# GSD Red Eyes



## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

My 10 year old dog Maverick has gotten red eyes. The whites of his eyes are totally red. Seems to have a little discharge, but otherwise seems fine.

Obviously a trip to the vet is in order, but we've spent so much on vet bills lately and have some big expenses coming up so I want to at least give it a couple days' observation before rushing in. We can usually get in right away so it shouldn't be too long if that's what we decide. And it really hasn't been that long since Mav's been in for a checkup.

Now, I'm thinking this may be caused by food allergies because my DH just switched their food. We were feeding Pedigree (I know, not the best, but not horrible and they also get lots of healthy people food) but he switched to this stuff called Diamond Naturals, saying it's supposed to be healthier but because it's mysteriously cheaper than the Pedigree even I'm kind of skeptical. They all love the stuff and are doing fine on it (in fact a couple of them seem to be doing even better, digestively-speaking), but seems like the red eyes coincided with the food switch.

Do you think this is possible?


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Yes it is *possible* that the food is causing an allergic reaction that is showing up in the eyes. Usually the ears will be red also. Or the skin on the belly. But with allergies there are no guarantees on how it's going to present.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Conjunctivitis is treated with antibiotics both oral and optic put into the eye. If there is mucous discharge, then it is conjunctivitis. 
If the whites just have some red in them with no discharge, then it might simply be broken blood vessels. That can just be from a bump to the head, or something worse like a bleeder in the brain.
Hopefully it is conjunctivitis, and you can just treat it with Penn G or some other antibiotic?


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

I think mekasmom is probably right. Wash your hands thoroughly. Pink eye is contagious; you could end up with doctor visits yourself. Your dog will probably need an eye ointment.


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## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

They're totally red, not just a few streaks. Dark red, to the point where you can hardly tell where his brown iris begins. But no discharge. It's weird. Doesn't seem to bother him though.

I called the vet, and they said it would probably be okay if we waited a couple days to see if it gets any better, as long as he's acting fine. So we'll hope for the best. Vet says it's probably not a food allergy if he isn't showing any digestive problems along with it. Hm.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

hmmm....... allergies usually show up with skin/ear issues not digestion. Funny how everyone has different opinions on things. 
That sounds really really red. I wonder if he did klonk his head on something. I'm glad he is acting fine. Keep us posted!! 
I love GSDs


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

Bandit, my last German Shepherd, got red eyes and the vet thought he had pannus, Pannus, or chronic superficial keratitis, is a condition of ongoing  inflammation of the cornea.
We had to use drops for about a year and I cannot remember now what the drops were callled. It eventually cleared up and we could stop with the drops. Pannus is an autoimmune conditon in middle aged or older dogs. It can easily be controlled by the drops if that is what it is.


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

I have no idea what might be wrong with your dog, however, one of my GSD's was on a Diamond dogfood when I adopted him. He had itchy ears and the vet found nothing wrong so suggested a possible food allergy. My other dogs were eating Canidae and I slowly switched him over. The itching stopped.

Later I read that some dogs can be allergic to beet pulp. Beet pulp is in many dog foods as a filler, and was in the Diamond product, but not Canidae. It may have nothing to do with your dog's problem, but something to keep in mind.


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## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

gapeach said:


> Bandit, my last German Shepherd, got red eyes and the vet thought he had pannus, Pannus, or chronic superficial keratitis, is a condition of ongoing inflammation of the cornea.
> We had to use drops for about a year and I cannot remember now what the drops were callled. It eventually cleared up and we could stop with the drops. Pannus is an autoimmune conditon in middle aged or older dogs. It can easily be controlled by the drops if that is what it is.


Thank you. Yes, we finally did take him into the vet today. $250 later, Pannus is the diagnosis and we've got drops to give him. Also one of those cones so he won't paw at his eyes. He is very upset about the cone. I think my husband is even more upset than Mav is. 

He's got two different drops. One's supposed to be given 4-6 times a day, the other twice. This is going to be fun fun fun. But I am glad it's nothing too serious.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

I hope you can do away with the cone soon. Maybe his eyes itch and that the drops will get it under control. One good thing is that those drops last a long time. I am so glad that you found out what was causing it. I never had any luck using a cone. My dogs were so unhappy that they found out how to get out of it. I bought one of those heavy rubber inflatable collars but it was a waste of money. I used it on Sammi and she broke it within minutes. Good luck with his eyes and getting the redness gone.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Glad you got a diagnosis and treatment


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

Thankfully, Pannus is easy to control with medication. I assume the vet gave you Prednisone and Cyclosporin drops. Since he's having a major flare-up at the moment, it may take a while for it to calm down, but once it does, you can probably back off on the drops and do them once a day, or even less than that. My GSD has Pannus, it was diagnosed about 5 years ago and we're at the point where I only have to do the eyedrops every other day to keep it under control. It doesn't cause her any pain or itching at this point, and the disease hasn't progressed. She does have slightly whitish areas similar to cataracts over her eyes which affects her vision only slightly--it's like looking through a dirty windshield.

Just remember to put in the prednisone drops first, then the cyclosporin afterward. If you do it the other way around, the cyclosporin will coat the eye with an oily film and that can prevent the predinose from getting into the tissues and taking effect. If you put the prednisone in first, the cyclosporin sort of "seals" in the medication and helps it work better.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Be sure not to touch the applicator to the eye and don't put your finger on the applicator


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## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

Went for a re-check today, said his eyes still picked up dye so they haven't healed yet -- they want us to go to an opthamologist, $150 just for a consult. I said no thanks, just let's keep treating him because he is getting obviously better. So we just switched meds - now two antibiotic drops, one to replace the anti-inflammatory because vet said he'd heal better without it, and supposed to get an oral antibiotic too but I haven't had the chance to fill it yet. Poor doggie. He seems to be feeling better though, not pawing at his eyes anymore.


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