Dog Eye Injuries: First Aid, Warning Signs and When to Call a Vet

Updated September 2026

Dog eye problems are one of those situations where I would rather be cautious than wait to see what happens.

A dog may suddenly start squinting after running through long grass, paw at their face after a walk, develop redness or discharge, or have an obvious injury following a collision or encounter with another animal.

The difficulty is that something that looks relatively minor from the outside can still be painful and potentially serious.

If you notice a change in your dog’s eye, contact your vet for advice. Eye problems can deteriorate quickly, and early assessment can make an important difference. Current PDSA guidance recommends contacting your vet as soon as you notice an eye problem. (PDSA)

For wider emergency and health information, start with my Dog Health & First Aid guide.

Important: I am a professional dog walker with canine first-aid training, not a veterinary surgeon. Eye injuries and painful eyes need veterinary assessment. The information below is intended to help you recognise a problem and avoid making it worse while veterinary help is arranged.

Signs your dog may have an eye problem

Dogs cannot tell us that an eye hurts, so changes in behaviour and appearance matter.

Look out for:

• squinting
• holding one eye closed
• excessive blinking
• pawing or rubbing at the eye
• redness
• swelling around the eye
• excessive tears
• yellow, green or sticky discharge
• cloudiness
• blood in or around the eye
• the third eyelid becoming unusually visible
• a change in the size or shape of the pupil
• a visible object in or around the eye
• a bulging or unusually enlarged eye
• an apparent change in vision

PDSA lists redness, swelling, discharge, cloudiness, pain, blinking, a visible third eyelid, blood, bulging and changes to the pupil among signs that can indicate an eye problem.

A dog who suddenly starts holding an eye shut or blinking repeatedly may be experiencing significant eye pain.

Why dog eye problems should be taken seriously

An eye can look red or sore for many different reasons.

Possible causes include:

• scratches or other trauma
• grass seeds
• dust, grit or sand
• irritation from vegetation
• another dog’s claw
• eye infections
• corneal ulcers
• eyelid or eyelash problems
• glaucoma
• inflammation inside the eye
• allergies or irritants

That is one reason I would not assume that a red eye is simply conjunctivitis.

For example, glaucoma can cause a painful, red, cloudy and enlarged eye, while an ulcer can also cause pain, inflammation and discharge.

The treatment depends on the cause, which is why veterinary examination is important.

What should I do if I think my dog has injured an eye?

My approach would be deliberately simple.

Stop the activity

If you are walking, playing, or in a situation where your dog could further injure the eye, stop.

Move somewhere calm and safe.

Prevent rubbing if you can

Dogs often paw or rub a painful eye.

That can make an existing scratch or injury worse.

Blue Cross recommends preventing a dog from rubbing an injured eye and suggests an Elizabethan collar if necessary.

Do not put yourself at risk by trying to restrain a frightened or in pain dog.

Have a look without poking or probing

You can observe the eye and surrounding area without forcing the eyelids apart or touching the surface of the eye.

Look for things your vet may want to know about, such as:

• redness
• swelling
• discharge
• blood
• cloudiness
• squinting
• something obviously lodged in or around the eye
• whether one pupil looks different from the other

Contact your vet

Tell them what happened, what you can see and whether your dog appears to be in pain.

Your vet can then tell you how quickly your dog needs to be seen.

Eye problems deserve prompt attention because some can worsen considerably if treatment is delayed.

What if something is stuck in my dog’s eye?

Grass seeds, small pieces of vegetation, dust and other material can get into or around a dog’s eye.

This is one area where I have updated my previous advice.

Older versions of this article suggested trying to locate and flush out an object yourself.

I no longer recommend that as general advice.

PDSA advises owners not to attempt to remove a foreign object from the eye themselves, as doing so can damage the eye’s surface and potentially lead to an ulcer.

If something appears stuck in your dog’s eye:

• do not use tweezers
• do not poke around with your fingers
• do not try to scrape it away
• do not force the eyelids open
• prevent your dog from rubbing the eye where possible
• contact your vet

This is particularly important if the object appears embedded rather than simply sitting on the fur around the eye.

Grass seeds and dog eyes

Grass seeds deserve a special mention because they are a common seasonal problem for dogs walking through long grass.

They can become trapped around the eye or beneath an eyelid, causing irritation and pain.

Signs after a walk may include:

• sudden squinting
• repeated blinking
• pawing at the face
• excessive tearing
• redness
• keeping one eye closed

Do not dig around trying to find a seed yourself.

Contact your vet if you suspect one has entered the eye.

You can read more about checking paws, ears, coats and eyes after long-grass walks in my Grass Seeds and Dogs guide.

What about dust or grit?

Sometimes an eye waters when a small irritant enters it.

A dog’s natural tears may flush minor material away without intervention. PDSA notes that this often happens with foreign material in the eye.

However, if your dog continues to squint, rub the eye, blink repeatedly or show redness or pain, don’t assume the irritant has gone.

Contact your vet.

Persistent discomfort may mean there is still material present or that the eye’s surface has been damaged.

Should I rinse my dog’s eye with saline?

This is another area where I would avoid giving blanket instructions.

Sterile saline is used in first-aid kits, but an owner does not necessarily know whether they are dealing with simple irritation, an embedded object, a scratch, an ulcer, or another eye condition.

For that reason, I would contact the veterinary practice and follow their advice rather than routinely flushing every sore eye.

If a vet specifically tells you to rinse an eye, follow their instructions about what to use and how to do it.

Never use old eye medication without veterinary advice

An eye problem that looks similar to something your dog had previously may have a completely different cause.

Do not automatically reuse:

• old eye drops
• leftover ointments
• somebody else’s medication
• human eye treatments

Use medication prescribed or specifically recommended by your vet for the current problem.

Some eye conditions need very different treatment from others, and veterinary examination is the safest way of knowing what you are dealing with.

When is a dog eye problem an emergency?

I would contact a vet promptly for any painful or abnormal eye.

Some situations need particularly urgent attention.

These include:

• an eye that appears badly injured
• severe pain
• an eye that is bulging or protruding
• blood inside the eye
• sudden apparent loss of vision
• a deep cut around the eye
• an embedded object
• significant trauma to the head or face
• sudden severe swelling
• marked cloudiness
• an eye that your dog cannot or will not open

Blue Cross lists a painful or closed eye among signs that may suggest an emergency, while PDSA advises seeking urgent veterinary attention if a dog shows severe eye pain.

When in doubt, phone your vet and describe what you can see.

You do not need to diagnose the condition before asking for help.

What if my dog has been scratched by another animal?

A claw can cause a surprisingly serious injury to the surface of the eye.

You may not necessarily see the scratch.

Signs might simply be:

• squinting
• watering
• redness
• blinking
• pawing at the eye

PDSA lists trauma and another animal’s claw among possible causes of painful eye problems.

If your dog has been hit or scratched around the eye and then develops symptoms, contact your vet.

Eye injuries during dog walks

Eye problems can occur remarkably quickly when dogs are exploring.

On walks I pay particular attention after:

• running through long grass
• pushing through bushes
• woodland walks
• encounters with brambles
• rough play
• a collision with vegetation
• an altercation with another animal

If a dog I am walking suddenly starts blinking repeatedly or holding one eye closed, I would stop rather than continue the walk.

I am not trying to diagnose what has happened.

I am noticing a sudden change, preventing further irritation where possible and deciding whether the owner and vet need to be contacted.

That is part of the wider health awareness behind my one-to-one walking approach.

Check your dog’s eyes after walks

You do not need to conduct a veterinary examination every time you get home.

A quick look at your dog is enough.

Notice whether:

• both eyes are normally open
• there is unusual redness
• one eye is watering
• your dog suddenly starts rubbing their face
• there is vegetation caught around the face
• they seem uncomfortable

This becomes particularly useful after long grass and woodland.

My Check Your Dog After a Walk guide covers the complete routine, including paws, ears, coat, movement and walking equipment.

Flat-faced dogs and eye problems

Dogs with prominent eyes can be more vulnerable to certain eye problems due to their facial structure.

PDSA notes that short-nosed breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs and Shih Tzus can develop exposure-related eye problems in which the eyelids do not adequately protect the eye’s surface

This does not mean every flat-faced dog will develop an eye problem.

It does mean owners should be particularly attentive to redness, excessive watering, cloudiness, squinting or changes in comfort.

What will the vet need to know?

When you phone your vet, useful information may include:

• when you first noticed the problem
• what your dog was doing beforehand
• whether there was an accident or collision
• whether they had been through long grass
• whether another animal was involved
• whether the eye is open or closed
• whether there is discharge
• whether you can see swelling, blood or cloudiness
• whether your dog’s vision appears affected

If the appearance changes while you are waiting for an appointment, a photograph can also be useful for recording the change, provided taking one does not cause your dog additional distress.

Do I need eye care products in my dog’s first-aid kit?

I would not fill a dog first-aid kit with eye medications “just in case”.

Medication belongs under veterinary direction.

What matters more is having your veterinary contact details immediately available and knowing that eye problems should be taken seriously.

My Dog First Aid Kit for Home and Walks guide explains what I think is genuinely useful to keep available.

Can canine first-aid training help?

Yes, particularly because good first-aid training is as much about recognising your limitations as learning practical techniques.

It can help you assess an emergency, handle an injured dog more safely and recognise when veterinary care is needed.

If you are interested in learning rather than trying to remember instructions during an emergency, read my guide to Why Every Dog Owner Should Learn Canine First Aid.

That guide also explains the canine first-aid training I have completed and the course I personally recommend.

Frequently asked questions

Should I take my dog to the vet for a scratched eye?

Yes, contact your vet if you suspect an eye injury or your dog develops pain, squinting, redness, excessive watering or other changes. Scratches to the surface of the eye may not be obvious without veterinary examination.

Can I remove a grass seed from my dog’s eye?

Do not try to remove something that appears to be in the eye yourself. PDSA warns that attempting to remove a foreign object can damage the eye surface. Contact your vet. (PDSA)

Why is my dog suddenly keeping one eye closed?

Pain is one possible reason. Causes include trauma, foreign material, ulcers, infection, glaucoma and other eye conditions. Contact your vet rather than trying to diagnose the cause at home.

Is a red eye always conjunctivitis?

No. Redness can have many causes, including irritation, ulcers, glaucoma, dry eye, eyelid problems and inflammation inside the eye

Can I use human eye drops on my dog?

Do not give your dog human eye medication unless a vet specifically tells you to use that product.

Should I wait overnight to see if my dog’s eye improves?

I wouldn’t deliberately wait with a painful or obviously abnormal eye. PDSA advises contacting your vet as soon as you notice an eye problem, as delays can lead to more serious issues

Related dog health and first-aid guides

For the wider picture, visit my Dog Health & First Aid hub.

If the problem appeared after walking through long grass, see Grass Seeds and Dogs.

For a simple routine to spot problems after walks, read “Check Your Dog After a Walk.”

If you want to become better prepared before an emergency happens, see Why Every Dog Owner Should Learn Canine First Aid.

And for useful emergency supplies, see Dog First Aid Kit for Home and Walks.

Reliable veterinary information

For further veterinary guidance, see:

PDSA: Eye Problems in Dogs

PDSA: Painful Eye or Eye Held Closed in Dogs

Blue Cross: Emergencies and First Aid in Dogs

Veterinary disclaimer

I am a professional dog walker and hold canine first-aid qualifications and training. I am not a veterinary surgeon.

This guide is for general first-aid awareness and does not diagnose an eye problem, prescribe treatment or replace advice from your veterinary practice.

Eye conditions can deteriorate quickly. If your dog’s eye appears injured, painful or different from normal, contact a veterinary professional promptly.

• Grass seeds are a danger to your dog
• Stinging nettles and dogs: What Dog Owners Should Know
• When Should I Call the Vet?
• Summer Dog Safety: How to Keep Your Dog Safe in Hot Weather
• Check Your Dog After a Walk