Unlike many breeds that are plagued with lid and retinal infections, pit bulls are not notorious for these types of eye conditions. Like all dogs however, they can have some eye problems. If these problems are ignored, they can rob your dog of her vision. So have your dog’s eyes checked every now and then. Grab an opportunity to do so when you are there for something else that may have occurred.
Notice if your pit bull is squinting, avoiding light, or pawing at her eye. Squinting or tearing can be due to an irritated cornea or foreign body.
Examine under the lids and flood the eye with saline solution, or use a moist cotton swab to remove any debris.
This eye rinse solution on Amazon works well and its pretty cheap.
You also need to be aware of the risk posed by glaucoma. Although avoiding light or pawing at the eyes is behavior most likely caused by a foreign body, it could also indicate glaucoma.
Glaucoma is extremely painful and is an emergency situation. An acute attack of glaucoma can lead to blindness almost overnight.
Notice if your pit bull’s pupils react to light. In a dim room, flash a light in each eye and make sure each pupil responds. If a dog has glaucoma or brain damage, the pupils may not respond.
Check to see if your pit bull has any discharge from her eyes. A watery discharge without squinting can be a symptom of allergies or a tear drainage problem.
A clogged tear drainage duct can cause the tears to drain onto the face rather the normal drainage through the nose. Your vet can diagnose a drainage problem with a simple test. A gooey mucus discharge indicates an infection. Prescription eye drops are normally needed to cure it.
Notice if your dog’s lenses are clear. Do this by looking through her pupils. They should look black. If they are whitish, grayish, or bluish your dog may have cataracts.
Some pit bulls have juvenile cataracts in which the lens develops opacities at a young age – usually before the age of six years. In some pit bulls, the cataracts are present at birth, but aren’t visible until the dog is a couple of months old. If the cataracts become too severe, they can be removed by a veterinary ophthalmologist.
When in doubt get eye problems checked out! I know the main purpose of searching the internet is to be able to self-diagnose and treat if possible. Unfortunately with eyesight it’s too risky.
For contact with eye irritants, flush the eye for five minutes with water or saline solution. For injuries, cover the eye with clean gauze soaked in water or saline. Or pickup some eye wipes.
Some instances may require an antibiotic. You will need to get a prescription first in that case.