Eye Injuries in Dogs and Cats
Hello and Good Morning to you…
It’s Wednesday.
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My manly flower story
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On the way walking to work yesterday I was inspired to see some freshly blooming Lilacs.
So as I was a wee bit early, I stopped to smell them.
And POKED myself in the eye.
Does that *ever* hurt.
I couldn’t see – my eye was tearing, and swelling, and surely red. I am sure that anyone driving by would think I was in a great deal of emotional distress.
…And what do you say…
“Well I was attacked by a bunch of eye poking Lilacs.”
Not exactly Clint Eastwood stuff of Legend.
So as I walked to work I thought about how my staff would laugh about this one – and just how not so glorious it sounds. At least it could have been on my Mountain Bike – or Snowboard – or some crazy wild animal (such as a few of my clients’ dogs or cats 🙂 )
At the clinic I stained my eye with Fluroscein, and no visible ulcer was seen. I had my staff have a better look, and Tara thought there was a teeeeeeeny scratch.
And that was it, I thought? Because was it ever throbbing.
So I proceeded to apply a topical pain reliever to my eye, and soon enough it calmed down. I was able to go through the day with 2 eyes… yay.
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Eye Injuries and Animals
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All of this does get me to appreciate just HOW painful eye injuries, and eye ulcers can be with our own animals.
If you suspect an ulcer, have your dog or cat examined by a Veterinarian – this isn’t something to be left, or treated lightly.
Here is a small section of my book.
SIGNS
Your pet’s eyes are red with a yellow or green discharge. His eyes continue to water. He squints or rubs his eyes. The tissue around the eye appears swollen. With cataracts, the middle of the eye (the lens) appears cloudy
CAUSES
The causes of ‘red eye’ are numerous. The most common are bacterial conjunctivitis, bacterial infection of the tissue around the eye, and allergic conjunctivitis. Other, more serious causes include glaucoma (swelling in the eye) or an ulcer on the cornea (erosion on the surface of the eye).
SOLUTIONS
TO THE VETERINARIAN. Here are three signs to trigger an immediate call to your veterinarian:
if your pet’s eye infection is painful, with your pet rubbing her eye; if the main part of the eye, the cornea, appears to be indented or layered; and if the entire eye suddenly becomes cloudy.
EYE TEARS. The lubricated eye tears used for people with minor eye infections can be very soothing for your pet. First wipe any discharge away from the eyes using a damp cloth then apply 2-3 drops in the affected eye three times daily.
TO THE KITCHEN. Tea is more than just a drink. It has tannins in it which are anti-inflammatory and have antimicrobial properties. Brew up a strong cup of black tea and place 3-4 drops in the affected eye three times daily. It should be made daily to prevent contamination.
EYEBRIGHT (EUPHRASIA). This herb has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To make a solution, mix 5 drops of Eyebright in 125 ml (1/2 cup) of saline solution. Using an eyedropper, place two drops in the affected eye twice daily for 5-7 days.
PAIN CONTROL. A few options here. For dogs conventionally you can use ASA safely in most cases. A homeopathic that can work well is Arnica, and this is safe for both dogs and cats. There are also conventional topical eye anti-inflammatories, such as Voltaren.
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P.S. If you don’t have my book yet, I suggest that you add it to your arsenal of Alternate Healing Options for the most common Dog or Cat Health conditions.
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Grab it here:
P.P.S. My eye is feeling far better – just don’t scare me with flowers.
Heal Your Pet At Home!
Best Wishes,
Dr Andrew Jones, DVM