FIRST AID OF THE EYE FOR THE WORKING
GUNDOG
The take home message here has to be "Eyes are precious, don't mess around with them!"Whatever the cause of pain in the eye, the symptoms you'll see will be similar:
| a. | The eyelids are screwed up against the light |
| b. | Tear production is increased |
| c. | The sclera (white of the eye) and conjunctiva are often red & inflamed |
| d. | Your dog may rub the eye with a foreleg or rub its head against furniture |
Wounds to the eyelids may result from fights, thorns or may be the result of self-trauma.
Inflammatory reactions from, for example insect stings, can result in severe swelling of the eyelids. Foreign bodies such as grass seeds can lodge under the eyelids so that they are not visible from the outside.
With all the above injuries we are most concerned about subsequent damage to the eyeball as a result of trauma or secondary infection.Antiseptic solutions should never be used on the eye; sterile saline solution (eg. Contact lens solution) is best for cleaning any dirt out of an eye, but water or even milk will suffice in an emergency. Grass seeds are best flushed out rather than pulled out as, firstly you may leave a little behind when pulling it out, and secondly as this is a very painful condition you may damage the eyeball when your dog jerks its head back! An ice-pack (bag of frozen peas!) may be used to relieve the inflammation associated with severe swelling of the eyelids.
A direct blow to the eye can cause bleeding within the eye. This is a veterinary emergency, as the blood rapidly forms scar tissue within the eye. This will affect the functioning of the eye, potentially causing blindness. An ice-pack over the eye would be beneficial.
Probably the second most common injury to the eye seen by vets (after conjunctivitis) is damage to the surface of the eye (the cornea). This causes ulceration and is extremely painful. Make sure you don't induce this condition while trying to "dig" a grass seed out of the eye!
Even worse is if the surface has been penetrated, typically by a thorn, so that the internal structures of the eye are damaged. In addition to the symptoms described above, you may notice that the pupil of the damaged eye is smaller than that of the normal eye. NEVER try to pull a thorn out of an eye, as fluid loss from inside the eye may result.
Again this is a veterinary emergency; ensure your dog does not make the situation worse by rubbing the eye before you can get him/her to the vet.
A word of warning on eye-drops: DON'T be tempted to use the eye-drops the vet gave you two months ago if your dog happens to have another sore eye. The drops may contain cortisone, which is contra-indicated if there is any corneal ulceration.
So, once again, EYES ARE PRECIOUS; avoid the "she'll be right attitude!"