How to Tell If Your Dog Has an Eye Problem

1 Signs of Eye Problems

Abnormal tears: tearing without dust, even cloudy, signals trouble.

Gunk buildup: inflamed eyes leak thick discharge that hardens at the corner, unlike normal eye crust.

Rubbing or bumping: after ruling out debris, itching or pain, or vision loss from retinal disease, cataracts, or glaucoma, causes rubbing.

Swollen lids mean inflammation; red rims, lids, or whites mean conjunctivitis or keratitis, and both eyes together suggest another cause.

Bulging eyes signal high pressure and possible glaucoma with pain; white clouding in the pupil is a cataract, congenital in puppies or age-related after six.

Entropion (inward lids) and ectropion (outward, hereditary lower lids) irritate the cornea and need surgical correction.

Keratitis and corneal ulcers come from irritation or foreign objects and cause tearing, light sensitivity, clouding, vessel growth, and spasms.

2 What Owners Should Do

Rinse with pet eye drops: embrace from behind, lift the chin, part the lids, drip from above, and let the dog blink out debris.

Wipe gunk like makeup removal: warm cotton pad over hardened gunk, then gently wipe; if stuck, two people may trim it with safety scissors, or ask a pro.

Clean tear stains daily with wash solution along their direction to remove and prevent them.

Entropion and ectropion need surgery; corneal inflammation needs the irritant flushed and antibiotic drops. Flat-faced breeds (Pug, Bulldog, Pekingese) risk injury; loose-skinned breeds (Chow, Shar-Pei, Basset) are prone to lid issues.