Eye infections in dogs are the final instalment in our eye health series. You can read the previous articles in the series about cherry eye in dogs, cloudy eyes in dogs,andcanine conjunctivitison myveterinary blog.

Eye infections in dogs can range from minor problems to severe blinding diseases. Most commonly when we talk about eye infections, we are referring to infections to the outer parts of the eye like the conjunctiva and cornea.

Causes eye infections in dogs

1. Tears play a very important role in keeping eyes healthy by removing bacteria that could cause infections. When there is a lack of tears, these bacteria can get out of control and cause infections. Tear production should be tested in any dog with recurrent eye infections.

2. Penetrating objects into the globe (eyeball) from plant material or cat claws, for example, can introduce infectious organisms like bacteria or fungi into the eye. These can be very serious and require intensive treatment. The dog’s eye may become blind despite these efforts.

3. Foreign material behind the third eyelid can cause infections the eye. These objects can usually be removed after applying a topical anesthetic to numb the area.

4. Infections of the dog’s eye could have spread from other parts of the body through the blood vessels. Tick borne bacterial diseases, roundworms or heartworms can sometimes end up in the dog’s eye.

treatment of eye infections in dogs

Treatment of your dog’s eye infection will depend on the organism causing it. Simple topical bacterial infections can be treated with topical antibiotics for about a week. Fungal and parasitic diseases would require more intensive and longer treatment. Underlying diseases that can make the dog’s eye susceptible to infection need to be treated accordingly, and these treatments may be lifelong.

If you think your dog has an eye infection, pleasecall your veterinarianimmediately. The sooner they receive treatment the sooner they will be running around like crazy again.

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent Morley