Dealing with Eye Discharge in Dogs and Cats

The occasional discharge from the eyes of your dog or cat that can stain their fur is not a cause for alarm. However, when you see mucus, tears, gunk or any other eye discharge coming from your pet’s eyes on a more regular basis, something serious might be the problem and you should be alert to deal with this.

HOW TO DEAL WITH EYE DISCHARGE IN DOGS AND CATS

The cause of eye discharge

Eye discharge from your dog or cat could be caused by hypersensitive reaction or a foreign object in the eye. The system tries to eject any foreign object by secreting lubricants to protect the eye and flush out the foreign object. Secretion of the lubricant can be excessive and cause a spill over.

Some breeds have extra trouble with this because of their body structure. A Persian cat has shallow eye sockets and problems with the eyelids that can cause the lubrication to become excessive. A Cocker Spaniel dog has eyelids that roll out and can easily be affected by by cherry eye where the inner part of its eyelids swells up.

Such problems can bring about inflation and excess tearing, here the pet needs a surgery. Country Club Animal Clinic in El Paso, Texas has one of the best pet surgical facility in the area. Other more serious causes of eye discharge include nerve or brain injury, corneal ulcers, dry eye, pink eye, glaucoma, entropion, tumors and more.

Observations to make

Discharge that is light in color and watery is usually not a cause for alarm. This could be a normal regular discharge that you do not have to worry about. The case is different if the discharge is not occasional but more regular. In this case, you should take action even if the discharge is whitish and watery.

Signs of an infection is usually associated with the color of the eye discharge. If it is a pus, green or yellow in color, it could be an infection. If the dog or cat is pawing at the eyes, bleeding from the eyes, as red or inflamed or cloudy eyes then it could also be an infection or it could be a more serious problem.

How to handle eye discharge

If the eye discharge from your dog or cat is whitish and watery in nature, you should wipe it outwards so it does not fester a bacterial infection. Use eye wipes or a warm wet cloth or cotton ball.

If the discharge from the eyes of your dog or cat is a pus, yellow or green in color, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Dr. Harvey at Country Club Animal Clinic is highly trained with over 30 years of experience, including 12 years at El Paso Animal Emergency Center. They will diagnose the problem after examining your pet and begin a treatment that will help.

How to prevent eye discharge

• Prevent your dog from sticking its head out of the car window when in motion.
• Use small scissors to trim the hair around the eyes if your cat or dog has plenty of hair.
• Check your pet’s eyes occasionally and watch out for discomforting behavior like pawing of eyes.
• Avoid eyes when bathing your pet.
• Design a regular veterinarian check-up for your pet so problems are addressed before they escalate.