English Setter with Eye Issue

[Gemma A S]

Hi, I am new to the fourm. I have an English Setter, who is 6 years old, and has had allergies for at least 4 years. He had been on an anti-allergy food, but then when we got out Siberian Husky, we changed to a different food for them both. After over a year, Oliver's allergies returned, and they are both back on the anti-allergy food. After some 6 weeks it seems to doing the job, less scratching and chewing going on.

Over the last few days, I noticed that one eye was weeping, but all I did was wipe it and clear the gunk in the inner corner regularly. However, this evening, while wiping it, I realise that the inner corner is a little puffy, but thought it was due to the eye weeping, but then I also noticed that the white of that eye is totally red, not just blood shot.

Could this be to do with allergies, or could the rough playing with Branwen the siberian have ended up with a scratch in the eye.. or is it some sort of infection.

He is very restful, and isn't acting differently, so trying not to worry.. any ideas?

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by Gemma A S

Could this be to do with allergies, or could the rough playing with Branwen the siberian have ended up with a scratch in the eye.. or is it some sort of infection.

I'm voting for the rough playing. If it were allergies , both eyes would be runny. One of my dogs got an ulcer from being whipped in the face by my great dane's tail. I took him to the vet and he gave us ointment for his eye.

When it come to eyes injuries , it's best to not wait and go to your vet. It's simple to cure but like I said , better not wait.

welcome to pets.ca and I would love if you could post pictures of your dog , we love english setters you have to post a few times though , before being allowed to post pics.

[Gemma A S]

Do you think washing with saline solution as you would contact lenses would work/help?
I was thinking I would wait a day and see what happens, but tomorrow is Friday, so need to think fast.

[hazelrunpack]

Flushing with sterile saline might help tide him over the weekend (not the solutions with other ingredients for cleaning lenses--just plain sterile saline). However, if it's a scratch or conjunctivitis, this won't help. Best to get a vet's opinion and something to treat the eye with.

Is he squinting the eye at all? Is it reactive to light?

[Gemma A S]

Thank you
I have washed his eye with a water and salt solution, and will see if that helps.

Having said it wasn't problematic for him, he was pawing his eye a little before I did the saline wash.

The outside edge of his eye seems to now be getting redder.. but only one eye still.

[hazelrunpack]

Definitely needs a vet check then before the weekend. We don't mess with eyes--they're too precious a commodity.

Tis the season for eye infections, evidently. Both Cass and Cole have had one in the past month.