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Dog's eye red, swollen, blinking after grooming. Is it serious?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Male | 6 lbs

I took my dog to get groomed today and i noticed his left eye was blood red and dark under the eye lid and in the inner corner of his eye. His eye is swollen and he keeps blinking alot as well and i called the grooming place and she told me that he was pulling back while he was getting blow dryed and since he was on a leash while getting grooming that from pulling away from getting blow dryed that his blood vessel from his eye burst. Im concerned about his eye and i dont know if it will go away

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 6th, 2017

Without seeing your dog in person we cannot say for certain, but it is possible that this could be a subconjunctival hemorrage. It can be a result of hypertension (elevated blood pressure), trauma, coagulopathy (blood clotting disorder). Usually this goes away on its own eventually, but if he is acting uncomfortable then a vet visit it best. They can test your dog's blood pressure, and be sure there are no signs of a bleeding disorder, and give pain medication if needed to make him more comfortable.

17Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on November 10th, 2018
Poor Charlie! You need to get him into a vet right away if his eye is swollen shut and very red. Any eye problem is considered an emergency because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck, I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on November 25th, 2018
Hi, and thanks for your question.
That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well.
Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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What causes a red, swollen eye in an outdoor dog with no pain?

It's a little difficult to tell exactly what might be red and swollen in your picture. It looks like the redness and swelling may be around the eye as opposed to actual eye itself. If this is the case, an allergic reaction or eyelid infection would be two of the more common causes. If it is the white of his eye that looks swollen conjunctivitis, a corneal abrasion, or inflammation in the eye would all be possibilities. If the swelling worsens or if you notice swelling around the other eye or the muzzle I'd recommend seeing a veterinarian as soon as you can since this would increase the concern for an allergic reaction which should be treated promptly. Otherwise I think you're okay to wait to see your regular veterinarian if the swelling is still present in the morning, unless he seems painful or begins squinting.

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