An eye infection is a relatively general description of a medical condition that may result in discomfort, discharge and abnormal appearance of a dog’s eyes and surrounding tissue.

Conjunctivitis

This is generally the most common type of eye infection seen regularly in dogs. Conjunctivitis is characterized by the inflammation of the portion of the eye called the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the thin, clear membrane that protects the eye as well as the inner eyelid. The cause of this condition is most commonly a viral infection, an allergic reaction, or a bacterial infection.

The most common bacteria that cause conjunctivitis are streptococci and staphylococci. In Allergic conjunctivitis, the cause may be any number of airborne irritants that are causing an allergic reaction. Conjunctivitis that is caused by a virus is usually a result of a respiratory infection, flu, or other viral conditions. Regardless of the specific cause, this is the condition that manifests with all of the general symptoms of an eye infection, without any secondary symptoms.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is a condition that usually manifests as an inflammation of the eyelids. The most common cause of this condition is a bacterial infection, which causes the subsequent inflammation of the eyelid. Other causes include demodectic mites, sensitivity to the sun, trauma, and other eye diseases. Though this condition may affect humans as well as dogs, it is occasionally seen in cats and other mammals.

Ulcerative Keratitis

In the condition of Ulcerative Keratitis, a dog’s eye is subject to inflammation of the cornea. This is usually characterized by specific erosions of the cornea, though may also manifest as ulcers. This condition can be caused by several factors, though is commonly caused by keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

The common name for keratoconjunctivitis sicca is “Dry Eye”, and is characterized by a deficiency of tears, usually caused by abnormalities in the tear ducts. Other causes of this condition include herpesvirus, trauma(where eye is punctured), other disease affecting the eyes/tear ducts, and facial nerve paralysis.

Juvenile Cellulitis (Puppy Strangles)

This is a condition that usually manifests as blisters around the eyes, in addition to blisters around the lips, mouth, nose and ears. These blisters will cause irritation to the eyes, resulting in many of the common symptoms of an eye infection. The blisters will eventually become ulcerated, and a dog will have other secondary symptoms, such as enlarged lymph glands and anorexia. This condition is caused by a bacterial infection.

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Dogs are pretty much like humans when it comes to their health. Improper diet or hygiene can affect the dog health. One of the most common diseases that canines suffer from is microbial infections. It is a misconception that microbial infections affect the skin only. In fact, it can affect the kidneys, eyes and ears, skin, among others. Microbial infections refer to bacteria, fungus and virus.

It is very important that your dog is shampooed regularly, at least once in a week. This will ensure that the coat is clean. You can use a medicated shampoo once in a while to kill any bacteria. Make sure that the dog kennel is cleaned regularly. You can disinfect it once a month to kill any germs residing in it. Regular visits to the vet are a must even if your dog health is fine or does not appear to be sick. Also a balance diet is important to keep the body healthy and less susceptible to any microbial infections.

If your dog has contracted an infection on the skin, you can use some medicated ointment in the infected area. If you detect the problem early, the infection may go away after a few days with regular application of ointment. If the problem persists, you should take your dog to the vet to prevent the infection from spreading.

Microbial infections of the eye and ears are more serious. If you notice any redness or swelling of the eyes or ears, you must take your dog to the vet immediately. In case of eyes, if you notice that your dog has tears in his eyes often, you can show it to the doctor. Also if you notice an unusual amount of ear wax, you can show the doctor. Ear infections are particularly disturbing for dogs. Prolonged infections left untreated can lead to hearing loss. Any changes in behavior, sleeping pattern, agitated behavior or loss of appetite could be symptoms of a more serious disease. Microbial infections can even lead to cancer. If you detect any unusual or foul smell in the dog’s urine, it could also be a sign of some problem.

One of the most common causes of death in dogs is diseases caused by microbial infections. Hygiene and diet of your dog is very important to keep diseases from attacking. Since bacteria and virus thrive in dirty places, try to keep your dog in hygienic conditions are all times.

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The diseases that affect dog health should be prevented not only to save the dog but also to save the public. So, whenever the health of your dog is in doubt please consult your veterinarian. To save dog health, keep a check on their diet. Just like humans unhealthy food causes obesity, diabetes, heart and digestive problems. If the dog is loosing hair, the shine of the skin is gone, and if it refuses to play, jump or walk then diet is the problem. If you are feeding your dog the normal dog foods then it will definitely develop some diseases because the dog foods are jam packed with chemicals like synthetics to improve taste, powders, additives and colorants. It is just like human, when we buy some packed food from the market which is packed with chemicals and accumulates in the system and undermines the body from inside. Sometimes, the dogs get infected so badly that their organs stop functioning. Generally dog suffers with joint diseases like arthritis, hip dysplasia, and other degenerative diseases with the shoulders and hocks. Genetic diseases also affect dogs. Other common diseases are:

Periodontitis-The main symptom is inflammation of gum tissue and periodontal ligament. It is caused by microbial infection. It is the leading cause of tooth loss in dogs. It can be seen in almost any age of dogs. So, watch for bad breath, tooth loss, loose teeth, and gum recession.

Canine Parvovirus– Causes gastro intestinal infection. It is spread through infected feces.

Heartworm Disease– Caused by microbial infections, main symptoms are coughing, intolerance to exercise, and anemia. Heartworms are caused by mosquitoes. When they bite the dog it takes around six months to reach their blood vessels and lungs. Affected dogs should be kept in cage to limit their activities.

Bordetella Bronchiceptica-It causes kennel cough.

Gastroenteretis– The main characters are vomiting and diarrhea. Can cause extreme fluid loss and electrolyte disturbance.

Ringworm-Infection of skin, hair or nails.

Eye diseases– These are common in dogs like cataract and entropion.

To keep your dog healthy proper nutrition and preventive care is required. Other important thing to do is whenever you see any change in behavior without any reason, try to find what is irritating it, check its mouth, examine it physically, look for any swelling, cuts, etc. Once you are done with all these things consult your veterinarian.

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