Conjunctivitis

Our Asti (mini Schnauzer) has been suffering with Conjunctivitis for about a month now. When I first noticed her eyes were a bit gungy I took her to the vet and he gave her some drops to put in her eyes for 5 days, but after doing all that it still looked as if it hadn't cleared up so I went back to the vets and he put some dye stuff into her eyes and checked her eyes with an instrument in a dark room. He said she had got Conjunctivitis and gave her some different drops for me to put in. He said that there are two reasons that cause Conjunctivitis - allergy or infection. Anyway the second drops he gave me were antibiotic for infection and I was to give them for a week. He said if that didn't clear it up then it's obviously to do with an allergy as the drops would have cleared up an infection. Anyway after giving those drops for a week it still hasn't cleared up, her eyes are a bit gungy again and she is pawing them quite a bit. So were off to the vets again tonight and he'll probably give her some different drops for an allergy as the first drops were for.

I just wondered if anyone else's dog suffers with Conjunctivitis?

My boy had a gungy and red eye, we think because he likes to stick his head out the car window - I just dissolved a quarter teaspoon of sea salt into a cup of filtered (or distilled) water and cleaned his eye several times a day with it.

Cleared up in a couple of days I think.

I have a book on Natural Health for Dogs and Cats written by a vet called Pitcairn. I always follow his advice to the letter and have never needed a vet!

If the salt doesn't work, he has other suggestions which I can list here if you are interested in natural alternatives.

Thanks for your reply Ziva, I'll think about that if the drops from the vet don't work..

I went back to the vets tonight and he said it is conjunctivitis due to an allergy, something in the atmosphere like grass pollen etc. He said I'm to expect her to suffer with it every year now. Anyway he's given me some drops which are the same as the first ones for allergy, I've got to give them to her for 5 days and then once a month. he says it should clear up in a couple of days. I'm to give her the drops when it flares up, but he gave me a warning - not to give her the drops if her eye/eyes are scratched, if for example the eyes are closed and look REALLY inflamed as the drops can make them worse.

Hiya, how old is Asti?

Tonks had is off and on for what seemed like ages up until she was 6 months old....and then it stopped.

We had two courses of eye ointment, and then i just bathed her eyes in saline solution every morning, and when there was green gunk. Then it just stopped and seemed to sort its self out.

Apparantly her daddy still gets it now and again, but they also use saline solution on his eyes and it clears up again.

Yes, saline solution is the same as my 'sea salt with filtered water' remedy.

Same as a simple eye bath actually.

I truly think for something relatively minor as this, natural is better for the body.

Hiya, thanks for your replies. Asti is 4 years old. She also gets Wet excema about twice a year (sorry, I can't spell that word, even looked it up in the dictionary and couldn't find it ) and that's the same thing, down to an allergy. I've got to give these eye drops for 5 days and if that doesn't clear it up I will certainly try the natural remedy you have both suggested

Thanks again. Very much appreciated.

Fingers crossed!

I can help you with the spelling! It's Eczema! Only know that because i have to write it for work often!!

Thanks for that, I've written it in the cover of my dictionary now. It's such a strange word to spell isn't it.

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.