My dog has a red, painful eye. Is it serious and what should I do?

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!

I would recommend taking Princess in for a veterinary exam. Eyes tend to heal quickly or get bad quickly. The one picture looks similar to a scleral hematoma, but the other picture looks like something is going on in the cornea. The cornea can be an emergency situation if there is an ulcer present. The veterinarian will do some diagnostics like an eye stain and prescribe appropriate medications for her. Eye injuries are painful, so she might need pain meds. There are not safe and effective over the counter pain medications for dogs. Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Both eyes look quite painful! It appears that there is a severe corneal ulcer on the left eye but hard to say for sure for the right eye. The ulcer appears to be a melting ulcer, which is quite severe. These eyes need the care of an eye specialist and further treatment. Many times, drops alone won't be enough to treat the eye. I would consult with a veterinary ophthalmologist so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to something like conjunctivitis for example. However, there are some other diseases that really need a very thorough evaluation of the eye to diagnose. I think that if he has not improved on the current therapy, it may be a good idea to check in with your veterinarian. If they are concerned based on their knowledge of his case, they could consider having you consult with a veterinary ophthalmologist. They would be able to perform a thorough evaluation and recommend accordingly. Good luck and have a great day!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bodie. Yes, I would have this checked out by a vet. There is a red spot in his eye, indicating blood, and you need to be sure there is no damage to the cornea itself. The vet can do this at an appointment. Please take him into one in the morning. I hope this helps!

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Moxie! It's hard to tell 100% in the picture exactly what is going on. I wonder if Moxie is part Cocker Spaniel. Anytime I hear about a red eye I worry. The cloudiness could be edema in the cornea from increased pressure, inflammation or a corneal ulcer. Cocker Spaniels are at risk for glaucoma which is increased pressure with in the eye. Any new change in the eye I consider urgent. I recommend you see a Veterinarian now if painful. The Vet would stain the eye to look for a corneal scratch then check the intra-ocular pressure with an instrument to check for increased pressure (glaucoma) or low pressure (uveitis). Good luck!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Koda and for providing a picture, it's very helpful. It appears that she has an eye infection, and yes you should take her into the vet. Any eye problem needs to be checked out by a vet promptly as leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would take her into the vet in the morning. I hope this helps!