Hello everybody,

I just returned from the vet with my 7 month old GSD pup for an eye check up since she has been having quite goopy eyes for several months now. At first, the vet prescribed her Tobrex. This solved the problem while she was being medicated; however, shortly after I stopped (based on the prescription instructions) giving it to her the problem would resurface. I told my vet, who at first thought it may be a food allergy, but when she realized I was feeding raw she was pleased and thought I may not have cleaned her crate and toys regularly enough and like human conjunctivitus, she caught it again. Another round of Tobrex was given to her and I cleaned her toys and crate daily.

The same resurfaced when the medication stopped - her eyes are worse after sleeping (green/brown goop that crusts). I waited for about two months to see if it would just subside, but nothing changed so I took her back to the vet last night. She said it may bacterial and offered this course of treatment:

1. Prescribed Ciloxan, which is a broader spectrum antibiotic to be dispensed in her eyes just like Tobrex.
2. If after Ciloxan treatment, the symptoms resurface, to give her half a tablet of Benedral.
3. If the Benedral works, my vet says that indicates an environmental allergin. Knowing that I have two cats, my vet thinks my pup may be allergic to cats.

My questions here are:

1. Is this course of treatment sound? I think this vet is the most honest of the three I have already seen, but would like to have the opinions of others on this board.
2. Has anybody else had this problem where a dog may (or is) allergic to cats? And, did you "solve" this problem (aside from disowning the cats)?

Thank you once again.

I'm pretty sure a dog can be allergic to cat dander but I think you'd see other allergic symptoms (itching, biting)in addition to goopy eyes.

I do know bacterial infections can be stubborn and need the correct antibiotic in order to get rid of them. If a proper diagnosis was never made in the first place then you may have been using the wrong medication all along.

I hate the whole "may be this...could be that" diagnostic guessing game that involves repeat vet visits and trying one medication after another. If the Ciloxan/Benedryl treatment doesn't solve the problem I'd see a veterinary opthamologist for a second opinion. It's what I did and only then, after months of ineffective treatment, did I finally get the correct diagnosis....which, as it turned out, wasn't an infection at all.

Kasey, our golden, had the same thing starting around 6 months of age. I would have to wipe the gunk out of his eyes several times a day. My vet never thought it was an infection due to the color of it.The vet said if it's infected it's a thick yellow pus looking gunk, as opposed to a more greenish brown color(sounds great, huh?). Unfortunately, that was the beginning of Kasey's environmental allergies. It sometimes starts with gunky eyes, the dermo vet said.

About 3 or 4 months later he started having more all over itching. I have to say though, that once we started feeding him raw, his eyes rarely do that anymore. He got skin tested a few weeeks ago and he's allergic to 45 different pollens, danders, molds,etc. Cat dander is one of the things they test for, and he did turn up allergic to that! Luckily we don't have a cat.

What are you feeding him? If not raw, you could try switching foods too.

Sandy - for your dog that did not have an infection at all, was it an allergy or just simply a dog with goopy eyes?

Lori - I feed her raw - she eats a variety of stuff like chicken, lamb, beef, and fish. The discharge from her eyes range from green to yellow to white. There is not much consistency.

allergies can manifest in the form of runny/goop eyes, conjestion and sneezing, most of the time it includes itching, but it doesn't have too.

the dog might be allergic to the cats,or something else. do you have carpet?
flower garden? birds?

merlin my cat has to take a benadryl every 2 days in the early spring and fall. he never itched, but he sneezed like crazy when my windows were open(didn't have ac), and he would have goopy eyes.

Mallory - I have hardwood floors with a rug that gets vacuumed more than twice a week. No flower garden or birds. She does not scratch or have any other symptom of allergies (e.g., coughing, sneezing, etc.). The vet tells me she is in perfect health otherwise. I hope it is just a bacterial infection rather than allergies. Seasonal allergies crossed my mind; unfortunately, I do not remember exactly when she started this bout of eye discharge. I will just have to watch and wait.

Siaty,

The discharge associated with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis is usually string/strand like.

In bacterial conjunctivitis, you can get discharge that causes the lids to stick together, especially at awake. She will get discharge throughout the day as well.

Are her lids swollen or red? Could it be blepharitis (lid inflammation, often accompanied by conjunctivitis)?

Color to the discharge is/can be a warning (of infection).

As Sarah said, " If the Ciloxan/Benedryl treatment doesn't solve the problem I'd see a veterinary opthamologist for a second opinion."

 Quote: Siaty Mantak

The discharge from her eyes range from green to yellow to white.

Clear discharge sometimes does accompany the most common symptom of allergies in dogs (skin itch). Was a culture of the discharge done?

The colors described would indicate mucopurulent discharge, I believe, or mucus plus pus.

i have a 9 month old cane corso and ever since he was a pupp his eyes were runny i guess thats normal to the mastiff breed, but yesterday i noticed his right eye is bright red and his left eye in normal redish color, im thinking maybe pink eye but there is no crusty discharge and he is not itching his eye either

as this just started last night im going to keep my eye on it, no pun intended lol, for a few days to see if the redness subsides. if not should i try the benedryl before bringing him to the vet, i dont like to bring him to the vet unless i really have to, as most vets only want your money to begin with even myself i dont go to the docs office unless i need to.

and im also getting a new corso pupp this sat a female, should i keep them seperated untill im sure what ace has isnt contagous?

thank you

and im sorry if i posted on an outdated thread, i just noticed the date of the last post.