Of all of the various types of infection that may afflict your pet, a dog eye infection is one of the most common. Fortunately, although it can be serious if left untreated, these conditions are relatively easy to deal with. You'll have to recognize the symptoms of an eye infection and be prepared to help deal with the infection as quickly as possible in order to avoid running the risk of further damage.
Left unchecked, an eye infection for your dog can spread to other parts of his body, which may lead to problems including:
- Internal organ damage
- Vision loss
- Eye tissue damage
- Blindness
Treating Dog Eye Infections With Neosporin
Neosporin and other topical antibacterial creams are useful for treating a number of different types of dog infections. However, it's very important that you do not attempt to use neosporin to treat your dog's eye infection. The eye is a highly sensitive part of the body, and placing foreign bodies into it is generally not a good idea. Neosporin in particular is somewhat irritating when placed in the eye. It can lead the infection to become worse and can delay the period of time in which it takes your pet to recover.
Neosporin is useful in some other cases of dog infection, however. It has antibacterial properties that can help to eliminate the harmful bacteria that lead to infections in the first place. This means that you can use neosporin for surface level infections on your dog's skin. However, it's vital that when you do this, you do not allow your pet to lick the neosporin or any other antimicrobial ointment off of his skin. These ointments may be poisonous to him or, more likely, they may cause him some sort of gastric upset that will be very unpleasant.
Other Dog Eye Infection Treatments
The single best way to treat your pet's eye infection is to take him to a veterinarian for a full examination. The vet will likely prescribe an oral antibiotic. This medicine will kill off the bad bacteria in your dog's body. However, it will also kill off the other bacteria as well, including bacteria that lives in your pet's gut and which is very helpful to the proper functioning of his digestive tract. If this happens, you may place your pet at higher risk for other diseases and infections, or you may otherwise disturb his standard balance of digestion and health.
Other types of solutions which are safe for use in your pet's eyes may help too. Saline solutions and specially formulated eye drops are good to use, but they should always be administered under the watchful approval of a veterinarian with whom you're working closely to ensure that you solve the problem of your pet's eye infection. Ask a vet for more information and assistance.