the wellness check-up and routine veterinary test did not show any underlying cause. In that case, your vet will perform an eye test to determine the degree of eyelid abnormalities and the severity of this medical condition.
Depending on the suspected cause, your vet may perform different examinations to determine the following treatment.
The most used test in veterinary ophthalmology is the Schirmer tear test. It detects the tear production in the dog’s eye and collects cells or ocular discharge to determine the evidence of mites, bacterial, or fungal infection.
Collected cells, discharges, or secretions from the affected eye check for inflammatory disorders like parasitic infections, bacterial conjunctivitis, or some viral infections.
Then, your vet may perform a fluorescein stain that determines scratches or ulcers on the outer surface of the eyes.
Further testing can be achieved with the intraocular pressure test determines the internal pressure changes inside the eye that can be a warning for glaucoma. Increased pressure is a sign of glaucoma, while decreased pressure occurs when the eye is affected by uveitis.
In case your vet suspects that the ocular swelling is due to an allergen, in the further examination, he will try to isolate a specific allergen that led to the allergic reaction.
Dog’s swollen eye can be a life-threatening condition, so prepare for the worst-case scenarios. Very often, tumors can cause blepharitis, so your vet will perform a biopsy to determine the type of the tumor and find the best treatment plan. This is an invasive procedure, so your vet will likely suggest sedation.
There are cases of idiopathic blepharitis in dogs where no underlying cause is known. However, if no specific cause is found, the examinations and diagnosis will likely continue. So, your vet may suggest running an additional blood test to see evidence of any systematic disease.
The eye is the mirror of the body. Even the most minor symptoms like a change of eye color, swollen eye, redness around the eye, or itchiness may be a warning that something is going on inside the body. Maybe you are not a doctor, but if you notice any changes in your dog’s eyes or suspect eye inflammation, immediately take your dog to a vet.
Treatment of Blepharitis in Dogs
To treat a dog’s swollen eyes, you should take your dog to a vet. If your primary vet is not working, contact an emergency vet immediately.
Right after your arrival, your vet will take the medical anamnesis, including symptoms, signs, any pre-existing condition, history of vaccines, etc. After taking the medical history, your vet will determine the cause of the dog’s swollen eye, and it will move on to appropriate treatment.
The treatment should start as soon as the underlying cause of the disease is known. Sometimes the treatment could be straightforward at-home treatment with warm compresses for about 15 minutes per day, antibiotic eye drops, and pain relief medication until the symptoms go away.
It is essential to follow the treatment recommended by a professional and do a re-check visit. There are cases where this condition becomes severe, worse, or recurrent, and it could lead to a surgical procedure.
Surgical intervention is the only acceptable choice for removing tumors and correcting eyelid abnormalities. If the condition is life-threatening, you and your dog may be referred to a veterinary ophthalmologist.
Bacterial infections can be treated with topical or oral antibiotics, allergies with oral antihistamine drugs, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressant medications. If the dog has developed some allergic reaction, it should avoid the specific allergen.
Blepharitis that is caused to secondary endocrine hormone disorder should be treated symptomatically, and the endocrine issue should be resolved in the meantime.
If the dog’s eye condition is caused by nutritional deficiency, you will be prescribed dietary supplements.
On the other side, there are severe cases when no underlying causes are detected; the condition should be controlled with topical medication and oral immunosuppressant drugs.
Home Treatments
Before you apply any of the following home remedies, you should get approval and consult with a professional.
Lukewarm water with salt
If your vet approves this home remedy, you can mix half teaspoon of salt with lukewarm water. Then, gently splash the mix onto your dog’s eyes and clean the excess with a cotton pad. If you want a more sterile solution, you can buy plain saline eye water from the human pharmacy.
Warm compress
Take a warm washcloth and lightly apply pressure onto your dog’s eye for about 5-10 minutes to remove the eye swelling as much as possible. A too hot washcloth can cause more damage to the swollen eye; therefore, before applying the washcloth, check it onto your wrist.
Chamomile tea
Take a cotton ball and apply cooled chamomile tea to reduce eye swelling. Ensure that the tea is cooled because the area is susceptible.
Benadryl
If your vet suspects the dog’s condition is allergy-related, he will recommend a small dose of Benadryl to relieve the eye swelling and itchiness.
What seems to you a small dose may be a massive dose for your dog; therefore, discuss the weight and breed with your vet, so you don’t exaggerate with the dose.
FAQ:
Final Thoughts
Seeing swollen eyes in dogs is a very uncomfortable and stressful sight. Remember that this condition can lead to many life-threatening eye diseases that negatively affect your dog’s quality of life and overall health. Most dogs will fully recover after a while; however, it is essential to prevent complications.
Prevent before it is too late, and call your vet immediately when you notice any changes in the dog’s eyes.
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*photo by Hugo1313 – depositphotos