Dogs come in contact with a great many things throughout their day. We cannot always be there to stop them from becoming hurt; therefore, we must understand what should be done if the need for first aid occurs. First aid covers a wide range of ailments, so specifics are often needed as opposed to a blanket form of first aid. In this article, we will discuss the specific problem of eye injuries.
The eyes are often one of the most looked over parts of any dog. As long as they can see, we tend not to mess with that part of the animal too much. We cannot feel what our dog is feeling, so we must watch for symptoms. Symptoms of an eye injury can range from mild to severe.
Some of the symptoms you need to watch for are as follows.
- Excessive Blinking
- Pawing at His Eye
- Blood in Eye
- Mass in or Around the Eye
- Cuts
- Objects in Eyes
- Protruding Eye
These symptoms can range from severe to mild. Still, any eye injury deserves your undivided attention and care to ensure minimal damage to the dog’s eye ensuring that the injury will not affect any other part of the dog. And if there is any doubt, be sure to get in touch with your vet ASAP.
Causes to Look For
Dogs are curious creatures, and an injury can happen fast. You must pay attention to the surroundings your dog inhabits. Whether they are outside or inside the home, be sure to look for any object that could poke the animal in the eye or injure him in some other way. Most of these aspects are easily spotted and removed, but here are some other reasons your dog may have an eye injury.
Fireworks, Gunshots, and Projectiles – Most of these things are done in the name of fun, but sometimes they can be harmful. Kids or adults shooting off fireworks can be dangerous to a dog’s eyes because you never know exactly where they will land.
Running Through the Garden or Heavy Vegetation – Dogs tend to run at top speed. They have amazing reflexes that can allow the dog to make lightning-fast changes in their direction, so for the most part running through densely vegetative areas is not an issue. Still, an unseen briar patch can do considerable damage to a dog’s eyes.
Fights – Dogs can be pretty territorial and will engage in the occasional fight. One of the most injured parts of a dog during a fight is the eyes. They are the most vulnerable and can quickly become injured.
Young Dogs Without Caution – As dogs grow, they gain experience. Therefore if a dog is very young or a little slower than other dogs, they may not see something that could harm their eyes because they are so excited.
Visual Impairment – There are times when the cause can come from just an irritation to the eye. Something small can be in the eye socket, irritating the dog. It can be anything from their hair to dirt from outside. There is also the case where the eye becomes irritated from an internal source, such as an allergic reaction to something the dog ate or was exposed to in another manner.
Treatment Options
Whatever the cause, it is important to treat the dog properly to ensure that no long-term damage occurs. The first thing to do is to look for anything that may be in the eye that can be removed. If an object can be located, you want to remove it in the gentlest way possible. Do not resort to using any tweezer or pointy device to gain access to the source of the problem. Dogs can be erratic when injured and can jolt quickly. The results can mean the loss of the dog’s eye and even mistrust for its owner.
The best solution to removing an object is to use a saline solution to flush the thing out. Tilt the dogs’ head back and hold them firmly. You may need someone to help you depending on the size of the dog and how agitated they are. Pour the saline solution into the eye and naturally allow it to fall away. In most cases, the object will be dislodged, and the irritation will be gone.
If an object cannot be located in the eye or there is a cut anywhere on or around the eye, you need to take the dog to the vet. They will run tests to ensure that a small problem does not become much larger. Most irritations and injuries clear up quickly, but should there need to look deeper into the situation. Your vet will know what to do.
This blog post is purely meant to be helpful advice. We are not vets, and this info is not intended, in any way, to take the place of the advice from your Vet. If you have concerns, please contact your vet or Verifone