My dog was hit in the eye, is squinting, and has a film. Emergency?

Squinting the eye abnormally could be caused by pain which could be caused by a variety of conditions, including allergies, bacterial or viral infection, corneal abrasion or ulcer, or something stuck under the eyelids. The discharge you described could occur with any of these conditions. I would recommend that you have Bella examined by a vet since eyes can go downhill very quickly. The vet will do a thorough exam and may need to do one or two tests to determine what is going on so they can select an appropriate treatment.

Poor Shelby! Unfortunately, the photos here are quite blurry so it's hard to see exactly what's going on. You're right that glaucoma is a common cause of a milky "film" on the surface of the eye. Other possibilities would include localized corneal edema due to a corneal scratch or ulcer, or even some type of corneal dystrophy (mineralization or fat deposits in the cornea). Eye problems should always be seen and treated the same day, if possible, since in some cases waiting can lead to permanent damage or vision loss. So if you can, I would recommend taking Shelby to an emergency vet today for an exam. The vet there can take a close look at her eye with a bright light in a dark room, and may also use a special stain if needed to help diagnose the problem.

I see what you mean about Tuxedo's eye squinting in the picture. Typically squinting means the eye is painful with light, and this can be caused by an injury to the eye or an eye infection. Any eye problem is an emergency because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would take him into a vet immediately to get this diagnosed and treated. I hope this helps.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The cornea in the left eye looks very abnormal. I suspect this a corneal ulcer but it is hard to be sure without full clinical examination. The right eye does not look as bad but there is also abnormal looking cornea. Please, take Rey to your local vets taking all the necessary precautions against Covid-19. She should be seen by a vet right away.

The film you are referring to may be Andy's third eyelid. In which case it is possible that he scratched or injured his eye- especially if he was normal this morning. Since these can be very painful and I would recommend taking him in and having his eye examined and possibly 'stained'- a test to rule out scratches. I hope this helps!

I am sorry to see that Tank’s eye is abnormal. The squinting and elevated third eyelid and slight swelling concerns me about the possibility of a scratch to the eyeball, however that can not be diagnosed with a picture. If the eye is still squinting and painful tomorrow then he needs to be seen by a veterinarian. If the eye does have a scratch it should be treated with antibiotics to prevent an infection and further chance of damage to the eye. In the meantime you can try to use a warm water compress to the area for several minutes multiple times a day. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I see what you mean. He could be squinting because the light is painful to his eye, and it may be he has injured his eyes or has an eye infection. Any eye problem is an emergency because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I'd take him into a vet right away to get checked out. Best of luck.