Early Symptoms Of Conjunctivitis In Dogs And What To Do
Symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs appear easily. Determining what they are and what we can do to help them can make the difference between the discomfort and pain your pet may experience and how long the problem will last.
What is conjunctivitis?
This condition has to do with an inflammation of the conjunctiva, a mucous membrane that surrounds the eyeball. It has the function of lubricating the eye, so when it is inflamed, the eye becomes dry and this causes irritation and pain. Simply touching the eyelid is irritating.
What are the symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs
We already know that our dogs are constantly tearing up, but this needn’t be confused with any of the symptoms of conjunctivitis. Here are some of the changes in your dog’s eyes that will make you identify conjunctival inflammation:
- Difficulty blinking. As the membrane is inflamed, the space for raising and lowering the eyelids will be less, so it will be clear that the animal has difficulty making this gesture.
- Does not support light. Another way we can notice one of the symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs in our pet is when he is sensitive to light. You already know that your dog loves to be out in the sun, exposed to light and heat, but if he has conjunctivitis, that will be impossible for him.
- He won’t want to go out for a walk. Due to the sensitivity of the eyes to light, as we mentioned in the previous point, the animal will refuse to leave, because this will be the defense that its brain and body will create against the glare, as it knows it will hurt it.
- It won’t stop scratching your eyes. Conjunctivitis irritates and therefore itches, so one of the first visible symptoms will be that your dog will want to scratch this area all the time.
- Suppuration. If the conjunctivitis becomes more serious, your dog’s eyes may have pus.
What to do to fight the symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs
In the last case mentioned (appearance of pus), go to the vet without delay, because the conjunctivitis is serious and can cause great damage to your pet.
If not, there are several things you can do at home to ease your pet’s discomfort:
- Clean the area. With a little saline, clean your dog’s eyes. Introduce a few drops of the same serum into your furry eyeball, which will not only alleviate the discomfort, but will also moisten and refresh you a lot. Remember not to give him human medicines.
- Ask your veterinarian about using the drops. Talk to your pet to tell you the best eye drops you can give your pet to help reduce inflammation.
- Put on an Elizabethan necklace. If you notice that the animal scratches the eye area too much, you will need to put an Elizabethan collar on it, which will prevent it from doing so.
Always keep an eye out for any changes that may occur in your pet’s body and take the necessary steps to help them and to alleviate symptoms. You will see that nothing is as difficult as it looks.
