A Guide to Conjunctivitis in Dogs

Firstly, there’s no need to panic as pet conjunctivitis is a common condition. However, bacterial, viral and allergic conjunctivitis in dogs causes a range of painful problems for your fur friend, which includes swelling and itching.

Let’s take a look at the different types, symptoms and treatment.

Conjunctivitis in dogs: What is it?

Conjunctivitis is an infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the transparent protective membrane that covers the inside of your eyelid and the white of your eye.

Also known as pink eye, the condition can be super painful for pets and people alike. At its most basic, it’s usually characterised by a sore, red-raw looking eye that has pus appearing around the lid.

Although conjunctivitis is very common in both dogs and cats, there are slight differences in the causes, symptoms and, in some cases, treatment.

The different types of pink eye in dogs

There are three different types of this goopy, pink-eyed health condition. Briefly, this is what defines them:

Allergic conjunctivitis in dogs

This can be caused by sensitivity to dust, pollen, insect stings, certain perfumes and shampoos, among other things. It’s sometimes seasonal and shouldn’t be contagious, but can be quite frustrating to get rid of if the allergen is something your pup is exposed to frequently.

Just like a human allergy, in the initial stages of diagnosis, it can be a bit of a guessing game as to what’s causing it.

Bacterial conjunctivitis in dogs

Caused by bacteria like staphylococcus or streptococcus rather than a virus or allergen, bacterial conjunctivitis in dogs is relatively simple to treat. Dogs with medical conditions such as chronic dry eye, abnormalities in the eyelid and ulcers in the cornea are more prone to a secondary bacterial infection like conjunctivitis.

Like its viral conjunctivitis cousin, bacterial pink eye can spread to other dogs fairly easily.

Viral conjunctivitis in dogs

As its name implies, this type of conjunctivitis in dogs is caused by a virus. It can be spread quickly and easily from dog to dog and is amplified by infections such as canine distemper virus and canine herpesvirus.

Your dog may be able to get vaccinations to help combat some of these viruses.

Symptoms of pink eye in dogs

Some of the red flags to keep an eye out for include:

• Swelling of the eye
• Excessive rubbing of their face on objects or their paws, which indicates itching, burning or pain
• Squinting or excessive blinking – a sign of irritation in the eye
• The eye becoming filled with a mucus-like discharge
• Redness in the eye

If your dog has had conjunctivitis for a few days, it’s worth consulting your vet for an official diagnosis and treatment plan. Most pups recover fairly easily, but some may experience secondary symptoms for a lifetime. So, get it checked!

What your vet may do to diagnose it

Your vet will usually start by going over your dog’s medical history before undertaking a thorough physical examination. Then, they’ll focus on a thorough eye examination, using magnification to check for any physical changes.

Requesting an ultrasound to check for physical injuries to the eye can also help with the diagnosis.

How to treat conjunctivitis in dogs

There are several different treatments for conjunctivitis in dogs and some of the common conditions that can cause it. The most suitable ones depend on the type and cause of the infection.

Treatments for conjunctivitis include:

• Eye drops or ointments with steroids to treat cases of allergic conjunctivitis
• Topical or oral antibiotics for bacterial conjunctivitis
• Treating viral conjunctivitis requires time and an immune system boost
• Chronic dry eye results in a dog needing lifelong medication to help produce tears
• Eyelid or eyelash abnormalities are corrected with surgery to avoid chronic issues

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