Your pet’s eyes are expressive, beautiful, and highly delicate. While a small amount of clear morning “sleep” or discharge is normal, any abnormal flow must be taken seriously as eye conditions can change rapidly. What looks like a minor irritation can escalate quickly.
Knowing how to safely care for your pet’s eyes at home—and knowing exactly when to call your veterinary team—is the best way to protect their vision and keep them comfortable.
Safe At-Home Pet Eye Care
Keeping your pet’s eyes healthy starts with a few simple habits:
- Gentle Cleaning: If your pet develops a little crust in the corner of their eye, use a soft, damp washcloth or a pet-safe sterile saline wipe to gently wipe it away. Always wipe away from the eye, not across it. Never use human eye drops (unless prescribed), any soaps, or home remedies around your pet’s face.
- Roll Up the Windows: Many dogs love and enjoy the wind by sticking their heads out the car window, but high-speed wind may drive dust, debris, and insects directly into their eyes. This can cause painful scratches (corneal abrasions). For their safety, we suggest keeping the windows rolled up enough so their heads stay inside the vehicle.
- Keep Hair Trimmed: For long-haired breeds, stray hairs constantly rubbing against the eye may cause chronic irritation. Keeping the hair neatly trimmed around their eyes makes a huge difference. Please note that Hastings Veterinary Hospital does not provide grooming services, so finding a trusted professional groomer in the Burnaby area is a great step for your pet’s eye care routine.
When to Seek Veterinary Care
Eye issues are rarely something you should “wait and see” about. Pets are experts at hiding pain, so they will likely show subtle changes. Schedule a medical assessment as soon as possible if you notice any of these signs:
- Squinting, blinking excessively, or holding the eye tightly closed
- Pawing or rubbing at the face
- Excessive tearing (epiphora) or thick, colored discharge (yellow or green)
- Redness or swelling in the whites of the eyes
- Cloudiness or a sudden change in eye colour
What Happens During a Veterinary Eye Exam?
When you bring your pet in for an eye concern, your veterinary team will look far beyond just the surface of the eye to find the root cause. To make this easy to understand, here are a few painless tests they might perform:
- Checking for Scratches: A specialized, painless dye (Fluorescein) is applied to the eye. Using a light with a magnified lens, this dye lights up to reveal the otherwise less visible scratches or ulcers on the eye’s surface.
- Testing Eye Pressure: Using a gentle tool, your veterinary team will measure the pressure inside the eye (tonometry). This is a vital step for catching painful conditions like glaucoma early on.
- Measuring Tear Production: Small, soft paper strips with ruler-like markings are used to make sure your pet is producing enough tears. A lack of tears leads to “Dry Eye,” a very uncomfortable condition that requires daily management.
Stress-Free Visits and Long-Term Care
Having a sore eye examined can be stressful for a pet. In alignment with Fear Free protocols, your veterinary team can use numbing drops to keep the eye comfortable during the exam. If your pet gets anxious at the clinic, discussing a gentle, short-term anti-anxiety medication (like Gabapentin or Trazodone) prior to their appointment can keep them relaxed, allowing for a safer and more thorough exam.
Managing sudden eye emergencies or chronic conditions is a financial investment in your pet’s health. Utilizing comprehensive pet insurance is a proactive way to ensure your veterinary team can quickly run these diagnostic tests and provide the highest standard of care without causing you financial stress.
If you have noticed any changes in your pet’s eyes, or if it is time for their routine wellness exam, contact the clinic today to ensure their vision remains clear and pain-free.
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