What’s Wrong With My Pet’s Eye? A Guide to Eye Problems and Emergencies

A red, squinting, or watery eye is worth taking seriously. Eye problems can be painful, and some worsen quickly enough to threaten vision. Here’s how to recognize the signs and help your pet get the right care.

Here’s how to read what your pet’s eye is telling you.

Pets can’t tell us their eye hurts, but they show us. Watch for:

• Squinting or holding the eye shut
• Redness: the white of the eye or the tissue around it looking angry
• Discharge: watery, or thick yellow-green goop
• Pawing or rubbing at the eye, or rubbing the face on the floor and furniture
• Cloudiness or a bluish haze over the eye
• A visibly swollen, bulging, or sunken eye
• The third eyelid (that pinkish membrane) covering part of the eye
• Sensitivity to light
• A pupil that looks different from the other side, or two pupils of different sizes

Any of these means the eye deserves attention. Several of them together, or a pet in obvious pain, means don’t wait.

Inflammation of the tissue around the eye, causing redness and discharge. It can come from allergies, irritants, infections, or a scratch. Often treatable, but it’s worth confirming it’s just conjunctivitis and not a sign of something deeper.

The cornea is the clear surface of the eye, and it’s easily scratched by a cat’s claw, a bush, a rough play session, or rubbing. A corneal ulcer is painful and can worsen quickly, sometimes deepening dangerously if not treated. Lots of squinting and tearing after a scuffle is a classic sign.

When a pet doesn’t produce enough tears, the eye gets chronically irritated, red, and goopy with a thick discharge. It needs ongoing management, and untreated it can damage the cornea.

Increased pressure inside the eye. This one is a genuine emergency. It’s very painful and can destroy vision fast. Signs include a red, cloudy, bulging, or obviously painful eye, sometimes with a dilated pupil. If you suspect glaucoma, every hour counts.

A grass awn behind the eyelid, a thorn, a pellet, a scratch from another animal, or blunt trauma. Some of these are visible; some hide under the lids.

A displaced eye is an emergency. Prevent rubbing, keep the exposed eye gently moistened with sterile saline without pressure, and go to an emergency veterinary hospital immediately. Do not try to push the eye back into place.

Different eye conditions can look similar at home. Redness or tearing may come from irritation, a corneal ulcer, or increased pressure inside the eye. An examination helps distinguish them and guide treatment. Pain, squinting, cloudiness, or a change in the eye’s shape needs prompt attention.

Do:

• Keep your pet from pawing or rubbing; an e-collar (the “cone”) is your friend if you have one
• Gently wipe discharge from the fur around the eye with a clean, damp cloth. Avoid pressure on the eye.
• If something is obviously splashed in the eye (a chemical, shampoo), flush gently with saline and come in
• For a displaced eye, prevent rubbing, keep the exposed surface moist with sterile saline, and go to an emergency hospital immediately.

Don’t:

• Do not use leftover eye medication or drops prescribed for another pet. Steroid-containing drops can make a corneal ulcer worse.
• Don’t use human eye products
• Don’t try to remove an embedded object yourself
• Don’t wait it out if there’s significant pain, cloudiness, or a change in the eye’s shape

Eye exams are one of the things a walk-in visit handles well. We’ll check the eye carefully, and we have some simple, quick tests that reveal a lot:

• A fluorescein stain: a harmless dye that glows under light and reveals scratches and ulcers on the cornea
• A tear production test to check for dry eye
• Eye pressure measurement to catch glaucoma
• A careful look under the eyelids for hidden foreign material

Treatment may include eye medication, pain relief, and follow-up exams. Some conditions need an ophthalmologist or emergency hospital. We’ll explain what we find and help you understand the next step.

Flat-faced breeds, including Pugs, Shih Tzus, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, and Persian cats, can be more vulnerable to eye injuries because of their prominent eyes. Take squinting, redness, and discharge seriously. Keep the surrounding fur clean, prevent rubbing, and seek care promptly when something changes.

For a red, painful, squinting, or cloudy eye, call Ruby Veterinary Urgent Care in Johns Creek at (470) 742-4620 during opening hours for prompt assessment. A displaced eye, major eye injury, or sudden loss of vision needs emergency care immediately. If Ruby is closed, contact an emergency hospital.

Cover photo: Samir Kharrat / Unsplash.