The appearance of red eyes in dogs can be due to multiple factors such as diseases, behaviors, race or age. Keeping the eyes of our dogs healthy is achieved through daily care. A good cleaning routine, removal of litters and veterinary reviews will prevent the development of eye diseases.
TheEpiscleritis or red eyes in dogs is nothing more than a hypervascularization of the white part of the eye or sclera due to thickening of the capillaries.In addition, this redness may be due to an inflammation of the Harder gland that is adjacent to the third eyelid or eyelid membrane.
What causes red eyes in dogs?
There are many causes that could cause the appearance of red eyes in dogs. On the one hand,the shape of the eyelids, very droopy in some races, facilitate dryness. Therefore, these dogs, such as hounds, bulldogs or boxers, often suffer this symptom more times.
Environmental pollution
On the other hand,a polluted environment, with dust in the air, other particles or smoke, is not good for the eyes. These suffer and favor the appearance of episcleritis. For example, dogs whose guardians are smokers tend to have red eyes more often due to air pollution.
Beach days
After a day at the beach, your dog may have red eyes. If it is a quiet dog and stays in the towel most of the time, you will not suffer from this problem.
However, if your dog likes to bathe in the sea, play in the sand and run from one place to another, it is very likely that he ends up with dirt in his eyes. Therefore, it is very important that we wash our dog’s eyes with abundant physiological serum, every time we spend a day at the beach.
Other diseases that cause red eyes in dogs
Conjunctivitis, both bacterial and viral, cause inflammation of the different conjunctive membranes of the eyes.In addition to raising the production of legañas, it increases the vascularity of the eye and, therefore, reddens.
Conjunctivitis is a highly contagious disease, usually occurs in both eyes and, if you have more dogs at home, it is very likely that everyone will end up suffering from it. It is best to visit the veterinarian to prescribe a eye drops and thus be able to fight the infection.
Allergic reactions and red eyes in dogs
Allergies can also cause redness of the sclera of the eye. Especially,reactions to environmental allergens, such as mites, pollen or dust, usually have access to the body the mouth, nose and eyes. Therefore, these three areas are usually the most affected by the allergic reaction.
Strange bodies
By last, any foreign body that sneaks into the eye can cause its redness and even the appearance of corneal ulcers. This corneal damage has a very specific treatment that, if not used, will worsen the state of the eye.
Episcleritis treatment
Before treating red eyes in dogs, we must wait at least 12 hours. In this way, we allow the eye time to recover on its own. In most cases, a slight reddening of the eye does not lead to any complications; Simply, the dog may have scratched.
Once we have passed that time, if the eye remains red, it is time to visit the veterinarian. This, after asking a series of questions to see what could have happened and performing tests to determine the eye damage, will decide which is the best treatment for can.