My senior dog has eye gunk. What causes it and how to safely treat?

That much discharge in the eye generally means an infection could be brewing. If the discharge has been present for longer than 2 days, I recommend to have Max examined by the veterinarian for treatment. Make sure he is not rubbing at the eye because this could make it worse. Also make sure to keep the eye clean. Look inside his right ear for any signs of an infection: https://www.petcoach.co/article/ear-infections-otitis-externa-ear-cleaning-in-dogs/ Have the vet examine his ear as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional 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. I highly recommend that you have Koko evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. She is so adorable! Good luck and best wishes!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the pictures and your description, I suspect that Maverick is dealing with a condition known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye). This is a condition that will not improve unless treated with eye medication such as Tacrolimus or Optimmune. This condition is localized destruction of the tear gland from the immune system and these eye medications suppress the immune system at the level of the eye to help try and stimulate tear production. I would recommend having the veterinarian recheck Maverick's eyes and perform what is called a Schirmer Tear Test to assess the tear production. If the eyes are below 21mm on the tear test, this is indicative of dry eye and needs to be treated appropriately. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi there and thank you for posting your question! Eye discharge can be caused from many things. Allergies, dry eye, eye trauma, infection, foreign material, etc. It sounds like the eyes have been improving, so this may have been more of an allergy or irritation than anything. If the discharge continues, I would have your vet take a look at Izzy to determine what the cause is. Your vet will likely stain the eye and do a tear test to determine if there is eye trauma or dry eye present. Dry eye would require a more specific treatment and won't improve with over the counter eye drops. If it is allergies, a great allergy eye drop you can safely use in dogs is called Zaditor (Ketotifen Fumarate). You can administer 1-2 drops in both eyes twice daily to see if that helps with the eye discharge. Again, if the eyes are not improving or worsening, then I would have Izzy seen by her vet. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions / concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation.

It sounds from your description that Frankie Bean is having increased tear production and staining on the hair near the inside of her eyes. Common causes for this include allergies (which can be seasonal), conjunctivitis, blocked tear duct, corneal ulcer or abrasion, chronic dry eye, etc. You can use a saline eye wash to gently flush her eyes to get out any debris, and an eye lubricant like Dechra Paralube is safe for eyes. As for the crusties on her hair, use a warm wet washcloth 1-2 times per day to gently clean this away. Occasionally dogs with excess tearing can develop secondary bacterial or yeast infections that may need prescription medications to clear up. You may discuss use of anti-histamines or changes in food to help with potential seasonal allergies. Your vet may also recommend bloodwork to find a cause for her weight loss and lethargy. Arthritis is a common cause for soreness in the morning or after prolonged periods of rest.

This certainly is a good amount of gunk build-up. It seems to be excessive tearing if there is no yellow discharge seen at any point. I would recommend having him groomed and the hair clipped away around the eyes so that the build up does not accumulate in the hair. Also cleaning the eyes daily with a warm clean cloth can help prevent build up and irritation. Poodles are notorious for excessive tear production so this is very common. There is no treatment for this unless the eyes look infected at any point (redness, yellow/green discharge). I hope that things go well for Tomi moving forward. Best wishes and take care.