Why is my dog's inner eye corner red and inflamed? Is it serious?

I am sorry to hear this! His eye does look very irritated- and the area around his eye that has a 'cobblestone' appearance suggests that he has some chronic irritation. I would want to rule out a few things that cause these signs including stray eyelashes that are 'ingrown', eyelid abnormalities, allergies and mites. The good news is that most of these things can be treated successfully! I would bring him in and have a few eye tests done and have them closely examined with magnification (sometimes an ophthalmologist is recommended) and see what kind of treatment plan is needed. Until you can bring him in, over the counter lubricating eye drops may bring some short term relief. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to conjunctivitis. It would be best to have Bailey evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If they agree that this is due to something like conjunctivitis, they would likely prescribe antibiotic eye drops to hopefully make her feel better. Good luck and have a great day!

I am so sorry to hear that Harvey is experiencing these problems with his eyes. Thank you for providing an excellent picture, it seems red and has discharge. Start by placing an e-collar or cone on Harvey to prevent scratching or rubbing. If the eye is infected or injured it is likely painful, this will prompt Harvey to scratch or rub his eye. However, this could inflict further damage, infection or even an ulceration. Because eye concerns with dogs, such as infections, corneal ulcerations, cataracts and glaucoma, can progress rapidly in dogs I would have him examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible to diagnose the issue. The precise medication can then be dispensed by your veterinarian. Please do not attempt to treat an eye infection at home with any over the counter medications, drops or ointments. This can lead to permanent damage and unnecessary pain or discomfort. I hope this answer was helpful and that Harvey feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both! If you have any further questions please feel free to post on the forum. We are here to help!

Hello, poor Cooper that looks painful!!! He has quite a bit of red around his scleral and the conjunctiva of the lower eye lid appears to have a hematoma (bleeding) or chemosis (swelling). I looks as though he may have bumped his eye into something. However, some of these signs can also occur with an eye infection, corneal ulcer, or foreign body. Cooper will likely need at least some pain medications to keep him comfortable while the swelling goes down. He may also need to have his eye stained to check for an ulcer and eye ointments to treat for an eye infection. It would be best to have a veterinarian examine his eye sooner than later. Deep ulcers can progress quite quickly without medical management. Any ulcer or foreign body can be quite painful. If you think however, Cooper is comfortable and isn't showing any signs of pain (squinting, rubbing eye, or being lethargic) then you may monitor the redness at home to see if this gets better. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I agree that Macie's eye looks very red! This can be a sign of an eye infection as well as trauma to the eye or allergies. The eye is such a delicate and important structure that any problem with it should be considered an emergency. That's because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would take her into a vet today or first thing in the morning so her eye can be examined, diagnosed, and treated. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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, uveitis, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. Good luck and best wishes!

By definition, conjunctivitis is simply an inflammation of the conjunctival membranes in the eye. Usually this appears as redness and swelling of these associated tissues. Often, conjunctivitis is paired with scleritis and corneal ulceration. While anyone can simply look at the eye and plainly see that it is red and inflamed, the most important thing is to make sure that the corneal is not ulcerated. A staining solution has to be placed on the surface of the eye, and then a cobalt blue light is utilized to determine if there are any scratches. The reason we do this prior to treating is because the choice of medication differs considerably if there is versus isn't an ulcer present. The eye medication can not include a steroid if there is an ulcer or it will make things worse or delay the healing process considerably. Hope this helps.