My dog's eye looks scratched. Should I wait for his annual vet visit?

Ouch! This looks pretty irritated now. Ada could be having an allergic reaction to something, have chronic allergies that are starting for the season, or even have an issue with her immune system. I would recommend putting and e-collar (cone) on her tonight so that she can't rub her face and damage her eye and schedule an appointment for tomorrow with her regular vet. If she can't get comfortable this evening, or you don't have an e-collar, err on the side of caution and take her to an emergency clinic. Good luck and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Please let me know if this was helpful information.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Jack and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. I'm very concerned that he is scratching his eye, and he could really damage it with his claws. I also see in the pictures that he's holding his eye closed, which suggests his eye is painful. I would not put anything in his eye without having him seen by a vet. Any eye problem is an emergency because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. Please take him into a vet immediately. Best of luck.

Unless it gets inflamed or starts irritating her eye, I would just keep watch on it. You might ask your vet to look at it the next time she is in for her annual exam and ask their opinion. It doesn't look like something worth anesthetizing her for alone, so unless she is getting another procedure at the same time, your vet may not think it's necessary to repair unless it starts to cause problems.

Keep an eye on it and if it does not look better by tomorrow, or if he starts to scratch at it or rub his face, then get him seen by your vet as soon as possible. The worry is that if he starts rubbing or scratching, that he'll injure the eye itself and that will require more intensive treatment than a simple scratch or mild eye infection.

The photo didn't come through. If the scratch is on the skin it should heal on its own. Make sure it is clean and that your dog doesn't lick it. If the eye is scratched and your dog has squinting and eye discharge then I would take it to the veterinarian for treatment. If the scratch gets a bad odor or the dog is sick that should be seen also. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

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, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. There is nothing you can do at home. He needs to be evaluated as soon as possible as this is likely serious and his eye health may be in jeopardy. I highly recommend that you have Tank evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. Good luck and best wishes!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to a mild traumatic injury. If she has been scratching more than usual and scratching at that area, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Otherwise, it would be fair to wait a bit to see if it resolves on its own. In that case, if no improvement is noted within 4-5 days, have her evaluated by a veterinarian then. Best of luck!