Dog owners should monitor their dogs for possible signs of eye injuries. Dogs can easily injure their eyes while exploring outdoors, rough-housing with another animal or simply by rubbing the eye along a rough surface if it itches or bothers them. Many dog owners who prefer to treat their dogs with natural remedies find vitamin E oil helpful for soothing and curing their dog's eye injuries.
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Common Eye Injuries
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Some of the most common eye injuries in dogs include eyeball cuts, bruises, dust or debris entering the eye or scratches on the cornea. In addition to irritation of the eyeball, these injuries can often cause secondary inflammations and infections that make it hard for the eyeball to heal as the dog continuously rubs and irritates it.
Symptoms
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A dog owner should note if the dog's eye becomes red or if if the dog squints, tears, keeps the eye closed or rubs the eye along the side of a couch or other rough surface. These symptoms can indicate that the dog's eye has been injured.
Vitamin E Oil
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Vitamin E oil, taken orally, helps to strengthen the immune system. It can serve as an anti-inflammatory drug and helps to oxygenate the dog's blood, necessary for a dog as it heals from an eye injury. Vitamin E oil, when used as a salve, assists in skin healing and helps to prevent scarring.
Treatment
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Pour vitamin E oil on top of the dog's food to increase the amount of vitamin E in her body and aid the healing process. Administer the vitamin E oil at mealtime. Small dogs should receive 100 IU (International Units) and large dogs should receive 400 IU, with medium-sized dogs receiving a medium measurement. (IU measurements differ among liquids; the vitamin E oil bottle will note the necessary measurements.) Rub vitamin E oil on any skin tears or sores near the infected eye to aid in the skin's healing. Do not allow any vitamin E oil to enter the dog's eye. Place a little vitamin E oil on a Q-tip and gently apply it to the tear or sore.
Secondary Treatments
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If the dog owner suspects that a foreign object has become embedded in the dog's eye, he must take the dog to the veterinarian to have the object extracted while the dog receives anesthesia. If the eye has become infected or inflamed, the dog owner should consult the vet to obtain antibiotic cream for the dog.
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