What is the reason for dogs scratching their eyes frequently

The gentle afternoon sunlight spills onto the floor. The dog, which should be enjoying a leisurely rest, keeps scratching its eyes with its paws. The movements are getting more and more urgent, and its expression is full of restlessness and anxiety. Seeing it like this, the owner's heart tightens instantly, filled with worry and distress. Dogs can't speak and are unable to accurately tell us where they feel uncomfortable. The frequent scratching of the eyes is an urgent "SOS signal" they send to us. Behind this seemingly simple behavior may hide complex causes of the illness. Each reason can make the dog suffer a great deal and also make the owner extremely anxious. Only by delving deep into the reasons can we help the dog get rid of the pain and regain bright and comfortable eyes.

From the perspective of a dog's eye physiology, the eye is an extremely precise and delicate organ. The surface of the eyeball is covered by the cornea and the conjunctiva. The cornea is transparent and has no blood vessels, obtaining nutrients mainly from tears and aqueous humor. It is like a transparent protective cover. Once damaged, it can cause excruciating pain for the dog. The conjunctiva is a soft mucous membrane tissue that covers the inner surface of the eyelid and the front part of the eyeball, playing a role in secreting mucus and resisting external pathogens. The eyelids are like loyal guards. Through frequent blinking, they evenly distribute tears on the surface of the eyeball, keeping the eyes moist and clean. However, when any of these structures is irritated or diseased, it can cause discomfort in the dog's eyes, prompting them to scratch to relieve the discomfort.

Eye infections are one of the common causes of dogs scratching their eyes frequently. The invasion of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi can trigger inflammations like conjunctivitis and keratitis. When the conjunctiva is infected by bacteria, the dog's eyes will show symptoms of redness, swelling, and increased secretions. The secretions may be yellow or greenish pus. These secretions not only make the dog feel sticky and uncomfortable in the eyes but also irritate the eye tissues, causing itching and pain. In the case of a viral infection, such as the eye infection caused by the canine distemper virus, in addition to redness, swelling, and tearing of the eyes, there may also be systemic symptoms like fever and coughing. The discomfort in the eyes makes the dog extremely miserable, and it can only try to relieve the unpleasant feeling by scratching. Fungal infections are relatively rare, but once they occur, the treatment process is long and complicated. Symptoms such as itching and ulcers will appear in the eyes. The intense itching sensation is unbearable for the dog, which keeps scratching with its paws. However, improper force may further exacerbate the eye damage. Watching the dog fidgeting due to the eye infection, the owner wishes to bear the pain for it and hopes to find an effective treatment method as soon as possible to restore its eye health.

Foreign body irritation often makes dogs unable to resist scratching their eyes. During daily activities, dogs are full of curiosity, liking to sniff around and explore everywhere. Grass clippings on the lawn, dust in the air, small flying insects, and even their own shed hair may get into their eyes. These foreign bodies are like tiny "thorns" stuck in the eyes, causing a strong sense of discomfort. The dog instinctively tries to scratch out the foreign bodies with its paws, but often not only fails to solve the problem but may also cause eye infections due to the bacteria on the paws, forming a vicious cycle. When seeing the dog frequently rubbing its eyes due to foreign body irritation and the eyes being bloodshot, the owner feels both distressed and anxious. They carefully try to help the dog remove the foreign bodies but are also worried about accidentally injuring its eyes. Every action is filled with caution and love.

Entropion and trichiasis are also the "culprits" of a dog's eye discomfort. Trichiasis refers to the eyelashes growing towards the eyeball. The long eyelashes continuously rub against the cornea and conjunctiva, which is like countless tiny needles pricking the eyes, causing pain, tearing, redness, and swelling in the dog's eyes. Entropion is when the eyelid turns inward, causing the eyelashes and the eyelid skin to directly contact the eyeball. This continuous irritation makes the dog's eyes itchy and painful, and it can only relieve the discomfort by scratching. Some dogs are born with trichiasis or entropion problems and have to endure eye discomfort from birth. Others develop changes in the eyelid structure due to trauma, infection, and other reasons. Watching the dog suffer from these eye deformity problems, the owner feels extremely heartbroken and hopes that through treatment, the dog can be freed from the torment and regain comfortable eyes.

Allergic reactions can also cause dogs to scratch their eyes frequently. The causes of allergies in dogs are diverse. Pollen, dust mites, certain foods, medications, etc. can all be allergens. When a dog comes into contact with an allergen, the immune system regards it as an "enemy" and initiates an immune response, releasing substances such as histamine, leading to the dilation of blood vessels in the eyes, the exudation of tissue fluid, and causing redness, swelling, and itching in the eyes. In some dogs with an allergic constitution, the symptoms of eye allergies may recur repeatedly during the changing of seasons. Each recurrence makes them feel extremely uncomfortable. Watching the dog keep scratching its eyes due to allergies and the skin around the eyes being scratched red and broken, the owner blames themselves for not taking good care of it and tries every means to keep it away from allergens and relieve the pain.

A dog's frequent scratching of its eyes is a silent language through which it conveys its pain to us. Every time we see it scratching and looking uncomfortable, we can feel the deep heartache. As owners, we should carefully observe the dog's symptoms. Once any abnormalities are found, we should take it to the pet hospital for an examination in a timely manner. In daily life, we should also do a good job in prevention, keep the dog's living environment clean and hygienic, regularly check its eyes, and avoid letting it come into contact with possible allergens and dangerous items. With our care and love, we can understand the signals behind the dog's scratching, safeguard its eye health, and enable it to continue to feel the beauty of the world with its bright eyes.