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Dog eye health causes, symptoms and treatment for cataracts and squinting

When you have a pet, it is only natural to take care of them and be extra vigilant about the smallest of health problems that they may experience.

With the myriad of diseases that our pets are susceptible to, it usually pays off to carefully attend to their problems. While serious problems like cancers and tumors can be a little rare, your pets may suffer from a variety of infections.

Eye infections are one of the most common infections suffered by dogs.

Dog's eyes are very sensitive and dog blindness is one of the most pressing health problems that affect dogs.

Dog eye cataracts and dog eye ulcers could develop if eye infections are not taken care of in time.

Causes

Some of the common eye problems of dogs like dog eye squinting or dog eye glaucoma are caused due to different factors. Squinting may occur due to irritation, either inside the eye or outside it. Here are common causes for eye problems in dogs
There is a concentration of nerves in the cornea of the eye. Most of these nerves are located on the surface and a disturbance in any of these nerves on the surface of the cornea can cause large ulcers to develop. A dog eye ulcer could also be caused if the dog accidentally scratches itself over the eyes or gets injured in a dog fight.
The abrasion caused due to any foreign material on the surface of the eyes is also painful and could cause an infection.
Eye pain is also often caused due to inflammation of the iris and this condition is known as uveitis.
If the optic nerve of the dog gets depressed because of a tumor or an injury, it could cause a lot of pressure on the eye, causing Glaucoma.

Symptoms

Some of the common symptoms that should alert you to a problem in your dog’s eyes are:
Reddening of the eyes,
Mild to severe swelling in the eye and eye sockets
Eyes that are watering a lot
Itching of the eye,
Formation of ulcers.

Treatment
There are various treatments for the different kinds of eye infections and problems. Most of the treatments depend on the exact cause of the ailment. This can be diagnosed only after a detailed physical examination as well as obtaining the medical history of the dog.

Usually steroid based eye drops are suggested by doctors; however, for more severe ailments, surgery may be required. Since most of these infections are contagious, the dog should be kept isolated from any other pets that you may have.

Submitted on June 1, 2010