How to Treat Dog Conjunctivitis at Home?–
If your dog has conjunctivitis, or pink eye, there are a few home remedies you can try to help treat their condition.
One possible remedy is to clean your dog’s eyes regularly with a gentle, pet-safe eye wash solution. This can help to remove any debris or irritants that may be causing your dog’s conjunctivitis.
Another remedy is to apply a pet-safe eye ointment or cream to your dog’s eyes, which can help to soothe irritated skin and reduce inflammation. Additionally, you can try using a pet-safe eye compress or warm compress on your dog’s eyes, which can help to reduce swelling and discomfort.
If these remedies do not help, or if your dog’s conjunctivitis is accompanied by other symptoms, such as discharge, redness, or pain, you should consult with your veterinarian for further treatment.
Treating dog conjunctivitis at home can involve cleaning the eye area with a warm damp cloth and using vet-prescribed eye drops or ointments. Avoid irritants and ensure their living area is clean. Always consult a vet for diagnosis and treatment plan to prevent complications.
What is Dog Conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis, mostly known as “Pink Eye,” is a kind of infection caused by the mucous membrane in dogs’ eyes. Now, what is a mucous membrane?
The mucous membrane is the lining of a dog’s eye, which covers the eye and eyelids and is named “conjunctiva.” It very much looks similar to the lining of the nose and mouth. Conjunctivitis is a prevalent health issue in dogs.
The conjunctiva is responsible for defending your puppy’s eye from infections, dust particles, and harmful environmental substances. In the case of Conjunctivitis, this protective shield gets inflated, which causes redness.
Due to infection, the eyes produce Yellowish – green pus or transparent watery sticky substance which irritates your dog by continuously squinting or rubbing its eye.
What Causes Conjunctivitis in Dogs?
There is always a reason to cause any disease, and some of the most common causes of Conjunctivitis in dogs are :
Foreign Substances
Dust particles, expired eye drops, dust, metal residue, or poisonous plants, all these things in the environment can irritate your furry friend’s eye and cause Conjunctivitis.
Infections/Allergies/Injuries
Streptococcus and Staphylococcus are the most guilty bacterias which cause infections in dog eyes; such conditions can cause Conjunctivitis in your dog.
Dogs prone to skin allergies are more likely to get Conjunctivitis, driven mainly by environmental allergic materials like pollen and mold. Chemical injuries are too a part of dogs’ leading causes of Conjunctivitis.
Defects on the Birth of the Puppy
Eye problems like Conjunctivitis are caused either by innate or hereditary trauma. Any problem during the puppy’s birth or any traumatic event occurring just after its birth or during its delivery can cause Conjunctivitis.
Tumors
The most common tumor in dogs is Uveal melanomas. This tumor spreads from the inflamed tissues that form the uvea.
The iris is commonly the base where most tumors arise. And inflammation of tissues called “Tumor” becomes a reason for Conjunctivitis in your dog’s eye/eyes.
Tear Duct Problems
Tear ducts in your furry friend’s eyes named Nasolacrimal ducts drain tears into the back of the nose and throat and prevent fluids from overflowing from your eyes, dog.
If this tear duct gets any form of infection or dysfunctional issue, it may enable the juices to flow out and worsen Conjunctivitis.
What are Types of Dog Conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis in dogs can be of different types, caused by various factors, and needs other medication. The main types of Conjunctivitis are :
Allergic Conjunctivitis
This type of Conjunctivitis is not contagious, which means it will not spread, but it is an allergic reaction that can be seasonal.
Being a little considerate about the nature of your dog’s body, immune system, and its reactivity towards different seasons can help you handle allergic Conjunctivitis in your dog.
Viral Conjunctivitis
This Conjunctivitis is caused due to a virus that is, unlike allergic Conjunctivitis, contagious, meaning it is effortless for this Conjunctivitis to spread. In this case, it takes around three weeks for the dog to recover fully.
Bacterial Conjunctivitis
This is typically caused by bacteria which is also contagious and can quickly spread to other dogs easily.
Breeds that are More Prone to Conjunctivitis
Regardless of the breed, all dogs can and do have conductivity at different stages of their lives; it’s nothing like that. Certain dogs can never have Conjunctivitis, but some breeds are more prone to Conjunctivitis than others.
Some of the most prone breeds are Hounds, Retrievers, Pug, Poodle, Pekingese, and Cocker Spaniel.
They are more prone to Conjunctivitis because of the special facial features that make them more likely to get debris and airborne diseases.
How to Know if Your Dog has Conjunctivitis?
Knowing if your dog has Conjunctivitis is not a difficult job. Main Conjunctivitis symptoms are :
Redness and Swelling in the Eyes
Redness and swelling in your dog’s eyes can be caused due to viruses like distemper, which is most common in mammals, herpes caused when your dog may be in contact with other dogs or puppy oral or genital fluids, hepatitis caused by consuming any inflected dog’s nasal, genital or oral discharge, and canine influenza caused in dog canines due to any infectious interaction or allergy and are the significant causes of Conjunctivitis.
Fungus and Parasites
A vast population of dogs gets allergies, redness, and eye swelling through parasites like flies and mosquitoes. Fungal infections, on the other hand, may also cause Conjunctivitis.
Another initial, visual, and common symptoms helpful in getting to know your dog’s Conjunctivitis include:
- Due to excess eye irritation, dogs often perform excess pawing or rubbing on the eye.
- Squinting or blinking more often and not opening your eyes are also more symptoms that can help you know about your dog’s problem.
How to Treat Dog Conjunctivitis at Home?
Treating Conjunctivitis in your dog is suggested to be treated by proper medication, either topical or oral medications. No treatments should be given to your pup without getting the infection diagnosed.
Most dog owners prefer ointments and medicines prescribed by doctors or vets. No medication should be given without consulting the vet, especially human eye drops, drugs, etc. Should not be given unless you want the infection to worsen.
In some cases, Conjunctivitis in your dog is not that serious and can be easily cured at home. With some home remedies and treatments, you can fix stubborn and irritating eye issues in your friend’s eye.
Some of the effective home remedies to cure dog conjunctivitis are :
Cold Compresses
Ice bags or cold/ wet cloths can ease swelling, redness, pain, and irritation.
Steroid Eye Drops
With doctors or vet consultancy, steroid eye drops can help cure eye allergies.
How to Use Eye Drops for Your Dog?
Dogs are just like babies; giving them medicines, putting ear or eye drops in their ears and eyes, and keeping them still is a little too tiring. But that means they are no different than our babies.
So while giving them medication or putting eye and ear drops in their eyes/ears, we have to be gentle with them, so we can do the job successfully and get their problem fixed as soon as possible. Here are some steps to put eye drops in your puppy’s eyes during Conjunctivitis.
- First, clean your pup’s infected eye with a wet cloth or wipe. Remember to be gentle with him.
- Make your dog sit and hold him in place, wrap your one hand around his neck, and hold his face up.
- Try to stretch the lower part of the eye to make space to put the eye drop.
- On the other hand, put some drops prescribed on the label or told by the veterans.
- After putting the eye drops into the eye, leave your dog and let him adjust to the sensation; he will probably blink and retract. It is normal.
How to Manage and Prevent Conjunction?
In situations like these, an E- or Elizabethan collar will greatly help. If consulted, the vet must have provided you with an E-collar which is used to prevent your dog from making his eyes worse since the irritation will enable him to rub and scratch his eye continuously.
In terms of management, keeping your dog away from dusty, dry, and dirty areas and continuously checking his bodily symptoms should be your priority while treating your dog’s Conjunctivitis.
While your dog is recovering, he should be kept away from other animals. In case the other animal is infected and dangerous for your pup or vice versa.
Daily habits that help keep your dog away from infections like Conjunctivitis
Many daily habits will help your dog be safe from infections and diseases like Conjunctivitis. It is your responsibility to take charge of the prevention.
Daily habits such as :
- Keep your dog clean; wash him frequently.
- Clean his paws and face after coming from outside in case he comes in contact with any infectious animal or environment.
- Keep his toys and edibles clean.
- Consult first with the vet when you see him in discomfort.
- Since there is no vaccine for this issue, prevention is the best action you as a dog owner can take.
Conjunctivitis is the condition of swollen and red eyes, in which the eyes of your pup water and produce mucus.
It can happen due to environmental, bacterial, or seasonal reasons. Since there is no vaccine for this problem, preventing your dog from the possibility of Conjunctivitis is the best option.
If not taken care of properly, this infection can become a lifelong eye problem for your dog, so getting proper medication is the best initiative you can take as a dog owner. In some cases, this Conjunctivitis is not too severe and can be cured with some home remedies.
The question of “How to treat dog conjunctivitis at home” by worried dog owners is not just naive or shallow.
There are indeed ways at home that can cure this stubborn problem. And you can get your pup rid of his issue by some small steps written above.
