My Shih Tzu has bloodshot red eyes. What's wrong and how to treat?

Poor guy. THe picture is a bit dark; however, I do see some redness towards the bottom part of the cornea. This looks like possible hemorrhage and should be checked by your vet as soon as possible. THis could be due to some kind of trauma to the eye or it could be a sign of uveitis (inflammation of the inner prat of the eye). If this is indeed uveitis, then the vet will have to do some tests to determine what the underlying cause is. I hope that your pet Winston has some resolve to his eye condition soon! Best wishes and take care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pepples. The pictures you submitted are very helpful. It appears as though her conjuctiva (the tissue under her eyelids) is very red and swollen. She also appears to have cloudiness to her cornea (the surface or her eye) and tiny vessels growing across it. She will need to see her veterinarian to determine the cause of these changes. She could be suffering from a corneal ulcer (scratch to the surface of the eye). There is also a condition that is common in her breed that causes decreased tear production. Once she has a diagnosis, treatment can be started and she will begin to feel better. Good luck!

Hi there! I am so sorry Simba is not feeling well. From the picture, it looks like the white part of his eye (called the sclera) is very red. There are many reasons why his eye could be red. He could have a corneal ulcer (a scratch on his eye caused my trauma or dry eye), his could have conjunctivitis (inflammation of the tissue around the eye, caused by allergies or bacteria) or glaucoma (high pressure inside the eye) or something systemic causing these issues. I recommend going to the Emergency Clinic and seeing a veterinarian sooner rather than later if you are worried. Typically, a veterinarian will performed a full physical exam and ophthalmic (eye) exam. This includes a schirmer tear test (to determine if he has dry eye), a fluorescein stain test ( to determine if he has a corneal ulcer), sometimes the vet will check the pressure in the eye too. I also recommend seeing a vet ASAP if Simba has change in color or texture of the eye, any increase of green or yellow mucus discharge (may indicate infection), an increased pain, holding eye shut or a sudden squirt of clear liquid may indicate a ruptured ulcer. If so, this can be an emergency and should be evaluated at your earliest convenience. You can also start a consultation with, if you would like to talk more about this! Good luck and I hope Simba feels better!

Hello there! Vennesa could have a severe eye infection, may have injured her eye, or could have glaucoma. She needs to see a vet for this problem, and she has to see one as soon a possible. Leaving an eye problem untreated can lead to permanent vision loss, and this will be painful for her. There are no pain medications you can give, as many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. In addition, this eye problem can't be treated at home. Please have your parents take her into a vet immediately. Best of luck.

This could be an inflammation of the sclera (episcleritis). At this time this does not look very dramatic or like an emergency as I cannot see other swelling which would point to more serious diseases such as glaucoma or an underlying autoimmune disease, however I would make an appointment with a veterinarian for an eye exam soon. It is not possible to diagnose this from a photo, and would need a proper eye exam. The cause of episcleritis (superficial inflammation of the sclera) or scleritis (full thickness inflammation of the sclera) is unknown, however toxins, autoimmune disorders and toxoplasmosis are accepted causes, In severe cases the vet may want to take a biopsy under anesthesia to distinguish between a mass and inflammatory tissue. Treatment may be necessary and would consist of corticosteroids and/or other immunosuppressants.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Red or inflamed eyes and discharge can be indicative or irritation or infection, or a condition called dry eye. Shih Tzu's are unfortunately prone to many eye problems, just based on the conformation of their faces. Chloe may have an aberrant eyelash that could be irritating the cornea, or she could have a bacterial or viral infection affecting her eye. Dry eye is a condition characterized by inadequate tear production, so the eyes dry out and excessive mucoid discharge is produced to try to lubricate the eyes. If her clinical signs do not resolve in 24 hours, I recommend having Chloe seen by a veterinarian. They can perform an ocular exam to look closely for evidence of distichia (abnormal eyelashes), a cornea scratch or ulcer, infection, or decreased tear production. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to an eye injury or conditions such as a corneal laceration, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. At this point given she has not improved, I would recommend you consider having her evaluated by a veterinary ophthalmologist who can recommend further. Further therapy would be based on the findings. Good luck and best wishes!