I’m one happy go-lucky doggy. I look at the world through rosy-colored glasses, and hot dawg is this a great place to be! But this morning I couldn’t see a thing – my eyes were ruffing sealed shut with shtuff! When I finally managed to wrench my gooky orbs open, a hazy peek in the mirror told me that my eyes were more than rosy – they were red! And itchy. And watery. Ickickickick! I have Canine Conjunctivitis (also called pink eye)!

I was at doggy daycare again the other day, and that long-eared red-headed bitch (I’ve mentioned her before) was there, with eyes to match. I hafta admit that she’s kinda cute, and I do spend time nipping those ears. I must have caught it from her!

Pets get conjunctivitis the same as humans, and it can spread from dog to dog and cat to cat just as it spreads from human to human. My human Sage doesn’t have to worry – she can’t get it from me. Thank Dogness. Pink eye is an inflammation of the membrane covering the inside of the eyelids and the front of the eye. Symptoms range from:

– crusty eyes (here!)

– itchy, red eyes (here!here!here!)

– running, teary pus (here.)

While it can be caused by trauma (dog fights, stick in the eye, rolling in poop) and irritations ( hair in the eyes – proper grooming for prevention is key here, folks), it’s more often caused by a bacteria. Conventional vets most often prescribe antibiotics (ruffing surprise, right?).

My human takes the natural approach as much as she can, and this morning she immediately grabbed a warm compress and held it over my eye for a few minutes. Oh boy, it felt good and helped soothe that itch! She’s been treating me with that a few times this morning, and it’s keeping my eyes from sticking shut. She’s also been using this stuff called Easy Eye – she puts two to three drops into my eyes throughout the day. Already my eyes look and feel better.

Doggy conjunctivitis isn’t hard to treat, but any infection can result in permanent damage if it’s left untreated! If after a day of natural treatment my pink eye turns raging red, Sage will take me to my vet and probably go the conventional route. Otherwise, I risk going blind. ACK!

Today is just as rosy as ever, even if it’s a little hazy. Forecast: clearer skies tomorrow!

Stay happy, Buster

Photo Credit: aikijuanma