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My dog's eye is draining a milky white substance; is red rimmed, and itchy. He is rubbing it occasionally, but way more than normal. What is wrong? PS: He swims in a lake nearly every day.
Optional Information: Type of Animal: dogGender: male labAge: 7 Already Tried: close observation to prevent scratching (none so far) and wiping away the milky fluid
Is it just one eye that is affected, or both? Is he squinting?
Only one eye is infected. He was sitting in the sun so he does not seem to avoid light (his buddy chose the shade) I can't tell if he is squinting so he probably isn't yet.
OK, thanks for the reply. How long do you think this has been going on for?
I noticed the white drainage bubble on the outer edge of his eye last night about 9PM. I thought he seemed to be rubbing that eye the last 2 or 3 days, but it was not red or draining when I checked it. I am waiting for my van to be returned from the girl I lent it to so I can get him to the vet. I care for my labs just as I did my children, I am very upset, especially if he is in pain.
OK, thanks for the reply. Usually, a white discharge is not something to be terribly concerned about, as long as there's not any squinting, or other evidence of pain, or clouding of the clear cornea in the front of the eye. It's possible that there's some debris in the eye socket as a result of swimming in the lake, and hopefully the normal tear and mucus production is attempting to clear it out. I still think a veterinary exam is an important thing to pursue, so that the cornea can be stained to look for any scratch/laceration/ulcer, but usually these are painful and will result in squinting and pain. For now, you can use sterile eyewash, or even just some lukewarm water, to rinse the eye carefully. This may help to reduce the buildup of mucus, and may even assist in flushing out any foreign material in the eye.
Experience: Small Animal Medicine and Surgery