Dear Dr. John,
Our Labradoodle is just over a year old. We are spending the summer near the beach on the Cape. She suddenly developed some discharge from both of her eyes and the eyes look a little red. Could this be conjunctivitis and what could be the cause? We spend a lot of time with her at the beach so we wonder if she could have gotten sand in her eyes. Is there anything we can do at home, or should it be seen by the local vet? We have an eye ointment in the medicine cabinet that we are thinking of using if it doesn’t resolve in a few days. Our concern is if waiting can make things worse. We called our vet at home who instructed us to wipe the gunk from the eyes away for now. S.S.
Dear S.S.,
What you are describing sure sounds like it could be conjunctivitis. The discharge suggests the possibility of a bacterial infection and the redness of the sclera, which is the whites of the eyes, is the inflammation that characterizes it as conjunctivitis. There are many possible causes for what you are seeing. I doubt if sand getting in the eyes may have triggered the problem, but it is possible. More likely, I wonder if your dog may have been around another dog with an ocular infection since the bilateral presentation suggests a contagious possibility.
Either way, I urge you not to use an eye ointment in your medicine cabinet since it might not be the appropriate medication and it could make things worse, even damaging the eyes. Warm compresses at home and wiping away the discharge gently is a good idea, and I would also suggest getting some eyewash saline at the local pharmacy and flushing the eyes 3-4 times daily. If that doesn’t resolve within a day or two then the local veterinarian should be seen. Of key significance is that there are many possible medications but one with a corticosteroid in it gets the red out, but it is contraindicated if there is any scratching of the corneas. That is why a veterinarian should examine the eye.
Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994.