Dog Care Tips - Info on Conjunctivitis in Canines

The conjunctiva is a part of the eye that is affected by conjunctivitis. Dogs suffering from this condition will develop irritated and possibly swollen eyes. You may be familiar with this condition since it's quite common in humans and is referred to usually as pink eye.

There are quite a few reasons why your dog could develop pink eye. The inflammation can be caused if a foreign object gets lodged in the eye and leads to it. The underlying cause of the condition may be an invasion of bacteria or viruses. The condition can also be caused by allergic reactions. Some of the things that can cause allergic reactions include weather, foods, and chemicals like smoke and perfume.

Whichever eye is affected by the condition will become very pink or red, and likely start to swell. Excessive tear production is also likely as well as a thick discharge. The condition is very irritating, so dogs frequently paw at the area.

Vets have to examine the dog closely if they present with symptoms that look like conjunctivitis. Foreign objects that are causing the problem will need to be ruled out. A lab test on the eye discharge may also be conducted. Parasites will also need to be ruled out since they can also be the reason for the problem.

This condition causes dogs to become very sensitive to light as it develops. He'll avoid going out in the daytime because of this. The eye may swell completely shut if the inflammation gets very serious. Your dog may be prevented from closing his eye normally.

The vet will likely give your dog antibiotic eye drops in order to treat this condition. It's also important that the underlying cause of the condition also be treated. Dogs that have a bacterial infection will probably be given antibiotics. Allergic reactions can also be treated thanks to certain medications.

Owners should know that keeping the area around the eye clean is very important. It's best that you use a cotton ball and warm water to get all of the debris away. Turn off the lights around your dog so that his sensitivity to light won't give him so much trouble. Your dog would likely benefit from having a warm compress placed over his eyes too.

If you want to be a good dog owner, then you should do your best to learn about various diseases and conditions that can affect your dog like distemper in dogs. In case your dog does fall ill, knowing about these different conditions will help you recognize it quickly. You can go to common-dog-diseases.com right now to learn about many different illnesses in dogs.