Shih Tzus also suffer from eye diseases, just like us, and to prevent your Shih Tzu from suffering from cataracts, glaucoma, or eye inflammation it is important to take your Shih Tzu to the vet regularly on a regular basis, even if your Shih Tzu is still just one puppy because, thorough examinations, the veterinary ophthalmologist will identify whether or not he has a predisposition to eye problems.
When diagnosed early, eye changes have a good prognosis. Keratitis is curable and glaucoma and cataracts are treated with great results.” Ophthalmologist at the Sena Madureira Veterinary Hospital Dr. Luiz Felipe Moraes Barros.
How do I know my Shih Tzu has eye problems?
Pay attention to the symptoms mentioned below, they will help you to identify if there is something wrong with your Shih Tzu’s eyes.
Change in behavior appears more irritable and even withdrawn,
Sensitive to light, he looks for darker places to take shelter,
bumps into objects and furniture in the house,
The dog starts to walk leaning against the walls,
He rubs his eyes with his paws often,
Yellow discharge in the eyes,
tearing,
Keep your eyes closed,
Flashes more than usual,
Change in eye color,
Spots in the eyes and/or surroundings,
eye inflammation,
Reddened and whitish eyes,
Eyes with bloodstains.
These are basic care to prevent your Shih Tzu from developing eye problems. Remember that if he shows any of the symptoms above, take him to a vet, in order to prevent the condition from evolving.
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How to prevent eye disease in your Shih Tzu
There is no method to leave your Shih Tzu free of any eye diseases or any other, what can we do and minimize the risks and keep our little friend’s hygiene up to date?
Take him to a veterinary ophthalmologist annually, especially for dogs over 5 years old, this is an age that we should pay more attention to dogs.
Never apply eye drops to his eyes without the vet’s recommendation, he may have irritation or even a corneal ulcer.
Use your own shampoos, preferably specific for each breed,
Avoid strong wind directly in the eyes (when driving, keep the window closed, or leave just a crack in the window).
Don’t let the hair fall into the eyes, dog breeds like Maltese that have a lot of hair on their face can have eye problems if they don’t tie the hair above their head, preventing it from getting into their eyes.
After the bath, when drying the dog’s coat, do not direct the steam from the dryer on the face, as it can cause excessive tears and hurt the eyes.
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How to clean and care for my Shih Tzu’s eyes?
If you notice accumulations of secretions in your Shih Tzu’s eyes, clean the area with saline solution. It is ideal to clean it once a week because, in addition to keeping your eyes clean, you will always be observing if there is anything different.
Drip some saline solution onto a clean gauze pad (avoid cotton as it frays easily and can damage your Shih Tzu’s eyes). Gently swipe the inner corner of the eyelid, and move to the outer corner. Do not rub the gauze as your Shih Tzu’s eyes are extremely sensitive to the rubbing of the gauze, which can cause injury.
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If you notice that there are “clumps” of dirt stuck in the corner of the eyes, remove them with the gauze well moistened with saline solution. Do not cut with scissors, he may be scared and you may cause an accident.
Some of the most common diseases in the eyes of the Shih Tzu
Glaucoma
Symptoms of Glaucoma in Dogs – There are several types of this disease that can make you blind if left untreated. When a dog has glaucoma, its eyes are cloudy and whitish, its pupils dilated, and it suddenly loses sight.
Glaucoma occurs when intraocular pressure rises and the optic nerve cells slowly die, causing blindness in the dog. Be aware when your friend reaches 5 years of age, from that age onwards the onset of glaucoma is more frequent.
To diagnose glaucoma in dogs, an assessment of intraocular pressure (applanation tonometry), and an examination of the fundus of the eye (fundoscopy), are one of the tests performed by the ophthalmologist veterinarian.
The disease, discovered at the beginning, can be controlled with intravenous applications of a diuretic, which facilitates the drainage of the liquid that accumulates inside the dog’s eyeball. These applications relieve intraocular pressure and reduce pain in the dog’s eyes.
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How to treat glaucoma in Shih Tzu?
Treat, treatment with eye drops is started to reduce the formation of aqueous humor, however, the use of eye drops will be for the life of the animal. In more severe cases, surgery is required.
waterfall in Shih Tzu
The first symptoms of cataracts in Shih Tzu are white spots that form in the eyes, often caused by trauma and diabetes. The lens of the eye becomes opaque and the Shih Tzu stops seeing. When a serious disease is considered, surgery on the animal’s eyes is necessary.
Conjunctivitis in Shih Tzu
Conjunctivitis in dogs is not contagious like in humans, for example, if you have two dogs and one has acquired conjunctivitis, the other will not be infected.
Shih Tzu contracts conjunctivitis through pollution and even climate action. The symptoms of conjunctivitis in Shih Tzu are swollen eyes, inflamed upper eyelids, red eyes, yellow-green discharge, watery eyes, irritation from foreign bodies, and dust.
To treat your Shih Tzu’s conjunctivitis is simple, clean the eyes with gauze moistened with saline, and apply eye drops that the veterinarian will prescribe. Do not take medication without medical advice. When the conjunctivitis is more advanced, the doctor will recommend the use of antibiotics. Watch out for the Shih Tzu when it’s scratching its eyes, it can hurt the eyelids and develop a corneal ulcer or even an inflammation in the iris.
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Uveitis in Shih Tzu
Uveitis is an inflammation of the uvea (middle layer of the dog’s eye), and excessive flow of tears. When diagnosing this disease, it should be treated immediately to avoid glaucoma and/or cataracts.
Usually, the treatment is done with anti-inflammatories prescribed by the vet, don’t think about
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