Spring Time Winds & Eye Discharge

Grey Mucous can be Managed by Simple Eye Cleaning

Question:

I live in the East Mountains and have a 3-year-old healthy Doberman. Just recently with all of the high winds, I’ve noticed that my dog is getting a white, gooey discharge from her eyes after she wakes up in the mornings. Is this an allergy of some sort? She seems fine and does not paw her eyes or rub her face in the ground. Should I be worried?

Dr. Nichol:

The only good diagnosis is made on physical exam. That said, it is very likely that your dog has eye irritation from small particles of dirt and sand that are blown into her face by our delightful spring winds. An anti-inflammatory eye medication may be necessary but as long as the discharge isn’t green or yellow you can probably stay ahead of it just fine by wiping it away with a clean moist tissue.

We see a lot of this in the spring in New Mexico. Assuming that her eyes, along with the rest of her, are healthy, the discharge should stop when the wind does.