Dogs, like humans, may wake up after a long sleep with "sleepers" in their eyes. However, if you wipe the sleepers away and they continue to appear throughout the day, you should be concerned.
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Allergies
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Allergies typically appear as a clear discharge from the dog's eye. You may notice other signs such as excessive scratching and bloodshot eyes.
Eye Infection
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Eye infections can appear when a foreign object becomes lodged in the dog's eye or the infection simply shows up. Symptoms include a thick yellow, gray or green discharge.
Glaucoma
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Glaucoma is characterized by high pressure in the eyes. This disease is painful and can cause loss of vision. Symptoms include tearing, squinting, clouding of the cornea and enlargement and redness of the eyes.
Anterior Uveitis
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Anterior uveitis is an inflammation of the uvea, which is the dark tissue of the eye that contains blood vessels. This condition can be painful and result in vision loss. Symptoms include an unevenly shaped pupil, squinting in bright light, an uneven color of the iris, tearing of the eyes and redness.
Diagnosis
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A veterinarian examines the eye and swabs the discharge to look at it closely under a microscope. Treatment may be an ointment or oral medication. Allergies may require injections to lessen the sensitivity of the eye. Surgery is the last option.
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