Hi.  I'm really worried today - my dog that we got from a rescue centre three weeks ago had a sore eye yesterday.  We took him to the vets last night but the vet said it was so sore he needed him in today to put under anaesthetic and check it all out properly.  My husband took Louis off this morning and when he left him he was really crying and scrabbling at the floor to try to get back to him.  Poor thing is in pain and probably thinks he is being abandoned again!  I just hope he just needs a good eye wash and then will be right as rain - is eye problems quite common at this type of year with all the grass seeds and stuff?  Maxine.

Try not to worry too much, vets can do amazing things these days, and your dog will no doubt be given pain killing drops in the eye. Once under anaesthetic at the vets he won't be aware of anything either. Last summer my then tiny little Papillon puppy (1 kg!) had one of his eyes PUNCTURED by a cat, and he was screaming and vomiting and in terrible pain. The vet put him under and stitched his inner eyelids across the surface over the eye (to allow it to heal and rest) and left that in place for about a month, and we had to give drops 6 times a day. As soon as it was done, he acted normal again -despite one eye being shut and wearing an e-collar. :) His eye healed perfectly and you'd never know anything had ever happened to it. It sounds like your dog may simply have a small scratch or ulcer on the surface, and that should be even easier to heal. I don't know what it is with my animals but we are always unlucky wih eyes, I have a cat who has had to have both of his eyes repaired as they ruptured, one of them twice, my Cavalier had a scratch on the eye surface once etc, but they always get through it much better than we think. Obviously staying at the vets isn't nice, but it won't be for long. :)

Hi.  Husband just got Louis back from the vets - it was a large grass seed tucked away and in scratching his eye he had also scratched the eyeball.  We now have drops for his eyes - 3 lots, drops for his food and tablets.  To make sure it doesnt ulcerate.  All this is new to me - but apparently he is loads happier already so thats the main thing.  Think I'll buy his doggy goggles! Hope you all have a good weekend and mind out for grass seeds...

I wonder if you can put a contact lens on a dog's eye?  If there is one that would fit?  My OH got a scratch on his cornea once and just blinking was terribly painful as the eyelid kept opening up the cut.  It got infected before he went to the Opthamologist (his fault, I TOLD him to go right away) but she cleaned it out and gave him a contact lens which provided immense relief.  As well he had drops and antibiotic to use.

Yes they do use the contact lens over the eye in dogs, but obviously the care is more complex, so with bad ulcers they prefer to stitch the third eyelid closed to allow it to heal.

Good Morning just thought I would let you know it was one of those grass darts things that stick to your clothes - really nasty and the cornea is ulcerated - hence three lots of drops for eyes, one lot of drops on food and tablets. I dont think we will let him run in the long grass again I'm sure the pleasure wasnt worth the pain in this case.  Hope nobody else has had the same problem over the weekend......Maxine.