My dog's eye is red, swollen, and losing hair. What's wrong?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

  Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

  Published on July 1st, 2018

  Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. It is important to have her evaluated by a veterinarian soon as she may cause injury to her eye from the scratching. You may use an e-collar to prevent further self-trauma. This could also be due to mange or something else which is determined based on a physical examination and basic cytology.
  
  There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies.
  
  Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market).
  
  If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.
  
  Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

  Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

  Published on April 28th, 2018

  Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. This could even be mange and that is something that can be differentiated based on a physical examination and basic cytology.
  
  There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies.
  
  Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market).
  
  If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.
  
  Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!
  

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

  Veterinarian

  Published on May 13th, 2018

  This looks more like a periocular dermatitis, probably due to an infection (bacterial or infective).
  Immediate check up and dermatological testing are required to determine more specifically the underlying cause and treat appropriately.
  Antibiotics (often antibiotic eye drops are used in these cases) may be needed.
  
  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.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful