Dogsmanship - The Dog Lover's Survival Guide

Puppy Eye Health Care, Problems and Treatments

Your puppy's eyes are the windows to his health. Problems with a puppy's eye health often indicate other problems, like vascular disease affecting the blood and the blood circulation system.

Puppy Eye Problems – Symptoms of Vascular Disorders
Does your puppy have blood coming out of the blood vessels in the eyeball? That's a condition known as intraocular hemorrhage, and it's a condition that might mean your puppy has a circulatory disorder.

You should also know that a diagnosis of retinal detachment, where the retina separates from the choroid, could lead to a diagnosis of vascular disease.

Finally, if your puppy suffers from papilledema, a swollen blind spot that's caused by excessive fluid build-up, that condition may also be indicative of a vascular disorder in your puppy.

Consult Your Veterinarian
If your puppy has any of these puppy eye health conditions, you should schedule an appointment with your vet to have your puppy examined to see if he has a condition that interferes with his blood circulation. If your puppy has already been diagnosed with one of these puppy eye health conditions, be sure to follow your veterinarian's advice and give your puppy any prescribed medication or treatment for the condition.

Puppy Eye Health Problems – Symptoms of Infectious Disorders
Watch out for inflammation, or redness, around the tissue that surrounds your puppy's eye. This health condition, known as conjunctivitis, can mean your puppy has a virus, a bacterial disease, parasites, or allergies. Conjunctivitis is considered one of the most common conditions diagnosed today, and it is usually easily treated by keeping the puppy's eyes in good health, keeping them clean, and giving medication for a few days to eliminate the cause of the infection.

If your puppy has conjunctivitis, his eyes will itch. Try to prevent him from scratching his eyes while you are treating his puppy eye health problems. Get a cone-shaped collar from your vet if necessary, so your puppy's conjunctive eye tissue health infection will have a chance to heal.

Understand Your Breed
Some breeds are prone to have more puppy eye health issues than other dogs, so it's important to be familiar with any puppy eye health problems particular to your puppy's breed. German Shepherd breeds, for instance, are susceptible to chronic superficial keratitis, and some toy breeds can experience eye problems if their hair is not kept out of their eyes.