yes and not at all how we say it really!

Diarrhoea is another one i have trouble with. In the spelling sense, not that i suffer with it. lol!

Hi Alison poor Asti , it must be horrid for dogs to have sore eyes or ears.

Amy used to get inflamed conjunctiva, older dogs tend to get it quite often, hers was due to irritation . As with humans when dogs get older the conjunctiva of the eye secretes less of the natural oils and mucous that lubricates and keeps the eyes moist, so the eyes become irritated.

If the conjunctivitis is due to infection the discharge is usually yellowy/green and with allergy it is usually fairly clear.

I used to make up a mild saline solution to use on Amy which is of a similar composition to tears .This is made by boiling water and adding one pint to a teaspoon of salt and allowing it to cool, then bathing the eyes. I used to bathe her eyes daily taking a piece of cotton wool and making sure it is very wet to prevent loose fibres escaping, also using a clean piece for each eye to prevent cross contamination if there is any infection. You can also trickle the solution in using an eye dropper from the chemist but some dogs don't like that.

(I have exactly the same problem with my eyes now I am older and have to bathe them each day) .

Irritation can be particularly bad in the summer when dogs are running through the grass which has become long and full of dust and pollen from the grass seeds.

If you think the conjuctivitis is caused by infection and it doesn't clear up the vet can take a swab.

Another good old fashioned remedy for eyes is cold tea. Make a nice strong cup of tea (no milk or sugar obviously) let it get cold and bathe the eyes three times a day, trying to put a drop or two in at the same time as bathing them. When Candy had it the drops the vet gave did not clear it up after 7 days so I tried the old fashioned remedy and it cleared it up within 3 days.