What is Droopy Eye?
“Droopy eye” is a condition in which the nerves to a dog’s eye have been inflamed or damaged, and may be a sign of what is called 'Horner's syndrome'. First, the dog’s upper eyelid may appear to droop or not fully open. The pupil may be very small and unable to open in response to lowered lighting. Finally, the “3rd eyelid” or nictitating membrane located inside the lower eyelid may appear inflamed or push out, leaving a reddened area above the lower eyelid. This syndrome indicates a lack of nervous system communication and may reflect a deeper problem, especially if your dog is having difficulty walking or swallowing. However, in breeds like Golden Retrievers, Horner’s syndrome may present idiopathically, that is, without any identifiable cause. While somewhat unsightly, Horner’s syndrome on its own may not present a serious risk for your pet.
Horner’s syndrome refers to a nervous system disorder affecting the eye. The pupils will be small, the eyelid partially closed, and the 3rd eyelid will be elevated and protruding slightly. While not serious on its own, Horner’s syndrome may indicate problems with the nervous system.Droopy Eye Average Cost
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Symptoms of Droopy Eye in Dogs
- Small, constricted pupil in one or both eyes
- Top eyelid cannot fully open
- Patch of reddened tissue above lower eyelid
- General redness and inflammation
Causes of Droopy Eye in Dogs
- Infection of the spinal cord or brain
- Trauma to the brain, neck or chest
- Brain or spinal tumor
- Infection compromising nervous tissue
- Idiopathic (no identifiable cause)
Diagnosis of Droopy Eye in Dogs
If you notice your pet’s eye exhibiting the above signs, you will need to see a veterinarian to make sure there are no associated conditions causing Horner’s syndrome. The veterinarian will want a history of any activities your dog has engaged in that might result in injury, and any observations you may have of abnormal behavior in your dog. Tell your veterinarian if your dog has recently had a tumor or any surgery.
The veterinarian will perform a number of routine tests, usually an analysis of a urine sample, a CBC (an analysis of a blood sample to count the types of cells and their relative proportions), and of course a physical exam. These tests will help the veterinarian to determine the underlying cause, if any, of the droopy eye.
If the veterinarian suspects a tumor, broken bone or injury, medical imaging will be needed. X-ray and ultrasound are useful for showing some types of injury, and can usually be done quickly in a vet’s office. MRI and CT scans require a larger machine, and so your vet may refer you to an animal hospital that has the equipment.
Finally, if your dog has presented with a fever along with abnormal behavior, your doctor may conduct a spinal tap. This involves shaving and sterilizing an area on your dog’s back, and inserting a needle between the vertebrae to collect spinal fluid. An analysis of this fluid will aid the veterinarian in determining if your pet has an infection of the nervous system like meningitis.
Treatment of Droopy Eye in Dogs
The acute signs of droopy eye might be treated with eye drops. However, if there is an underlying cause, this will need to be treated according to the type of ailment. Spinal infections like bacterial meningitis will need quick administration of lifesaving antibiotics, whereas tumors will need surgical removal, radiation or chemotherapy. In the case of trauma (e.g. car accident, fall etc.), surgical intervention may be required to free pinched or trapped nerves and reduce scar tissue.
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Recovery of Droopy Eye in Dogs
Idiopathic droopy eye may sometimes resolve on its own, but to ensure complete recovery, veterinarians often recommend medications of some type. These will need to be administered every 12-24 hours for about three weeks. The outlook for idiopathic Horner’s is typically good. The condition may re-appear in cases of dehydration or infection, but is not considered serious and can be treated the same way.
The outlook of other conditions with Horner’s syndrome as a sign will vary, but in general, the droopy eye portion can be resolved the same way, and the underlying cause treated according to a veterinarian’s recommendation.
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Droopy Eye Average Cost
From 183 quotes ranging from $200 - $3,000
Average Cost
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Top
Droopy Eye Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Golden Retreiver
Gus
14 Years
4 found this helpful
4 found this helpful
I have a 14 yo golden, he's showing age a little.... like less muscle mass, less stamina, needing help to get up, however he will still try n run after a ball the best he can his evacuations present no problems, but have changed some. I've read a lot of the previous question/answers, and I feel like it's honer's, and maybe I could use the Rx eye drops. So my question is, it's been going on for over a month is it to late to get results from the drops ? Thanks so much for looking at my question and I look forward to hearing from you :)
Oct. 16, 2017
4 Recommendations
The drops are a diagnostic test, not a treatment; most cases of Horner’s Syndrome are idiopathic meaning that there is no cause for the symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms will spontaneously resolve and other times a primary condition would need to be treated before the Horner’s clears up; primary conditions may include inner or middle ear infections, trauma, inflammation cervical disk issues among other causes. I would recommend visiting your Veterinarian to give Gus a check over to see if the underlying cause can be determined and treated. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Oct. 16, 2017
I am doing more research on droopy eye as our boxation Ozzy,s health deteriorated very quickly starting with the droopy eye, weight loss & he also went off his food & got sickness & upset tummy. Daily visits to the vet for about 4 days included shots for pain relief & re hydration all of which failed miserably. Ozzy was going down hill very quickly & we knew something was wrong. On day 5 I took him back to the vets & they decided to keep him in to do X-rays & bloods ....bloods were ok X-ray showed up some form of blockage in the intestines (not sure if the larger or smaller) they couldn't tell....a later X-ray showed the blockage to have gone so they put this down to gas caused by gastroenteritis. By day 6 the vet asked me to go in to see Ozzy as his get up & go was gone & he seemed to be struggling to breath & extremely tired. That evening the vet called to advise they are worried something maybe going on in his chest & did an X-ray on that area to discover there was so much fluid in his chest cavity they could not see his organs ...they drained off over two litres...we knew this was not good news & the morning after he had got worse & we were asked to think about putting him to sleep as they thought this was a possible Tumor , our boy was extremely poorly when we went to see him :(
We made the hardest decision of our lives to give him sleep , he was nearly 11 years old .....looking back there were lots of little signs ....the main one though was the droopy eye , this was a sign of something more sinister going on so please people get your dog checked out as soon as you notice this little change as it could be serious ....we are devastated at losing our handsome boy , only last Sunday RIP OZZY XX
Nov. 4, 2017
Charlotte L.
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Malamute
Storm
12 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
i have read alot of your comments on Horners syndrom and i believe my 12 yr old Malamute may have come down with this as I have noticed 3 days ago his one lower eye lid has drouped and i can partially see the third eye lid, he drinks maybe one liter of water a day and is only eating 2 cups of food every 2 days, he has a very hard time standing but once he is up can walk good. my question is how long should i let this go before seeking a vet?
Sept. 10, 2017
0 Recommendations
There are various causes of Horner’s Syndrome in dogs including idiopathic causes; in non-pathological cases it may take a month or two to self resolve whereas if it is caused by a primary condition, the treatment of that would have a bearing on recovery. Horner’s Syndrome may be caused by inner ear infection, other infections, trauma, nerve damage, tumours among other causes. If you are not seeing any other symptoms, you could take a wait and see approach but I would recommend visiting your Veterinarian to determine the underlying cause since treatment can be given to assist in recovery. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Sept. 11, 2017
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Great Dane
Sam
8 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Lose Of Appetite
Droopy Eyes
Sneezing
Losing Hair
Sam hasn't been eating as much, he has droopy eyes with red exposed, sneezing more than normal, and he's losing more hair than normal. Is this something to be concerned about?
Aug. 30, 2017
0 Recommendations
Droopy eyes are usually attributable to Horner’s Syndrome which many times is idiopathic (no known cause) but may be associated with other conditions including trauma, ear infections, spinal disease among others; the other symptoms may be caused by allergies, infections or environmental irritants (like new cleaning products). It would be best to have Sam checked over to be on the safe side to make sure that there isn’t anything serious affecting him. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Aug. 30, 2017
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Rottweiler
Jack
6 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Droopy Eyes
Laying All Day
My rottweiler is 6 years old and recently both he's bottom eyelids started sagging. It also seems that he is much more tired than what he used to be. Where he used to be the first one up and out of the house, now days he's the last to stand up and go outside. We try to walk him more because it looks like he is depressed.
July 26, 2017
0 Recommendations
Droopy eyes are not immediately concerning, but with lethargy and drastic changes in activity (especially if sudden) may indicate to something more serious. Given this change in activity, it would be best to have your Veterinarian take a look at him and to possibly get a blood test done as there are multiple possible causes for this change including infections, poisoning, liver disease, kidney disease, cancer etc… Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
July 26, 2017
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Droopy Eye Average Cost
From 183 quotes ranging from $200 - $3,000
Average Cost
$600
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