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Puppy eye bulging and worsening. Is it an emergency or pink eye?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 5 months and 13 days old | 7 lbs

Hi there. My 5 month old puppy woke up with her conjunctiva bulging in one eye. By the days end, it had worsened by about 50%. Most the vets in our area are closed until Monday. Is this something I should make an emergency appt for tomorrow (Sunday) or could this wait until Monday. Could this be a dog version of pink eye?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 14th, 2018

Thank you for providing pictures of Lorraine's eye, she is adorable! What is showing in her eye is her third eyelid, and given that it has worsened over the day, yes, I do recommend an emergency appointment. The eye is such a delicate and important structure that any problem with it should be considered an emergency. This is because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. It could be that she has an eye infection or could have injured her eye causing the third eyelid to come out, but a vet can make the correct diagnosis and give her a treatment for it. Please take her to the vet tomorrow. Best of luck!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD
Veterinarian
Published on May 2nd, 2020
Poor pup! I agree that her right eye looks red and inflamed, and I can see that her third eyelid (also known as the nictitans or nictitating membrane) is raised. Since she spent most of the day outside (I'm sure she had a blast!), my concern is that she may have gotten foreign material (grass, mulch, dirt, etc.) stuck in her eye or that she may have an ulcer or abrasion to her cornea. At this point, I strongly recommend taking her to an emergency vet this weekend because eye problems can rapidly worsen, leading to much bigger issues. Be sure to keep an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent her from scratching or rubbing at her eye, as this can make matters worse. I hope this helps and that she's feeling better soon!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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