Eye Redness

[len/sheila knight]

Harley, my 7 month old ALD eyes seem bloodshot. When I pull gently down the lower lid it is quite red. It doesn't seem to bother him. He's not rubbing at them or anything. He does have a bit of a gagging type cough occasionally ( we are monitoring that ) , from the symptoms it looks like mild kennel cough. He has been vaccinated for that. , a couple of times when he has been playing hard he has gagged so hard he vomited...Wondering if the white part is supposed to be white like ours ? Everything is the same with his appetite, stools and puppy activity . I'm wondering if this occasional coughing or gagging would redden his eyes..? It's been almost a week now and we don't let him get too excited playing in the snow....It was just today I noticed his eyes though.. Any ideas ???

[Libby Stinson]

It is probably either an infection associated with his cough or an allergy. Your vet may prescribe a eye medication , usually an ointment that is a combo antibiotic and anti inflammation or steroid ointment that will fix the dog up in short order. Tobradex and Maxitrol are the most common of these eye ointments.
I hope he gets better soon.
I am in the ophthalmology business, as an ophthalmic technologist. been doing that for 34 years.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Lucy has had both eye infections and kennel cough (she is also vaccinated - vaccinations do not guarantee immunity). Eye infections usually present with redness and watery weepy eyes. It is possible for a dog's eyes (the whites) to be bloodshot from irritation of some sort (Lucy gets it from sand at the beach) and it not be an infection. With Lucy's kennel cough it came on suddenly and got progressively worse through the night. We had her in the vet's office the next morning. It really sounds like your pup is allergic to something its being exposed to. Lucy will cough and gag from the pollen of our Sycamore tree. Allergies can certainly affect the eyes too. Is there a particular place your pup plays (and gags) that's different from where it normally plays? I'd look into any irritants its being exposed to. If that's not a possibility then I'd suggest you see a vet.

[len/sheila knight]

Thanks for the replies. I had not thought of an allergy. We have lots of snow and he loves burying his face so mabey he's allergic to little snowballs hanging off his nose and chin ! !!!! Actually the cough part started four days from his first full groom at a salon I had not been to before. Could be something there didn't agree with him...We thought kennel cough. but now I'm thinking otherwise. this is the first day he hasn't done any coughing...I'm glad I asked for ideas from here....thanks

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I don't like the idea of having 2 different foods for my 2 doods, but I may have to try Orijen Large Breed Puppy food. Oscar has the worst weeping eyes with a very dark red discharge... has had since the day we brought him home. Vet says there's no infection, just that his eyes are well lubricated and his tear ducts may be a little plugged. The vet is planning on flushing his tear ducts during his neuter procedure in 2 weeks, but I'm not holding a lot of faith it will help much. We switched him from Taste of the Wild (what the breeder was feeding) to Fromms (what Lucy eats). No change. I'm willing to give anything a try to help his eyes. OTOH, it may just be Oscar will grow out of it as he matures. I'll keep Orijen in mind if all else fails :)