Back in October, Charlie's eyes looked a bit gunky - nothing too alarming. Still off to the vet we went. Got some cream to put in his eyes. It was during the time I was away with Charlie, and although I was pretty good, I did miss putting them in a few times. Anyway, after I finished the cream, his eyes still looked a bit sore, so back to the vet we go. See a different vet, and got some drops. Finished those about a week ago, and was super diligent about putting them in every 12 hours, and Charlie's eyes did look much better. But now...bit of gunkiness is returning. Both times I've been to the vet's, they have been very good, carefully checking for any scratches etc (which involved a lot of messy green dye in Charlie's eyes that ran out of his nose!). And they said they thought it was just some kind of bacterial infection. Obviously, I'll take him back again....but once I've had 2 lots of treatment from a vet, I start wondering if I should be asking for some tests or to see a specialist for some tests. I don't like just keeping on treating without any idea what it is we might be dealing with. I have always washed Charlie's face and eyes after his walks, because his eyes used to look a bit irritated when he was a pup, so it was something I started doing, and kept it up. I don't think I have any new products - air freshners and things like that, in the house..... Any thoughts? Relevant experience?
The first thing I was going to suggest was something environmental but you've said you haven't had anything new in the way of air fresheners etc. how about scented candles, a new perfume or deodorant even? Have they checked his eyelashes for entropian? Where the eyelashes grow inwards and irritate the eye which could cause inflammation and gunkiness etc. Hope you get to the bottom of it as it must be really uncomfortable poor boy
Julie , I know its not the same cause, but following the awful experience with Millie and her subsequent surgery , I would definitely recommend you ask for a second opinion or a referral . Having said that , I do think that nosey dogs who tend to sniff around in bushes, shrubs and thickets can easily end up with gunky eyes, but again , eyes are so precious , I would err to caution .
How old is Charlie? Oban had repeated gunkiness as a 6 month old. It was conjunctivitis. It cleared up with meds, gunk came back, second time around no conjunctivitis, Vet said it was "a puppy thing" new eyes adjusting to a new world, it would go away, it did. Don't you just love it when your Vet turns out to be right? Other ideas if its not a puppy thing. Did your heat go on recently? Ours is forced air and blows dust and stuff around no matter how clean we try to keep the ductwork. Allergies can pop up at any time. It doesn't matter if you've fed the same food, used the same cleansers etc. dogs (and people) can just develop an allergy seemingly out of the blue. With food in particular I have known of companies changing an ingredient or amount and that can set some off. Check with people allergy reports, sometimes a flare up of certain plants at certain times will affect people too. Mould from wet can do it as well.
mmm....yes, I don't want to mess about with his eyes. Our heating did go on about the time it started, but it's just central heating, radiators. Shouldn't really generate much dust. He is 3 at the end of Feb next year. He also did suffer a bit as a puppy, but it went away. There is nothing wrong with the structure of his eyes. Well, I think the lower lid could be a tad tighter, but it's at least as good as most Labs I see and the vet says that's not it. The vet said that because the gunk was white, that suggested some kind of baterial infection, rather than an allergy (he actually asked me whether Charlie had been swimming in the duck pond at the Common, which he had.....), but anyway I can't think of anything new he has been exposed to in terms of allergens, but who know? As Kate says, the places he'll stick his nose given half a chance.... I'll take him back to the vet, and be firm about knowing the way forward after 2 goes with eye drops.
Or did the vet say because the gunk was green, it suggested a bacterial infection - I forget, now. But he said bacterial infection. Perhaps we have to find out what kind of infection or something like that....
maybe ask about a swab if you go back again? Get a definitive answer if it's bacterial or not, and if so what antibiotic is required.
Yes, I think that's the way to go. If two different eye drops haven't cleared it up, it's time to find out what will I think.
I would get it cultured to know for sure. People told me yellowish or greenish was a sign of infection and that clear or slightly whitish was ok. Well Oban's gunk was nearly clear, slightly white and it was conjunctivitis. Gunk shouldn't be there at all, IMO, no matter what colour it is.
Hope you can find out what is causing Charlie's gunky eyes. I know there are many plants/shrubs that are irritant to eyes. My cats use to get gunky eyes a lot but never got to the bottom of it. But cats wonder and although we went through our plants, I couldn't go digging up everyone else's . If Charlie's eyes aren't gunky when you go to vets ask if you can have a sterile swap and get a sample yourself.
Drat. So last week after I posted this, his eyes seemed to completely clear up, great I thought. Then yesterday evening, after a long PM walk, there was some watery discharge from his left eye, and I had to put his cone on to stop him rubbing it. It seems much better this morning, but he went to rub it as soon as I took his cone off. OH has just taken him for a quick walk, and if it looks any worse when he gets back I'll see whether the emergency vet at the animal hospital will take a look this morning (if not, I'll go to my own vet tomorrow AM). I'm not sure they will agree it seems like an emergency though, but I'll speak with them and ask what they think all the same.
Sigh....his eyes look ok now and he's stopped rubbing them. Spoke to emergency vet, who said just go to my own vet tomorrow. Hope I can get it sorted next week before we leave for the hols...
When Benson got something similar, about a year ago now. It started in one eye, gunky, a little sticky but not too bad. In the morning it was quite noticeable with a collection of slightly crusty residue. We would clean with boiled water, then add his eye ointment. I think it took 2 lots of antibiotic ointment. Cleared up, then about a week later it came back. The vet reassured us this was quite common, and these minor infections although can be a bit tricky to sort, are not serious, we also had the green dye followed by green snot! The vet then suggested keeping his eyes clean, and use some (human) eye drops, I think more for comfort, as he didn't feel that prescribing more antibiotic ointment was going to help. He was right, and Benson's eyes cleared up about a week later.
Ah, thanks Kate - hopefully it'll be not more serious than that. He seems ok now, not rubbing his eye (I'll still take him to the vet tomorrow).
Back to the vet...he took a swab to send off so we can see if it's anything nasty, but otherwise more of the same drops, but for 2 weeks this time. Plus he gave me some drops I can keep in my fridge that are safe to use if I have a problem over the weekend again. Also got ears checked out (bit red, so I'll need to get back on his cleaning routine), and also got a replacement for Advocate (Frontline Combo plus Milbemax - which covers lungworm, apparently). I hear Frontline is a bit rubbish, so not so sure about it....
Oh hope the swab gets to the bottom of it ....Dexter's get irritated by the sand and dust here,a couple of times a week I just pop 'tears au nauterelle' that I get from the chemist in ....this seems to stop then irritation leading to gunkiness....I'm on the cusp of an ear issue to .....they were ever so slightly mucky with that tell tale yeasty residue so I've just been cleaning and using the smallest amount of cream....I can't face ours escalating like last time,they only seem to bother him when I've been cleaning them,no scratching or shaking until then so I was giving it another day or so.Ill get them checked if we go in tomorrow to give blood. None of the vets I see here have any confidence in Frontline Julie,they said everything is resistant to it now ......... Hope You get him right,tummy rubs Chocolate Drop x
mmm.....I understand so. I valued the lungworm protection of Advocate over everything, and I have that in the Milbemax now. Apparently a big loss of Advocate is also the protection against Fox Mange (we are absolutely overrun with foxes). Sigh.... Maybe I won't bother with the Frontline. I mean, it was never a priority of mine to protect against fleas and ticks anyway....and he can just have his dose of Advantix in June against ticks....
