A little history: My two Dobermans (and every one I've owned previously) periodically get what is known in my house as "eye boogies." If I see them, I will gently touch a tissue to the inner corner of the eye, and the boogie will stick to it and I simply pull it out. Otherwise, I'm sure the dogs just shake their heads and they end up wherever, unfortunately, which is why I try to remove them when I see them.

They are always some shade of grayish-white and semi-translucent. This past week, I have noticed Logan having brownish-colored ones just in his left eye. They seem to have a slightly different texture, too, and have a tendency to be found stuck to the skin below the corner of his eye instead of just staying in the inner corner of the eye like the typical ones do. One I removed yesterday had a distinctly red color, and today's is kind of reddish-brown. I can see nothing else obviously wrong with his eye. He looks and acts normal in every other respect.

I'm figuring if he is the same tomorrow I will call my vet, but in case anyone is around the board today, on a Sunday, I just wondered if any of you have had this kind of experience or have any idea why the eye goop suddenly changed from gray to reddish-brown.

My shepherd changed the color to greenish during the last weeks. I am sure this is just dust washing out of the eye. He sleeps on his side, and when he is completely relaxed, he sleeps with open eyes.
Usually he sleeps outside (there are less eye boogies), but due to a foot injury he is less active, and stays inside the house (there he has more eye boogies). I think it has to do with the fact, that he is laying on his side more often in the house.
My Yorkie almost never sleeps on her side, and doesn't have the problem as much.

Thanks for the reply, Michael. I hope the green stuff clears up from your dog's eye. I've always heard that greenish or yellowish could possibly signify an infection.

I thought I had gotten lucky when he went a good 24 hours with no discharge, but starting Monday, the goop was distinctly blood-tinged. So I've just gotten back from an appointment with my vet. Unfortunately, it's not just a minor irritation, which is what I was hoping to hear. It's definitely something, but at this point we're not sure what kind of something it is. There is a tiny growth that I would say is about half the size of a sesame seed tucked into the back corner of the eye, right where the top and bottom lids come together. It took the vet's lighted magnifying glass to see it, but now that I know where it is, it's fairly easy to see in good light.

She said the first thing she would think of is a meibomian gland cyst, but that they don't usually bleed. So she thinks it should come off surgically but doesn't feel this is an emergency. So I'm going to try to get in to see a canine ophthalmologist I used earlier this year when he had a histiocytoma in the other eye. I would like to get a second opinion on what it might be and what the treatment should be, and if he does need surgery, I would feel better having the specialist do it. I'm just waiting to hear back from them on when I can get an appointment.

I will be thinking of you and Logan on this upsetting development, Cheri -- It's a daily routine of removing run-of-the-mill Nasty EYE Boogers from Adobe & Adonis at my house ... Adobe eats hers, but Adonis turns up his nose at the ones he produces, LOL.

I agree that any yellow / Brown / GREEN discharge could mean Infection, and BLOODY mucus does warrant a Vet visit -- Keeping all fingers & paws crossed here for this to be an easy surgical fix with NO further complications !!!

Fingers crossed for good news!

Thanks, Candi and Bob. The soonest I can get in to see the ophthalmologist is December 10, about two weeks from now, and that's with a different ophthalmologist, at one of their satellite offices. To see the one I saw before was going to be a month's wait.

That's okay, my GP vet said she didn't think it was an emergency, and it will give me a chance to see if the ointment helps at all. Of course, if it suddenly worsens, I'll take him in on an emergency basis, but I hope it doesn't come to that. I'll post again after the appointment to let you know what happens.

Boy, I said it before when I was hunting for a canine dental specialist a couple years ago, and I have to say it again. Seems like there is a shortage of veterinary specialists, and there are so many fields to choose from. Might be something to consider for smart young animal lovers who are thinking about their future career choices.

Logan had his ophthalmologist appointment this morning, and unfortunately, he is going to need surgery. The eyelid lesion is still there, about the same size, and although he no longer has a blood-tinged discharge, the lesion itself always looks red and inflamed.

The vet said this is not one of the common, benign lesions she often sees and therefore was not comfortable saying it was nothing to worry about. The only way to know for sure is to remove it and send it for pathology.

Fortunately, it is small enough that this should be an easy surgery with a minimum of discomfort for Logan. It is scheduled for next Tuesday. I am dreading the results of the lab work.

 Quote: Cheri Grissom

Logan had his ophthalmologist appointment this morning, and unfortunately, he is going to need surgery. The eyelid lesion is still there, about the same size, and although he no longer has a blood-tinged discharge, the lesion itself always looks red and inflamed.

The vet said this is not one of the common, benign lesions she often sees and therefore was not comfortable saying it was nothing to worry about. The only way to know for sure is to remove it and send it for pathology.

Fortunately, it is small enough that this should be an easy surgery with a minimum of discomfort for Logan. It is scheduled for next Tuesday. I am dreading the results of the lab work.

Oh, Cheri Hoping & Praying here that it's just some unusual little nothing & is NOT malignant !!!

Fingers, toes, eyes and elbows crossed!

Most likely this will be another histiocytoma, just guessing of course. And anything on the face heals super duper fast, tons of white cells there, tons of blood supply---

Hoping for an easy surgery, a "nothing" path report, and all better by Christmas, and you still have enough dough left over to fill your stockings!