Many dogs owners have complained of noticing eye boogers countless times on their dog’s face. This usually happens of your dog is an off leash kind of animal, or loves roaming about in gardens.
Some times, it may cause a eye discharge, which isn’t much of an issue, but these discharges may actually be a different problem. Issues like conjunctivitis, could affect your dog, thereby making it discharge lots of liquid matter.
Because this discharge can lead to several other complications, it is advised that you see a veterinary practitioner, to help check if the issue is a cause for major concern.
Eye boogers in dogs and their causes
Eye discharges is usually a common issue for several dogs. But it can also happen as a result of an infection, or even certain allergic reactions.
Some of the causes of eye boogers in dogs are;
Certain Allergic reactions
If your dog’s eye boogers is a clear one, it could mean that it was triggered by an allergic reaction with something in the same environment. It could be something like the presence of a materials particles in it’s eyes.
You should check the liquid oozing from your dog’s eyelids, as a colorless one is preferably better than one with color or pus like substances. If your dog is having an eye discharge, you should see a vet doctor on solutions to tackling this issue.
Conjunctivitis
This ailment involves the inflammation of your dog’s eye lining. It is usually noticed by the discharge of a yellow or green pus like fluid. The conjunctivitis is usually caused by many things, ranging from blocked tear ducts, allergies to the distemper virus.
Some of the other symptoms of conjunctivitis are;
- Inflammation of the eyes
- Squinting in dogs
- Excessive blinking in dogs
- Epiphora etc.
If your dog has watery eyes that results in the presence of a dark staining and smelling hair around your dog’s eyes, it is usually caused by many things like overgrown lashes, allergic reactions, corneal ulcers, tumors etc.
This dark staining issue, is usually similar to some dogs, like the Bichon Frises. But with constant grooming and various OTC’s for tear staining, it should be an easy task to take care of.
Glaucoma
This condition is usually caused by the presence of excessive pressure in the eyes. It is characterized by bulgy eyes and excessive tearing. This ailment is usually a very painful one, as your pet is usually deprived of any form of sight related comfort. Seeing your vet doctor in cases like these, is usually the best course of action.
Dry eyes
This ailment has various symptoms ranging from a sticky eye discharge caused by the inability of your tear ducts to produce the adequate tears needed. It is usually triggered by an injury or even the distemper virus.
If your dog has the dry eye, it is usually very susceptible to getting eye inflammations, infections and corneal ulcers. In cases like these, the vet doctor usually recommend various artificial tear products to help in lubricating the eyes.
Breed related Issues
Dogs like the boxers, pugs or bulldogs that possess a flat face usually have more eye boogers as their eye sockets are shallower in comparison to other dog breeds.
These flat faced dogs, usually have lots of complications that comes with facial health and you should ensure that you can properly take care of them before claiming ownership of the little mutt.
Other breeds like the bloodhounds, cocker spaniels, beagles, are prone to getting a condition known as ectropion which causes the eyelids to roll backwards.
How To Soften Dog Eye Boogers
If you have finally taken any injuries, infections or allergies under control, you can follow these tips to finalize the removal of those boogers from your dog’s eyes. Some of the tips you could use are;
A dog tear stain remover
While you could use warm water to wipe your dog’s boogers, there are actually products made which you can use for better results and they come in various forms like solutions and baby wipes.
Eyewash for pets.
Eye drops are another option to treat dog eye boogers, and they are great for eye lubrication, flushing out irritants and debris, and alleviating allergic reactions.
Eye combs for pets
Eye combs are a very good tool for removing eye boogers due to hanging lash hair. These combs are very easy to use, and they can be bought online, or in local pet stores.
Trimming your pet dog’s eyes
If your dog actually has excess hair causing eye boogers, you should try cleaning the hair situated around the dog’s eyes. While doing this, you should try to exercise caution so you do not injure your dog. You can make use of a pet grooming kit, or meet with a professional groomer if you are not familiar with this activity.
Making use of a warm wash cloth
Another thing you can do, is to get a clean clothing material. By soaking it in warm water you would make it moist. You can now hold it over your dog’s eyes for over 30 seconds. This will help in softening the eye boogers, thereby making it easy to wipe off.
Making use of lubricating eye drops
This is a very safe and non toxic option because they were designed for use on several dogs. If you want to use the eye drops on your dog, here are some tips you could use;
- Keep the eye drops at a close range and wipe off any discharge from your dog’s eyes with a warm wash cloth.
- While applying the eye drops, try to tilt your dog’s head in a backward direction. This will prevent you from hitting your dog’s eyelids with the dropper.
- You can now squeeze the contents of the lubricating eye drop into your dog’s eyes.
How can I prevent my dog from contacting eye boogers?
As a dog owner, it is very important that you regularly check up on your dog. You should check up on its eyes to ensure that they are the same size, crust free and their sclera should be white and clear.
You should ensure that your dog does not squint, or remove excess tears from their third eyelids. If you notice any complications, you should go meet your vet doctor for several tests.
Is it possible to use Vaseline on my dog’s eyes?
No you should not consider using this substance on your dog’s eyes. The Vaseline should not be used on an area as sensitive as your dog’s eyes. The eyes cannot handle this substance, because of how sensitive it is.
Can I use baby wipes to clean my dog’s eyes?
No you should also not use baby wipes to wipe your dog’s eyes. While they are not necessarily harmful to your dog’s eyes, it wasn’t made for cleaning your dog’s eyes so it is actually a very bad idea.
In the presence of excessive discharge, eye tears, cloudiness, visible third eyelids, squinted eyes, unequally sized pupils etc. The first major action you should take, is contact your vet doctor. This is the best way to ensure that you properly take care of cases like these.
Thanks for reading
Leave a Reply