An experienced dog owner will know that eye infections aren’t a big cause of worry as they are pretty common in dogs. This article will give you some simple home remedy ideas which are very effective in treating eye infections in your dog.
Dogs are very susceptible to different kinds of infections especially due to being outdoor animals. Eye infections are some of the most common and will require appropriate treatment to avoid any long-lasting or even permanent effects. Among the complications that dogs might experience when an infection is left untreated is blindness. Before going on the natural remedy road, the best thing you can do is talk to a vet to make sure you rule out any serious reason for concern, especially if your dog has suffered any recent trauma. If you had a dog for quite some time, then you surely learned to go with your guts and take the best decisions for your companion.
Something you should keep in mind is that when it comes to eye problems, it is pretty hard to know the severity of the condition without a professional investigation. One example is a dog that is simply squinting its eye due to a harmless particle stuck on it, which would be an issue easily fixed at home with a simple rinse. On the other hand, the same squinting might be caused by a deep injury caused by a fight with another dog that you do or don’t know about. It will fall onto you to figure out the fastest and safest way to treat the dog and not just go on a trial and error path with home remedies. If you fail to go for the appropriate treatment, the issue might become really serious and complications might have a permanent effect.
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You as a pet owner have the hard job of always looking out for any abrupt changes in the pet’s physical and behavioral state. When it comes to eye infections when you notice them they might have been present for a while because they will usually take a while before showing any real symptoms. Another important aspect is that most of the time, puppies will develop eye infections easier than adults. So let’s take a look at the usual symptoms of infections before actually talking about remedies.
How to Spot an Infection
- Cloudiness of the eye, inability to open one or both eyes, or squinting are some of the signs that your dog suffers from an eye infection.
- Although there might be instances where the dog will look normal and won’t show signs of a discharge, the dog will become agitated when you try to get close to its eyes, which usually points to a problem.
- Any obvious changes in the look of the eye should be taken into account. I`m talking about eyes that are hazy, droopy, shrunken, bigger, swollen, or reddened. None of these signs should be ignored especially if they don’t pass away within a few hours.
- An obvious indication of an issue is a discharge of any kind at eye level, regardless of whether it is colored or watery.
- Another obvious sign of an issue is when your dog will constantly be pawing his eye. It might even try to scratch or rub the eye against a surface.
You should never go for natural remedies when you notice pus around or oozing from the eye. In this case, immediate medical attention will be a must, because this will be an indication of a serious issue. On the same note, if the eye problem is a result of a strong trauma, it will also need to be treated professionally and as soon as possible.
Treating Eye Infections in Your Dog
Most pet owners will have a hard time seeing their pets suffering. Most of the time, owners will want to take their pet to a veterinarian whenever there is the slightest sign of an eye infection and if you don’t know a lot about using homemade remedies, this will actually be the smartest choice. Regardless of your experience level, if you notice your dog is in excruciating pain or intense discomfort, you should take it to the vet ASAP. However, if you spot the infection in its initial stages, there are things around your home you can use as remedies to alleviate most of the infection symptoms and reduce or even eliminate any discomfort. Among these are some types of eye rinses that can clear out the debris from inside the eye and wash away any bacteria.
- When you notice the development of an infection at the eye level you should first try to wash the dog’s infected eye with saline water. For this, you will have to mix lukewarm mineral water with a teaspoon of salt, stir it properly, and then gently splash the mixture onto your dog’s eyes. Wipe off any debris or discharge that is visible with a clean cotton ball.
- Make Chamomile tea but let it cool down properly before using it. soak up another cotton ball in this tea and use it to cleanse the dog’s eye.
- You can also make use of herbal rinses to help relieve some of the discomfort. You can make a herbal eye drop at home by mixing equal portions of different herbal extracts like eyebright, red clover, chamomile, and calendula, and then use it on the dog’s eye. With a dropper, try to treat the dog’s eyes three times a day.
You shouldn’t go for these remedies for more than three to four days. If no changes can be seen, then you should really go to the vet for appropriate treatment, to prevent the dog’s condition from becoming worse.
