What is Red Eye?
Symptoms of Red Eye in Dogs
In addition to redness of the eye, symptoms that may also be noted include:
- Pawing at or rubbing eye on floor
- Squinting in light
- Keeping eye closed
- Cloudy cornea (surface of the eye)
- Watery tearing eyes
- Red mass appearing from under the eyelid
- Red spot on the white of the eye
- Swelling or puffiness of the eyelids
- White or green discharge from inner corner of the eye
Causes of Red Eye in Dogs
- Allergies – Irritation of the eye due to an allergen such as pollen, weeds, dust or fiber.
- Conjunctivitis – Inflamed conjunctiva (the thin transparent tissue that covers the outer surface of the eye) due to irritants, allergies or infection.
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) – Also known as dry-eye syndrome. Redness is due to inadequate tear production.
- Entropion – The eyelid turns inward causing the eyelashes and eyelid to rub against the eye’s surface.
- Cherry eye – A gland inside the third eyelid becomes inflamed and protrudes out from behind the eyelid. Appears as a small red bump poking out from below the eye.
- Hyphema – Injury to the eye causes blood to pool in the front part of the eye.
- Foreign body – Material or small particle trapped in the eyelid or on the eye surface irritates the eye.
- Corneal ulcer – An open sore on the outer layer of the cornea, often caused by infection.
- Glaucoma – Increased pressure within the eye.
- Uveitis – Inflammation of the iris or ciliary body caused by injury, infection or cancer.
- Blepharitis – Inflammation of the eyelid due to infection, irritation or allergy.
- Tumor– Benign or malignant mass growing behind or within the eye.
Diagnosis of Red Eye in Dogs
If you notice redness in one or both eyes of your pet, you should visit your veterinarian to obtain a proper diagnosis. The most common causes of red eye are conjunctivitis, allergies, or irritants, however more serious possibilities exist so it is important to have your pet examined. The veterinarian will take a history of the pet to discover when the redness began, the progression of the redness, and any behaviors your pet is demonstrating that indicate pain or irritation.
Ophthalmologic ExamIn cases involving the eye, the veterinarian will conduct a full ophthalmologic exam. This exam evaluates the various structures of the eye including the conjunctiva, cornea, tear ducts, retina and eyelids.
Schirmer Tear TestA Schirmer tear test examines your pet’s tear production and helps rule out KCS or dry-eye syndrome. This test involves placing a small paper test strip in between the eyelid and the eye. The strip acts as an irritant, causing tear production. The tears are absorbed into the paper strips and a scale on the paper measures the level of tear production.
TonometryTonometry incorporated the use of a device to measure the internal pressure of the eye. This test is often used to screen for glaucoma, a disease associated with abnormal eye globe pressure. The surface of the eye may be numbed prior to this test, though it is not required. A tonometer pen uses a small plastic ball that bounces quickly on and off the surface of the eye and measures the pressure. Several measurements may be taken to obtain an average.
Fluorescein DyeThis yellow-green dye is dropped onto the eye surface. Areas of damage to the surface of the eye light up (fluoresce) when a black light is shone onto the eye. This dye can indicate scratches and corneal ulcers.
Blood DiagnosticsSeveral underlying issues may cause the appearance of red eyes. Blood screening can measure kidney function, liver function, hormone production, hydration and electrolyte imbalances.
Treatment of Red Eye in Dogs
A variety of treatments may be applied depending on the diagnosis.
Topical MedicationsTopical medications are available in ointments or drops and may need to be applied up to three times daily for a week or two until symptoms resolve. Medications include antibiotics, steroids, pain relievers, dilators and artificial tears.
Oral MedicationsIn case of infection or trauma to the eye, oral antibiotics may be prescribed. Anti-inflammatories may also be administered. If the cause of redness is associated with an underlying disease, the appropriate oral medication will be prescribed.
SurgerySurgery may be required to address several causes of red eye. If cherry-eye is diagnosed, the veterinarian will normally try to manually reset the gland. If the gland reappears after treatment, surgery is often used to permanently repair the issue. Entropion problems can also require surgery to reform the eyelid so it does not rub on the cornea of the eye. In some cases, red eye is caused by an untreatable problem and may require surgical removal of the eye (enucleation surgery). This is a simple surgery and the pet often does not experience any adverse side effects besides loss of a degree of depth perception.
Recovery of Red Eye in Dogs
Correct application of drops or ointment and administration of oral medications is required to achieve proper healing. The pet may need to wear an Elizabethan collar (cone or e-collar) to prevent rubbing the eye.
Follow up appointments for eye examinations are often required weekly for a period to evaluate response to treatment.
Red Eye Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
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Hi,
My dog got a blood red eye completely spread on her previously white area right after a spay neuter surgery.
I don't know what has gone one over there. But I am going to take her back and seek answers on Monday. but till then what do you think could have been the reason?
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My dog has his right eye red. He has been like that since Friday i believe. It got worse since I didn’t treat it. My dad had some construction going for a whole week so there was a lot of dust so it might be because of that but I’m not sure
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It is very irritating how they don't have any type of information about medical pit bull treatment or problem online search. however my question is what time of eye drops can i get my pit bull that has itchy swollen eye? ( without bringing her to the vest because it's so much money)
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Siberian Husky Puppy 4 months old notice bloodshot eyes on her she does love to dig and put her wholes face in the dirt so not sure if she irritated them or alleregy
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My ten year old mixed breed hound has one eye that continues to be red after treatment. His vet ran several tests & all came back negative, no injury, glaucoma, etc. Prescribed some medication and drops and within a week the eye improved somewhat. Continued with drops for two more weeks. Eye was better, but not 100%. Vet revisit, said continue with second round of drops. Once we ran out of drops, the redness returned fully within a few days. Doesn't seem to bother him, but we're still concerned. Have already spent $300 and are at our limit. Any advice?
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My dogs eyes are appearing with a large blue haze over them and the red eye is have irritation. She appears to be walking right and still eating. Nothing out of the ordinary. Still very active and loving. Her eyes just have me worried and I would like to keep her around longer even though she is getting old. Looking for advice.
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My Cockapoo Buddy had cataract surgery July 2015 at the age of 10 and it was a success. Please note Buddy is also Diabetic and on 4 units in the AM & 4 units in PM. He has been on Diclofenac Sodium Ophthalmic Solution 0.1% with one drop in each eye once every day. At night he receives a small amount GenTeal ointment in each eye before bed. Diclofenac was not longer available and he was switched to Ketorolac Tromethamine Eye Drops 0.5% one drop in each eye once a day or every 24 hours. That switch was made in September 2017 it is now March 2018. We have now noticed his right eye is cloudy and red when you lift the lid and his left eye is starting to get cloudy as well but not as much. It appears his eyes are bothering him as he rubs them each morning and he is squinting more often. When this happened in the past the dr. had me give him drops 2x day vs 1x day. Two things concern me, could the switch in medicine drops caused this as one is 0.1% and the new drops are 0.5%? Are the drops to strong or too weak?
Second, I am concerned that the cataracts have reappeared although I do not think that is possible from what they told me after surgery? I have researched and see other issues could be causing this. I was told Buddy would be on these drops for life in addition to the GenTeal each night. My Doctor is not longer with the hospital that performed the surgery and a new Dr is continuing to fill the scripts to my pharmacy. What are your thoughts here before I call them on what could be happening. My Vet and Vet for the eye surgery are different. Each visit to the Eye Dr. is $179.00 and this surgery has been a small fortune over the years. I have a call into the Dr. but have not received a call yet. I would like to be prepared with some information as it is always an upsell when I enter the office. It has become more about the money then the care for our pets. Thank you, Terry
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My dog has a red bump protruding from the top of his eyelid. He was rubbing the other side of his face on the bed when I noticed it. It kind of fits the description for a cherry eye, but I don't know what could have caused it. He has never had this before, but sometimes his eyes leak a little too much. We thought the cause of that was either his age or possibly a small infection. What should we do?
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Hello there I have 6 years old Belgian Malinois. Her problems started maybe 3 or more years ago. Red and visible third eye lid. The discharge was white to green/yellow, very sticky. After 2 of the best vet ophthalmologist in the town, she was diagnosed with Keratoconjunctivis sicca KCS. They just make schrimer tear test and look the dog eyes through their ophthalmologist tool (I don't know the name of it) and said that diagnose. No matter they saw the dog have bald spots around the eyes (look like some fungus maybe), also dog ears and eyes are very itchy. So I started with cyclosporine eye drops. Already 3-4 years I'm giving them twice daily. But last year my dog get pregnant and birth six wonderful little Malinois. First of all I'm not very sure if those vets do their job proper. Both of them produce and sell cyclosporine by themselves. So it's good for them to buy from them until the dog is alive. Second they was very fast and sure about their examination results and didn't want to hear me about some other symptoms that I saw before. Third when I ask the second vet if it's possible KCS to be caused from another problem, like fungus or other he said its not possible. The main problem is that I ask 3 times before breed the dog if KCS is hereditary disease. The vet said it is not or there is no scientific evidence to be. So we breed the dog. And now 3, 5 month old malinois got eyes problems for sure. Same symptoms, they all have itchy eyes and ears, red and visible third eye lid. So I'm little bit angry. Not sure what to do and think. If it is KCS is there a chance to be curable if I cure some other basic problem. I think to take eye discharge and blood sample and take them in human laboratory to test them and see if there is some reaction from antibiotics or other drugs. Please give me advise. No more good vets here and im not sure if those was good at all. I wanna save all those puppys eyes from eye drops for life.. :(
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Our Cocker Spaniel has redness in her left eye. She is not acting different then normal. We noticed this on Christmas eve. She was fine before family came over. My nephew was harassing the dog which caused stress to Oreo. We of course put a stop to it but we noticed her eye was extremely red and Chad white discharge. I used a warm cloth to wipe the discharge off and then held a cold compress on it. Yesterday it looked a little bit better. Oreo is not pawing at her eyes and seems just fine otherwise. Can stress cause redness in eye?
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It sounds like Oreo has conjunctivitis which can be treated with a warm towel to wipe away the discharge from the eye and some antibiotic drops from your Veterinarian to treat the infection. If there are some other symptoms, it may be indicate of an underlying condition; your Veterinarian will check this when you go for the antibiotic eye drops. I would be cautious as if there is an infection it can infect the other eye too. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
I find it odd and unhelpful that the question has been asked here twice (this question and one below) does stress cause red eyes, and the responses have refused to even acknowledge this question. So for anyone else interested/asking - YES stress causes bloodshot red eyes, please look elsewhere or talk to your vet for this advice and don't immediately assume it's a medical condition.
Hi. My dog nutella had been pocked her eyes while she was groomed. The next day her eyes starts to red. what should i do?
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6 year old male german shepard has eye snot in his right eye . He is too protective to take to the Vet. but got medication eye drops from him . didnt work what to do ? I wont drug him up but need help .
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Our dog started to get a red eye a couple days ago we didn't know what it was and thought it would go away soon. It's been 2 days and we think that a neighborhood cat might have scratched his right eye. It appears cloudy he likes to keep it close most times and won't let anyone touch it .I don't what it could be?
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Hello, in the last month or so my dog's eyes have been rather bloodshot. They don't seem to be bothering her, and no eye discharge. I have brought her to the vet twice, 2 weeks apart, and all tests remain normal (pressure, tear, tumor test..). She was on antibiotic eye drops which didn't improve the redness. There is also brown outlining her blue eye. Could this just be allergies?
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Our family has a goldendoodle, 19 months old, received him from a service dog organization in November, so he has been with us for two months. In those two months he has had diarrhea on and off, eats grass like a cow, gags on a daily basis, and doesn't eat or drink some days. He is on prescription dog food (gastrointestinal), probiotics, and I give him pepcid, none of which are helping. This past week, things have gotten worse: he has had bloodshot eyes, diarrhea, constipation, gagging, coughing, vomiting, and is not his usual energetic self - a lot of moping and laying around and slow response time. Took him to the vet, and discovered he has loads of giardia, so he is on meds for nausea, intestamine, and metronidazole. He hasn't had a bowel movement in three days, is hardly eating, drinking a little, but still has bloodshot eyes that have become cloudy, he is still lethargic, and he is isolating himself at times throughout the day. Also, his medical history from the service dog organization showed rounds of giardia and camplyobacter. This has been a continuous cycle for him. Is it possible that our service dog has an underlying health condition that is causing all of this?
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The white surrounding my one of my dog’s iris has puffed up and turned dark and bright red in color. Possibly blood red. There is no discharge or excess tears that I can tell. When I lift the lid up of her eye, I can tell that there is a very significant raise in the blood red part surrounding her iris. She just got spade the day before I noticed this. Wondering if the pain medication or something the vet gave her could contribute to this.
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Our dogs eyes become red very quickly and he is now having a hard time opening his eye. He did not get into anything that we know of. We do notice it is effecting his right eye more then his left. But he is acting otherwise normal. Should we give him a Benadryl and let him sleep it off through the night or do you think we need to take him to the emergency vet tonight. The symptoms started around 8:30 and it is now almost an hour and a half later.
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my 6 yr old Labrador we have noticed a red dot inside his eye inside the iris could you say what it is? is it dangerous?
showing no signs of symptoms as such its just visually wen you look into his eye tou can see it.
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Took dog to vet on Tuesday because eye swollen and 3rd eye red. Green pus drainage. Antiobotic ointment, duramaxx and drops. Back to vet on Friday as no improvement. Oral antibiotic started. Off to emergency vet Saturday with increase edema of eye, difficulty opening mouth. Test shows solid mass behind eye. Stronger antibiotic. Cont duramaxx, ointment for eye. Poor little dog can't close eye it's so swollen. I'm at a loss as to what to do next. Help.
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It would be useful to know the type of mass behind the eye, was an ultrasound performed to determine that is was a solid mass? Usually when there is a suspect mass, we take a fine needle aspirate or a biopsy, but for a retrobulbar mass it was be difficult and risky; this usually results in a positive diagnosis and a treatment or surgical plan can be put in place. If the mass isn’t responding to treatment, exenteration of the eye (removal of the eye and surrounding muscles etc…) may be required if Codi is suitable for surgery at his age. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Yes. Ultrasound was dine but radiologist was afraid to attempt aspiration, penetrate actual eye. What would removing the eye accomplish other than a diagnosis? I'm a hospice nurse and would definitely not put my Lil dog through chemo or radiation.
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An ultrasound was done but radiologist felt too risky to aspirate. Report shows a mass behind left eye, either a poorly differentiated mass or inflamation of the fat behind the eye. sent home with antibiotics clindamycin ,eye ointment , drops and deramaxx eye is slightly less swollen today. ate well but only opens mouth about 1and half inch. Could this be a dental issue? I will most likely have my vet do dental x-rays the coming week. What do you think?
Thanks
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Taking a sample from behind the eye is difficult in the best conditions and is a procedure that while simple on paper is quite skilful. Codi’s pain or reluctance to open his mouth will be connected to the mass behind the eye, generally we can expect pain opening the mouth in this case so I think that a dental x-ray isn’t required as part of the diagnosis, but useful for a general check up of his teeth. If after the start of this round of medication you’ve noticed some improvement, I would wait until the treatment ends before deciding on another course of treatment unless the condition gets worse. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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My dog has her eyes red , she can barely open one of them . It started this morning , she didn’t do anything unusual. Normally she is jumping and running but now she just lay down and try to sleep but she wakes up every other minute just complaining ,
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I was wondering about my dog because I observed that his eyes is always wet and I've noticed that it has a red spot of his eyes and always yawning. Hope I can get an advice and what do I need to do. Thank you.
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Hi.I found a dog left deposit but notice he have red spot in one eye.Seller sed vet.cheked capiliars nothing seriuoly.But im nor sure if he sick.Looks helathy plauful pupie.
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Her eyes for several years get bloodshot just rubbings against things. Thought it was allergies but it still happen when I gave her allergy meds. I have no clue what the pills the vet gave her nor what the cause was. Thought they helped but the 2 exam of same did not work. Her eyes can be fine one minute and the next look like there bleeding. Last night she turned and stretched her eyes to look and in the corner it started coming out. Gave her allergy pill and hemp oil last night and was fine this morning and all day. She just rubbed her nose on me and they turned red. I am afraid they will pop out and also suspect Lyme disease as me and my son have chronic because of misdiagnosed. Now the other 2 pups are getting red eyes, limp after play and sleep all the time total opposite of a year. Need A. Lyme doctors in bacon MI
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I have 9 year old Dachshund she was born with her third eyelid covering half her eye. No problems until a few weeks ago her eye was swollen and she wouldn’t open it. Vet gave her an antibiotic she did a test didn’t see anything on the eye. Now it’ looks like pupil is gone and her whole eye is reddish pink almost maroon
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My puppy is six months. It just popped up three days ago he doesn't have symptoms, only has one blood red on the whites of his eye. Is there a cheap method of getting it taken care of? We are a low income family. But he's doing just fine not rubbing his eye or anything. What can I do?
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While there are a few different causes of the sclera (white part of eye) to be red, infection is the most common cause; you can pick up some terramycin eye drops from your local pet store although you may need to visit one of the national chains. Other causes are allergies, chemical irritation, trauma to name a few. If the redness doesn’t improve with the drops visit your Veterinarian. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
I have a border collie who's left eye appears red where the white is. What could it be and how do I treat it ????
Okay my dogs one eye was bright red then goes away. Not sure what the vet said it was but got meds again. It comes and goes but now in both eyes. The other day it look like the eye was going to pop out, gave allergy and hemp oil and it’s fine. This has been going on and I feel they have Lyme Disease as my other two dogs eyes are starting to get bloodshot, sleeping all the time. Me and my son have chronic Lyme because we could not get a correct diagnosis. So how do I check them for Lyme which I read causes this red eye.
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My chihuahua got out of house and came back with what looks like a blood blister on one eye. Swelling has now gone down around the eye but blister remains. She can barley open her eye. Her eye is cloudy with this huge blister covering her iris. Other eye is fine. I’m thinking maybe someone kicked her or threw something at her or maybe mailman possibly maced her. How can I help make it better
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My 11 y/o husky was just treated at the vet for this. He has a small re bump on the inside of his upper eyelid. I didn't notice it until he was pawing at it and I looked a bit closer and found this. He was prescribed an antibiotic ointment to drop in his eye 3 times a day. The vet says this if this doesn't help he would need to have surgery to remove it. I would like to exhaust all options before we put him under. Was wondering if there is anything else we should talk to her about before me make this decision. It has been a few days and it doesn't look like it's getting smaller or bigger.
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Lady, my dog, has redness in her right eye where it is supposed to be white. She isn’t rubbing it from what i’ve seen and it doesn’t seem to hurt her. What should I do to help her? My family doesn’t have a lot of money for a visit to the vet but we also want her to be safe.
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My 9 month old min pin/husky/boxer mix was neutered two weeks ago. After having an ecollar on for 14 days to prevent him messing with his stitches, we went to take the collar off and he immediately started pawing at and rubbing his eyes. They are both red and maybe a little puffy. He has some discharge but it doesn't appear to be anymore or any different than the little bit of discharge he always has had. We took the ecollar off of him yesterday to go on a walk and he wasn't rubbing his eyes then so I don't think it's been going on long. We put the ecollar back on him to stop him from pawing at his eyes (he doesn't mind the collar. What should we do? Could it be related to the neutering procedure? Thanks!
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Thanks Dr.! The redness and pawing got better throughout the day but has since come back worse than before. His eyes are definitely swollen and it looks like he has developed a rash on one side of his mouth on his lips (it's not inside his mouth or on/under the tongue). We are washing the blankets in his kennel and all of his toys. We haven't given him any new kinds of treats/bones but threw away the ones he has been chewing on just to be safe in case he is having an allergic reaction to something.
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My dog was staying at the minders for 3 days (they came highly recommended but this was her first stay) when I picked her up I noticed the whites of her eyes were blood red. I asked what had happened and the said they were like that when she arrived which they most definitely were not. I took her straight to the vet who is doing a full boold screen. He asked had she been fighting which I've never known her to do but I did check with the minders and they said "no". The vet also mentioned a possible trauma to her head which obviously has upset me greatly!! She isn't pawing at them and they aren't watering and have no discharge. I'm worried sick it could be something serious? Also heartbroken that she might have been hit in some way. She seems in quite good form and behaving her normal loveable self. Just wondered what your opinion was. Many thanks
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Thank you, her blood tests will be back today. Praying it's nothing serious. Kindest regards Julie
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My dog has been having a red eye for a couple of days. It seems somewhat swollen but not too much. She keeps putting her paw to her eye as if trying to scratch it. It's the 4th day now and there seems to be a red dot in the middle of her pupil. The other eye has no signs of this. I'm worried as to what this might be.
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My dog is 9 years old and started with cataracs when 3 yrs old, but is now having very inlarged eyes (fluid in the cornia above the pupil) with bloody red whites. Vet has prescribed drops of Timolol Maleate Ophthalmic Solution twice a day, but that does not seem to keep it controled.
Am not able to find what these symtoms would indicate he has. what are your thoughts. He is half toy poodle and half bijon frise.
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Your Veterinarian has prescribed a medication for glaucoma; I haven’t seen or examined Punkin’s eyes, but he may have anterior uveitis, displaced lens or severe infection. If the problems persists, you may need to visit a specialist if you are unable to get to the root cause of the problem. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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My dogs eye started getting red this morning, it started to run a little (tears) now both eyes are red we gave him benadryl as well as we bought some eye antimicrobial ophthalmic gel were not sure if it's helping.He is acting happy and playing as usualy could it be allergies? He is 6. Any Advice?
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It is a good first step to give treatment for allergies and infection; but before you give the next ointment, wash Captain’s eyes by running lukewarm water over his eyes just to rinse the eyes and to remove anything that may be irritating his eyes. If you don’t see any improvement over a two day period or the symptoms worsen, visit your Veterinarian for a physical examination. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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We came home from vacation and discovered a red lump (about the diameter of a green pea) on his eye. As his eyelids are very droopy and he is stubborn and won't let me get a very good look, it's hard to pinpoint exactly where the lump is (I think it's on the iris.) His eyes are also cloudy and I have polymycin drops that I've been using. Since he's exceptionally old he's started having more ear, eye and skin infections. I have an appointment for him on Friday. However, with him being a 13 year old basset hound, I'm perpetually terrified that any vet visit could be the last. I just don't want him to be miserable. He still eats but his demeanor has changed. Any ideas?
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There are various different causes, some serious and some not so serious; however in an aging dog, caution should be taken. If it is red, this means that it is vascularised and may be a hemangioma or hemangiosarcoma but we cannot know for sure unless it has been removed and has been checked for histopathology. For the meantime, the ophthalmic ointment wouldn’t cause any harm; but it is important for your Veterinarian to see it sooner rather than later. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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I noticed my 8yr old Yorkie was squinting with his right eye the other day. He has always had a lot of build up around his eyes that I am constantly cleaning. I assumed that was what was bothering him so I cleaned his eyes. And noticed the white of his eye was very red and he has a cloudy patch . I started using a sterile eye was for dogs but I'm not seeing much difference. Any advice?
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Hi.. I'm from India. My 5 year old Beagle here has redness of eyes and his eyes look cloudy with continuous white discharge coming from within his eye. (more than normal) We keep cleaning his eyes all the time. It's almost 6 months now. The veterinary doctor here gave drops for a few days then simply said that its bound to happen with old age. 5 isn't that old and hence I'm worried and wish to get a consult. Thank you.
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I wouldn’t call five years old as being old for a Beagle; Beagles may live to 15 or older. White discharge from the eyes is usually attributable to conjunctivitis from an infection which is normally treated with a topical eye drop solution; in other cases, other conditions like keratoconjunctivitis, allergies, foreign objects in the eye among other problems may cause a white (or other colour) discharge. If topical antibiotic treatment has been unsuccessful, it would be best to return to your Veterinarian (or another Veterinarian) for a more closer look at Mickey’s eyes. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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My 6 month old puppy has had red eyes pretty much since we got him. The vet has never said anything but we always forget to ask. He doesn't scratch at his face or seem irrated by them. What are the odds it is just allergies or something more serious?
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Every Veterinarian should examine a dog’s eyes during each visit (during a basic physical examination) and would indicate if there was any issues. Some reddening of the eyes may occur due to allergies, other irritation, infection, foreign bodies, dry eyes among other causes. If your Veterinarian hasn’t mentioned anything, I wouldn’t be too concern; but it may be worth just popping in to be on the safe side. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
My dog is one year old and he got a big bubble on him trout.. it went down but now his left eye is small and red coloured....
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My dog is a 21 month old Dutch/German shepherd mix. She has a history of inexplicable health problems and has seen many vets, including specialists. After months of itching it became clear that she is sensitive to poultry and beef. She is a on limited, grain free diet with lamb as the primary protein.
She's been doing well but last week she started scratching alot despite recent flea treatment. No signs of fleas or skin issue.
Saturday we went to offleash park. She played and acted normally with my other dog. On walk home she started looking a bit off and hanging back. I thought maybe she smelled a skunk. Shortly after she suddenly laid down on the sidewalk and curled up like she was going to sleep. This was on the sidewalk of a busy freeway overpass- an area she is usually trying to get away from ASAP.
She got up when induced with treats and walked again, but repeatedly tried to lay down along the way. I ended up pushing her the rest of way home in a shopping cart.
Once home she was still interested in food and alert, but I noticed she was squinting. Her right eye more so than left. Her eyes under the lid were red. She was lethargic but still alert and eating/bathroom normally. I gave her a half dose of Benadryl (she's 53 lbs and I gave her 25 mg) in case it was allergies. Temp was 102.
Sunday she was still interested in food but much more lethargic. Eye more swollen. Seemed to be eating more slowly and delicately. Took her to vet. Slight fever. Full blood panel was mostly normal with slightly elevate WBC. Vet thought it was allergies and said if worsened, we'd do antibiotics. Sunday night she ate, but noticeably slower and more gingerly. Per vet, gave her benadryl, but when I opened her mouth, she cried out, which is not normal. I checked her mouth and throat. No signs of pain in her mouth, no noticeable swollen tonsils (she has had swollen tonsils in the past that required antibiotics).
Monday morning she didn't want to get out of bed. I tried feeding her some cooked lamb that was a bit dried out and she wanted to eat but appeared to have difficulty chewing it. She ate her small kibble. Her eye was more swollen and both eyes looked like they were barely open. Took her to emergency vet who thought it might be retrobulbular abscess from foxtail. Took to my regular vet who did exploratory eye procedure and kept her overnight. No abscess, no foreign body found. Checked mouth and throat and found nothing. Vet said eye inflammation likely caused by allergic reaction though the swelling is very severe. Gave clindamycin topical and oral cephalexin.
Brought my dog home today and she is still very lethargic, eye is huge (vet said probably worse from the procedure). She ate normally, and pooped a bunch. There was some fresh blood at the end of her pooping. That was new.
I don't know what to do. She looks awful. Obviously feels awful. But three vets don't know what exactly is going on. And I don't know how long I should wait for improvement before taking her to a specialist. The holistic vet that has seen her in the past thinks it's immune related response/allergies, which makes sense in light of my poor dog's short but unhealthy life so far. But if it's an allergic reaction, to what?
Any thoughts appreciated. I am not sure what to do next.
Thank you.
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My initial thoughts were allergies which would also correlate to the mild increase in white blood cells; the problem with allergies is determining the culprit as a dog may be allergic to almost anything. Another possible cause may be chemical irritation, some cleaning products especially may cause sneezing and respiratory irritation but a dog may have a severe reaction to a particular product; try to think if any new products were used around the house or garden which may be affecting Grendel. If your Veterinarians are unable to come to a diagnosis, they probably ran through all the usual suspects which produce the symptoms which Grendel is presenting; at this point an Internal Medicine Specialist may be best to visit to help determine a diagnosis. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Thank you for the response. Unfortunately it's been 12 hours since I brought her home and her eye has not gone down at all, she has been as lethargic as before I took her in, and she now has a fever again (103.8). I sent a picture of her face to her holistic vet who immediately emailed back that it looked like a retrobulbular abscess and that she needs to see an eye specialist right away. This makes me wonder if her other, regular (allopathic) vet actually looked for, or was able to look for, such a thing. I'm afraid it's quite likely he did not have the capacity to check for that, so I'm going to try and get my girl in to an eye specialist tomorrow. Very upsetting. Based on what she looked like when I picked her up today, the vet should never have released her to come home with me but rather sent us directly to a specialist.
As for the potential irritant- nothing different in my home. But her behavior changed right after running at the park. She had shown no signs of this prior, which leads me to believe it was something at the park. What I don't get is that if it IS an allergic reaction, why isn't responding to benadryl and why would the reaction last this long and actually worsen? It's been 3 days since the park, and the eye has become progressively worse. I would expect it to decrease, yes?
In any event, in case it is an environmental allergen, I rinsed her off today, have washed all my dog's bedding, all my bedding, and cleaned the floors (I only use vinegar and water).
Hoping for some improvement/answers soon.
Thank you again.
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Dogs left eye was very red, swollen, cloudy and had massive discharge. The whole eye lid/around the eye looks as tho he was punched in the eye; swollen, red, almost bloody/black and blue looking like. Took him to pet emergency where they did an eye stain to check the cornea and a pressure test. All was good except eye pressure was low. There was no signs of an ulcear. They deemed this a chemical burn from some product that must have gotten into his eye and infected it. Was prescribed 3 medicines and have been following them properly for the last 2 days but eye is not showing signs of relief. Personally looks as thought its getting worse or not progressing at all. My dogs overall behavior is normal aside from this hes eating and remaining upbeat. Until its medicine application time. He closes that eye so tight as tho the application is very painful for him. I strruggle to get it all in his eye properly. My question is how long until I should expect to see some improvement? When should I contact the vet for follow up? Will my standard vet be able to help with treatment anymore then the emergency vet? Is there something else I can do to help aide in his comfort or soother to help heal this sooner?
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It seems like Teddy is receiving the standard treatment for an injury to his eye as you’re describing. Sometimes chemical or physical burns can take time to resolve, especially if there is extensive damage. It would be useful to visit your regular Veterinarian to see if there is any change in the severity and a review of the overall symptoms. Treatment and recovery for eye injuries can take a long time with the first week just giving the eye chance to stabilise itself. I’ve included a link to an article on chemical injury to a human eye, but the physiology and recovery would be similar to a dog. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3779420/#sec1-6title
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We rescued Paisley in June. The whites of her eyes are alway bloodshot looking. The degree var never goes away. In addition the skin on her eyelids and on her snout near her lips and nose is pink too. Similarly the degree changes but never entirely goes away. There is no swelling and it does not appear to be painful or bothersome to her. One vet said she suspected seasonal allergies and said to wait until winter. She advised that if allergies were the culprit the red would go away during winter. It's January....and the redness is the same and fluctuates a similar degree as it did during summer and fall months. A second vet saw her and he said if it's not bothering her, it's safe to leave it untreated. I'm still concerned to know the source and make changes to help her. What causes might fit this scenario? What things should I do, not do, or change because of this? I can send a photo if it would help.
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Good to read about rescue dogs being taken into good homes. It is possible that Paisley has allergies but they may not be seasonal, they maybe due to something in your house like a laundry detergent or an ingredient in food (which wouldn’t change with the seasons). Giving Paisley Benadryl (1mg/lb) may reduce the redness if allergies are the culprit, but as your second Veterinarian told you; if it isn’t bothering her just keep an eye on it. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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My 5 year old chocolate lab started off with one eye becoming very blood red and irritated. He couldn't even open the eye because he looked as though it was very painful. At first we thought it was an injury to the eye but it soon spread to the other eye. Now three days later both eyes are very blood red and the initial eye that what hurting is now cloudy over the cornea. We are extremely worried that he could be going blind. At this point we have been giving him what the vet prescribed witch is neomycin and ploymyxin B sulfates and bacitracin zinc ophthalmic ointment. We have been administering that to him three times a day. He has had 4 doses to far and there is absolutely no change in his eyes. We don't know what this could be but we know he is in pain and cannot even open his eyes and even when he does he clearly cannot see because he has been running into walls. Can you please give us advice on what to do next?
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With the progression of symptoms, I would be concerned about glaucoma. Glaucoma can spread to the other eye, produces pain, reddening of the eye and cloudy eyes. A visit back to your Veterinarian is required to check the intraocular pressure and if confirmed as glaucoma to determine the primary cause so that treatment can commence to see if the blindness may be reversed. Causes of glaucoma can be due to injury, internal structural problems, tumours, inflammation and infections. Other causes (apart from infection and glaucoma) of red eye can be allergies or chemical irritants. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
https://www.vetary.com/dog/condition/glaucoma
Thank you so much for your advice. We took him to the animal hospital and to see an ophthalmologist and you were correct. He has secondary glaucoma in his left eye and conjunctivitis in his right. He has been prescribed multiple medications to treat the issue and try and preserve his sight in his left eye. I appreciate the quick response and thank you again!
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Is there any OTC medication or any in home treatment we can administer for this?
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There are numerous causes for red eye in dogs with infection being a common problem, treatment would consist of antibiotic eye drops prescribed by your Veterinarian; there are some eye drops available at pet store and online to treat infection, however I would recommend visiting your Veterinarian as there are numerous other causes of red eye including allergies, glaucoma, inflammation of structures within the eye, ulceration, dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), tumours and foreign bodies to name a few which have different treatments and can progress to the point of blindness if not treated promptly. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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My dogs eye has gotten progressively worse over the passed few days, from a slightly irritated eye to now a reddish bump on her eye. I am using an Elizabethan collar to keep her from scratching it, and just began using eye drops the Vet said was safe to use before the red bump appeared. Would like to know if I should continue administering the drops, or should I take her back to the vet?
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In cases where a Veterinarian has prescribed a treatment and during the course of the treatment the condition (in this case the eye) gets worse, always go back to visit your Veterinarian to review the case and the treatment plan. The Elizabethan collar and eye drops are the standard treatment in these cases, the reddish bump that has appeared may be due to a prolapsed third eyelid which would require surgical correction; without examining Shy I couldn’t comment further. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
What is the cost for a check on my dogs red eye
My fog has red eyes in the corner by her nose in both eyes and she has very teary eyes.
My dog was scratched in one eye by another dog. It has been 2 weeks and is red and swollen and his eye is displaced. Now his other eye is doing the same thing but wasn't scratched
What should I do
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Hi, my dog Trixie was rescued and she was as they call the runt of the litter. Her left eye got a red lump on it with cloudiness on the corners of the eye and the skin around the eye (on the inside) was also blood red and it seeped green on the corners. I took her to the vet, they put fluorescent drops in and decided to put a gauze on her eye to heal it. She also had 3 rounds of antibiotics. Now the lump is gone but the whole eye is blood red, cloudy and it's spread to her other eye too! She also can only see a little bit in both eyes as she keeps walking into things and misjudging things. I'm going to the vet tomorrow morning but I don't have a lot of faith in the vet as they keep saying "there's no lump anymore" and only send me away with antibiotics! Any ideas on what the issue could be so I can suggest it to my vet?
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Various problems may affect the eyes including infections (some severe infections may require culture and sensitivity), trauma, chemical irritation, glaucoma, cataracts, uveitis among other causes; if you are concerned it would be best to speak with another Veterinarian to examine Trixie or to visit an Ophthalmologist to get another opinion (the link below will help you find an Ophthalmologist in your area). Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
http://acvo.org/new/public/locate.shtml
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What should I do if my 16 month old german shepherd/ malamute mix has a bloodshot eye? Only one of her eyes are red and there is green discharge. She does not seem to be in discomfort and theres no swelling.
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Bloodshot eyes may be caused by a few different causes; infection or local irritation are the most common causes of bloodshot eyes. It would be best to flush the eye out with sterile saline (there may be a corneal ulcer) and to apply a ophthalmic antibiotic ointment twice per day; if you see no improvement over two days, visit your Veterinarian. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
My New Puppy eight month old cocker spaniel has one left red eye and we put antibiotic drops in it and that didn't help and so now I don't know what to do I don't really want to spend $150 to go to an ophthalmologist what should I do she's AKC Cocker Spaniel and I'm going to breed
My malshi got attacked by two pitbulls and her right upper eye is blood shot red in the whote part should i take her back to the vet for further treatment because i dont like seeing her like this at all.
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My dog started out with his right eye being blood shot and a little puffy.. but over the past 3 days his eye has gotten worse and is now completely cloudy and blood shot...
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If one eye is affected it may be just a small infection, you can pickup antibiotic eye drops from your local pet store; however, since you are seeing a progression in severity and cloudiness of the eye, it would be best to visit your Veterinarian to to make sure there isn’t anything more serious going on: uveitis, corneal ulceration, cataracts, etc… Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
good morning doctor.
i have a question to ask my dog got conjuctivitis a while ago rubbing his eye and closing it whit water discharge and i treated it whit conofite and Fucitalmic for a week whit positives results altough i don't know if this was before or after the conjuntivitis but its something most of the dogs have he just have a little redness near his conjunctiva in just two spots whit around 1mm in lenght. a friend of mine have a boxer and he always had that ''redness'' and ''discharge color?'' near one spot in the eye. my dog is a pitbull. is this normal? he's always whit appetite never scratch the eye and never show any symptoms or side effects. sorry for the big text thanks a lot btw
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My dog Moe was diagnosed with a small corneal ulcer and given medicated drops from the Vet. We finished those and took him to a follow up partly because he was due, but also his eye was still swollen red and he avoids sun. They gave us a a salve to administer to the eye and told us if it doesn't clear up we would have to go to the optometrist. Is there a test a normal vet could do to see what's going on. The vets said the ulcers had healed and the conjunctivitis looks to be cleared up but his eye is still red and a bit swollen if something is stuck in the eye is it safe to flush it. He has an optometry appointment but it's far out. HELP!!!!
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There are various problems which may affect the eye including: corneal ulceration, foreign bodies, infections, structural problems (lens luxation etc…), among other problems. Generally, if an ulcer is suspected, fluorescein eye test is performed; glaucoma, tonometry; foreign bodies, visual examination; other problems examination with an ophthalmoscope; and in some cases, ultrasound of the eye. If all the usual suspects have been ruled out, a visit to an Ophthalmologist would be best; if you are looking to flush the eye, you can use lukewarm saline and run it over the eye not into it. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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Right eye red, third eyelid slightly overlapping but seems to be healing.
Not bothering him or showing signs of discomfort.
Only seems to get worse at night.
Only started yesterday; seems to be getting better
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It may be that Ollie has a little bit of irritation in the eye, it may be the start of an infection or Horner’s syndrome; keep an ‘eye’ on it and if it hasn’t improved over the next day or so visit your Veterinarian. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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Hi! We just got our dog Roxy. We noticed red spots on the whites of her eyes that werent there when we got her. It kind of looks like blood pooling. They don't seem to bother her, there's no discharged, cloudiness, or anything like that. Her and my other dog play pretty rough so I'm assuming it might be from trauma. I'm not sure though. What could be causing it?
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Flat red spots on the sclera (white of the eye) would be due to burst blood vessels due to excessive roughhousing etc… They should disappear within a week, if they don’t disappear (or they are raised from the surface) visit your Veterinarian for an examination. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
My pitbull Meah looks like she has the same thing happening now. There is no swelling or cloudiness or discharge. Just eye winkies when she wakes up but thy was there before. How did it go with Roxy after a week?
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My mini schnauzer had to be sedated for a rectal exam. Prior to sedation vet tried to exam her and she was screaming. When we picked her up her eyes were bloodshot red. No white shows. Vet said could be from sedation or stress. Prescribed her neomycin and polymyxin B sulfates and dexamethasone ophthalmic ointment. I read it's for bacterial infections so I don't want to give to her. Would stress or sedation cause red eyes? Treatment? How long will it last? Thank you.
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Bloodshot eyes may be attributable to sedation (like with acepromazine), this is usually transient and usually resolves without treatment. Your Veterinarian may have prescribed the ointment to cover any possible complications with a bacterial infection. If there are no other symptoms, I wouldn’t be too worried. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
I find it odd and unhelpful that the question has been asked here twice (this question and one above) does stress cause red eyes, and the responses have refused to even acknowledge this question. So for anyone else interested/asking - YES stress causes bloodshot red eyes, please look elsewhere or talk to your vet for this advice and don't immediately assume it's a medical condition.
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My cocker spaniel eyes are very red, she is also licking her front paws excessively . And her eyes are very leaky. She is 7 years old. Last time I brought this up to her doctor , he said it was allergies and gave her a allergy shot. I think it may be something more.
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You could try giving Benadryl at a dose of 1mg/lb to see if that alleviates her symptoms. Sometimes dogs will produce a large amount of tears and will rub them off with their paws which then taste salty so they lick them. Licking of the paws can cause irritation between the footpads leading to further licking so try to stop her from licking. The red eyes may also be due to infection, trauma or ocular disease. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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My dogs eyes look a bit red is there any otc medication I can buy for him
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The treatment for red eyes would be dependent on the cause, pugs are known for having eye problems; the redness may be due to infection, drying of the eyes, trauma, haemorrhage etc… If Max’s eyes aren’t bothering him, try some lubricating eye drops to see if his eyes improve; otherwise a check by his Veterinarian to determine the cause would be required. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Hi, my mini schnauzer has more eye discharge these past days, and he has colds. Is it related to his colds? A little bit reddish white part of his left eye.right eye seems fine. Not bothered by it. No squinting, no rubbing. Just getting paranoid.
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