Eye Injury Care for Your Pet

An eye injury can be a genuinely scary event for your pet. If your beloved pet appears to have sustained an eye injury, you know you need to act fast to help your pet feel better and possibly even save his or her eyesight. At Silicon Valley Veterinary Specialists in San Jose, we can evaluate your pet's eye injury and provide immediate care for an optimal recovery.

Eye Injury Causes and Symptoms

Pets' eyes are anatomically similar to human eyes, which means that they're just as delicate and just as vulnerable to various kinds of injury. Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds, such as Pugs, are especially vulnerable because their eyes may tend to bulge and receives little protection from the snout. This means that flat-faced animals may be more likely to sustain an eye injury in a fight, for instance. They may also be subject to an emergency known as proptosis in which the eyeball pops out of its socket. Other common causes of eye injuries in pets include:

• Corrosive chemicals splashed into the eyes
• A foreign object trapped or embedded in the eye
• Traumatic accidents that damage the eyelids and/or eyes
• A sharp-clawed swipe of the paw 

It's important to recognize the signs of a possible eye injury in your pet. Beyond obvious problems, such as a laceration of the cornea, look for an unusual eye discharge or tearing, squinting, eyelid damage, light sensitivity, or pawing at the face or eye.

Our Veterinarians Can Treat Your Pet's Injury

Any potential eye injury should be treated as an emergency. Before you try to administer any form of first aid, call our San Jose veterinary clinic. We can listen to your reported symptoms and dispense the proper advice over the phone. For example, you may be able to flush an injured or chemically-burned eye out with water, or you may be advised simply to bring your pet to our clinic without attempting first aid.

Once your pet has arrived at our animal hospital, our veterinary team can take action right away to examine the injured eye. Our veterinarians can remove foreign objects, wash out the eyes, and administer antibiotics or other drugs. 

Don't Delay, Call Our San Jose Animal Hospital

Don't leave your pet's eyes up to chance. Respond to those injury symptoms immediately by calling our San Jose animal hospital at (408) 649-7070. Our veterinarians at Silicon Valley Veterinary Specialists can help!