How to Treat Conjunctivitis in Dogs

One of the most common problems that the owners have to face is conjunctivitis in dogs. This is a condition during which the conjunctiva of the dog’s eye becomes inflamed and irritated. There are several reasons for this, including allergy for a certain allergen or infection.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs

The symptoms depend on the cause of the condition. Usually the owners observe a red and meaty appearance of the conjunctiva. This is a result of fluid build-up or edema and also the number and the size of the blood vessels increase in the tissue.

Conjunctivitis in DogsIt is the discharge that usually helps the vet to determine the cause of the dogs’ conjunctivitis. In case the infection has been caused by a fungi or bacteria, the discharge is green or yellow.

Sometimes the animal might not be able to open the eyelids because of the pus or white blood cells.

If the main cause is allergies then the discharge is watery and clear. In the majority of the cases conjunctivitis in dogs is quite painful and this is why the animal could rub his eyes.

How to treat dogs’ conjunctivitis

Once you know the diagnosis for sure, you should start the treatment immediately. In case the condition is left untreated, it gets worse over time. You should discuss the options that you have with the vet.

In order to get rid of foreign materials that could be present in the eye in case of dogs’ conjunctivitis, you should irrigate the eye.

Although this may sound scary, you have to let the vet make surgical scrapes in the eye of the dog. This is important to make sure that there are no other infections in the eye as well that are hidden by conjunctivitis in dogs.

Eye drops can also help the dog in such a condition. Get a bottle of eye drops indicated by the vet and you may have to put a few drops in the infected eye several times a day.

Besides the eye drops the dog might also need ointments in case of dogs’ conjunctivitis.

Don’t treat only the effects of the infection, but also the source of the condition. As it has been mentioned we are talking about an infection, so you will have to administer antibiotics to the dog. In case the dogs’ conjunctivitis has been triggered by some kind of allergies, you will need to administer antihistamines to the dog.

Although there are different kinds of medications to treat the condition, in case the dog has corneal ulcer there are some medications that you shouldn’t give to the dog. In such cases you have to ask your vet about the other options you have to treat conjunctivitis in dogs that wouldn’t harm him in any way.

In case the infection gets very serious, surgery might be needed to take care of the problem. This usually happens in case the eyelid has also been damaged because of the condition. Nonetheless the procedure is considered to be a routine one.

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