If you’ve noticed that your Frenchie has red eyes, there could be several reasons for such occurrence. French bulldogs might have gorgeous, unique, and protruding eyes, but these features also make them prone to eye infections, allergies, and different conditions. That’s why we have to pay attention
What causes French bulldog red eyes?
Eye allergy in French bulldogs
One of the most common reasons for your French bulldog’s eye redness are environmental allergens. Dust and seasonal pollen can irritate not only Frenchie’s nose but also its big and round eyes. However, have you ever wondered why is that so?
As we all know, these little batpigs have flat muzzles. So, when they sniff the ground and explore the great outdoors, their eyes are too close to the allergens and can easily develop an allergic reaction. In case of an allergy, besides eye redness, your furry friend will also have watery eyes that can progress into a condition called conjunctivitis.
Eye conjunctivitis requires immediate treatment because it’s very uncomfortable and can even lead to total blindness. The most common therapy vets prescribe for treating conjunctivitis are antibiotic eye drops. Depending on the severity of the condition, the treatment may last from one to three weeks.
Dry eye syndrome in French bulldogs
Dry eye syndrome represents the restricted ability’s to produce tears. This condition is immune-mediated and extremely painful, so it requires immediate treatment. If your French bulldog has chronic red eyes, frequently blinks, has sticky eye discharge, and dull-looking eyes with a lack of shine, then he probably suffers from dry eye syndrome.
To determine the amount of tears, your vet will perform the ‘Schirmer Tear Test’. It’s a painless procedure that includes placing a tiny strip of paper between your dog’s eyelid and eye. Frenchies who suffer from dry eye syndrome will need to daily use false teardrops and Ciclosporin eye drops. Ciclosporin calms the dog’s immune reaction and prevents destroying tear glands.
In case of a severe level of dry eye syndrome, your vet may suggest an eye operation. By redirecting a tube that carries the saliva, it will help in keeping the eye moist.
Corneal ulcers in Frenchies
Corneal ulcers could be another reason for your French bulldog red eyes. They occur due to traumas, chemical burns, and rarely due to bacterial infection. We can describe them as deep erosions through the entire epithelium and into the stroma. The Frenchie’s eye affected by corneal ulcer appears to be cloudy and painful. The treatment will include eye drops prescribed by the vet and protecting the eye by wearing eye patches.
Glaucoma in French bulldogs
Glaucoma primary and secondary can also be the reasons for French bulldog red eyes. It’s a condition caused by inadequate drainage of aqueous fluid. When too much or too little fluid is drained, the intraocular pressure increases and makes damage to the optic nerve and retina. Since glaucoma is very painful to dogs, both primary and secondary glaucoma requires surgery. Medications are given to Frenchie with lower eye pressure in order to get back to normal as fast as possible. Besides visible redness in your Frenchie’s eyes, this condition is followed by: frequent squinting, bulging swollen eye, tearing, rubbing eyes onto the floor, pupils look different in size.
Uveitis in French bulldogs
French bulldog intense eye redness can often be caused by uveitis- a condition which true causes are never discovered. It is followed by severe pains, redness of the eye, cloudiness, and small pupils. Since at first glance looks like glaucoma, to determine the exact issue, a vet will have to measure the intraocular pressure. When a Frenchie suffers from uveitis, he/she has low intraocular pressure, while with glaucoma happens the opposite. The most common causes of uveitis are high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, trauma to the eye, eye tumors, and different infections.
When properly treated, uveitis can be healed in 2 or 3 days, however, if the eye is cloudy, it may take up to 7 days to clear up.
Cherry eye in French bulldogs
Cherry eye in dogs occurs when the third eyelid prolapses and forms a red tissue that looks like a cherry. It more often occurs in young puppies and can occur in both eyes. Even though this condition looks quite scary to dog owners, it’s usually not painful but it can disrupt normal tear production. The good news is that this condition can be treated by massaging the eye. In case of unsuccessful theraphy, the last option represents the surgery of removing the tear gland and topical treatment to escape infections.
How do you take care of a French bulldog’s eyes?
Just like any other body part, your Frenchie’s eyes also need to get a regular cleaning. Since these batpigs have protruding eyes, they’re more prone to developing ugly-looking tear stains.
Depending on your furry friend’s color of fur, the tear stains can be more or less visible. However, it doesn’t mean that your dog doesn’t them at all. Tear stains look like visible red marks around the dog’s eyes and they occur in pooches who produce more tears and due to a naturally occurring molecule found in tears called porphyrin.
To keep the area around your Frenchie’s eyes clean, we recommend you use the following Frenchie World Eye Tear Stain Remover. Besides it effectively cleans the reddish marks around the dog’s eyes, it also provides anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, and cleansing action to prevent bacterial infections. We recommend you use it two or three times a week by pouring a small amount of solution on a cotton swab and cleaning the area around the dog’s eyes.
