Once in a while, every pet parent has googled, ‘gunky eyes of my dog’, or ‘how to clean goopy eye boogers.’ You are not alone in this journey, as dog with goopy eyes can be alarming and make pet owner worried. The excessive eye boogers in dogs ranges from mild to a major issue such as glaucoma and needs to be treated with care. Gunky eyes are the most common problem in small breed dogs, with short faces and big eyes. Such dogs are always at the risk of some eye infection or disease and require regular veterinarian’s regular treatment. But there are many ways to treat and ensure that these mild cases of goopy eyes in dogs do not become a severe issue.
Why Do Dogs Get Eye Boogers?
As humans, we are privileged, we have our fingers to clean the eye goop accumulated in the corner of our eyes. However, we can’t say the same for a dog or any pet animal. Tears are considered healthy, and a reason behind that is that it provides our eyes with the right amount of hydration. It also keeps outer layer of the eyes clean and removes dust and debris. The dust and debris falling on our eyes gets collected by tear ducts and are accumulated as goop in the corner of our eyes, which we can easily remove with our fingers.
The same happens with our pets, and you will notice a tiny piece of brown gunk in the corner of its eyes. A tiny amount of brown gunk is considered healthy and normal after your dog wakes up from night sleep. If your pet appears to have the same amount of eye goop every day in the morning, you don’t have to panic. But in case you start noticing eye crust in dog throughout the day, it’s time for you to consult a veterinarian or take some measures on your own. Your dog’s eyes should not have watery discharge, eye crust formation, red eyes, or swollen eyes throughout the day.
What Does Dog Eye Discharge Color Mean?
If you notice any of the above-listed symptoms, you also need to check the kind of discharge your dog is suffering with. Read on to find out some common discharge colors and patterns in a pet.
Watery Eyes
Most small breed dogs are born with allergies; it is genetic and very common. Some pets may incur it in their early stages of growth. Allergies can be caused by dust, pollen, or blockages in the tear ducts. It may also be caused by an underlying medical condition or some blunt trauma to the eyes surface. When you start noticing watery eyes in your dog, the most probable reason will be allergies.
Reddish Brown Eye Discharge
It can be a severe issue if you start noticing a dark reddish-brown discharge or goop accumulating around the corner of your dog’s eyes. It is caused by porphyrin, which is a residue found in tears due to blocked tear ducts. When it comes in contact with oxygen, it can harden and become red or brown. This is caused by some tearing issue in the eye socket of the pet.
White Eye Discharge
Another severe issue that will require immediate treatment from the vet. When your pet suffers from white eye discharge, the most probable reason behind that will be conjunctivitis or Kera conjunctivitis sicca. In this condition, it will cause the dog to stop producing normal tears, which will cause the eyes to become dry and red in appearance. The eye will produce mucus-like discharge called the ocular discharge on drying out. It will stick to the surface of dog’s eyes, making it difficult for it to open its eyes.
Green/ Yellow Discharge
The green or yellow eye boogers dog is caused by a bacterial infection. Sometimes corneal ulcers or KCS can also cause it. If you start noticing such coloured discharge in your dog, you need to provide immediate antibiotics for treatment.
How To Remove Hard Crust From Dogs Eyes?
If your dog has a hard crust in corner of eye in the morning, and it is difficult for it to remove by itself, all you need is a dog tear stain remover. Such removers are readily available in nearby pet stores and are affordable. They are handy as one drop of a tear stain remover can help remove the most stubborn gunk around the eyes of your dog. Also, if your dog is facing difficulty opening its eyes because of the hard crust, you can try a pet’ eye comb’. First, make sure that your dog is relaxed and gently try to comb the crust out of its eyes after dabbing it with some tear-stain removal.
How to Soften Dog Eye Boogers?
Pet Eyewash is the most used solution for such problems, where you are unable to soften the crust around your dog’s eyes even with tear stain removal.
- The best possible way to do this will be first to use some pet eye wash and clean your dog’s eyes with it and some lukewarm water.
- After that, apply some tear stain, remove it, and let it stay for a while.
- You will start noticing that the hard crust around your dog’s eyes is slowly softening and can now be easily wiped with a wet towel or a paper napkin.
How to Clean Dog Eye Boogers?
As a responsible pet parent, you need to be aware of all the necessary steps that may be needed to clean your dog’s eyes. You will need a few basic things, such as cotton balls, and they can be round, square, or of any shape and size. Can you use saline solution on dogs (eyes)? Yes, you can use saline solution – the best will be to go for contact lens saline or some good pet eyewash.
- The first step will be to moisten the cotton ball with the solution and hold it gently to your dog’s eyes.
- Let the solution do its work and soften the eye gunk in dogs, once done, remove a cotton ball and use it again to wipe the gunk from its eyes.
- If you notice that the gunk is tough, repeat the process until it’s thoroughly cleaned.
- To prevent crusty eyes and make sure that your dog is healthy, make time to do the above exercise every day with your dog.
- Using a good quality pet eyewash will also make sure that your dog’s eyes remain clean of dust and debris from outside and avoid allergies.
- On the off chance your dog seems to have a hard crust almost every day, it might be a good idea to consult a vet.
Conclusion
Dog eye goop can be a concern for many pet parents who have no idea how to remove it or handle it. Always keep some pet eyewash and cotton balls or wet towels handy at home. Make sure that you never try to remove stubborn crust or goop with your fingers from its eyes. It will cause more problems and may result in severe allergic reactions as our fingers too can carry dust and allergens from outside.