Beagles have one of the most characteristic faces of any dog, in particular those beautiful eyes. But just like any dog, they can get red and painful eyes. But why are your Beagle’s eyes red or bloodshot? Here’s what I researched and found out.
Why does my Beagle have red eyes? A Beagle with red eyes could be suffering with a number of different eye problems including cherry eye (tear gland inflammation), dry eye where the tear ducts stop producing tears, or it could be an allergy if your Beagle’s eyes are bloodshot.
I will now explain the different eye problems your Beagle could be suffering from, in particular focusing on red or bloodshot eyes as these tend to the most common eye complaints in this breed.
It includes what causes Beagle cherry eye, dry eye, allergic reactions, plus information on treatments and when you should call your vet.
Are red eyes normal for Beagles?
Beagles have a lot of breed specific characteristics, in particular those large flapping ears. One characteristic a healthy Beagle should not have is red eyes. Like any dog, the whites of a Beagle’s eyes should be, well, white.
If they’re not, there are several reasons for it.
Handy Hint: Did you now that the reason Beagle’s have such long ears is actually to help them smell and track when hunting. Read more about how this works here.
What does it mean if my Beagle has red eyes?
In the intro, I mentioned there are three causes of red or bloodshot eyes in Beagles. These are tear gland inflammation, dry eye, or possibly an allergy in most cases where you see a bloodshot appearance. Here are some more details on those red eye causes.
Beagle cherry eye (tear gland inflammation)
If your Beagle has what looks like a small red cherry in the corner of their eye, then it’s most likely going to be tear gland inflammation. This inflammation, also known as cherry eye, can cause eye duct slippage if the glands become swollen enough.
Red cherry eye affects the tear duct gland, causing it to swell up and look reddened. In the worst of cases, the gland could move from its natural positioning because it’s gotten so big and swollen.
This scenario is considered a more serious case of cherry eye, as it may impact your Beagle’s vision at that point.
While a small case of cherry eye won’t hurt your Beagle, you still need to go to the vet. If not treated it can progress into a more serious issue.
Beagle cherry eye can also be combined with red bloodshot eyes, some visible discharge and lots of blinking. It can be clear up by itself, or your vet may decide to perform a small corrective surgery.
Dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)
The next reason your Beagle has red eyes could be dry eye, also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Dry eye is very painful and requires veterinary treatment.
If your Beagle’s tear glands look okay but their eyes are still somewhat red, then more than likely, they have dry eye. Another dead giveaway with dry eye is if your Beagle blinks a lot. They’re trying to lubricate their eyes, but it won’t work. You might also see a yellow discharge and swelling of the eyelids.
A Beagle with dry eye cannot produce tears, leading to a lack of lubrication. Not only does dry eye hurt a lot, but it can cause long-term trouble as well. Without the lubrication provided by tears, the eye can no longer combat debris and irritants from settling on its surface.
These could either irritate the eye further, making dry eye even more painful, or scratch the delicate parts of the eye.
Beagles are already quite prone to traumatic eye injuries such as scratches due to the way they tend to have their nose to the ground whilst smelling. It’s something you should do your best to safeguard your dog from, such as removing any items with pointy edges that are at the Beagle’s eye height.
Without proper treatment, red and dry eyes can become scarred leading to permanent vision loss. Vets will treat dry eye with a combination of eye drops, pain killers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and possibly a course of antibiotics.
Why does my Beagle have bloodshot eyes?
If your Beagle has bloodshot eyes and you cannot see any visible signs of swelling, a lack of tears, or a red cherry eye, then it could simply be an allergy… or possibly even tiredness and dust in them. Here’s what it could mean…
Bloodshot eyes due to allergies
Beagle eye allergies can typically be recognized by not just red bloodshot eyes, but also a clear discharge with no discoloration.
An allergy can develop very quickly and could be caused by something as simple as getting dust, dust mites, pollen, or even mold in their eyes.
There are two types of allergies that can result in bloodshot eyes:
- Airborne allergies: think of things such as grass, dust, pollen, and other small particles that can get into your Beagle’s eye in the wind.
- Contact allergies: these can occur just by touch alone. Some Beagles can be allergic to something as simple as a food bowl, fabric conditioner in their bedding, or even a favorite toy.
If it is an allergy it’s very likely that both eyes will be bloodshot at the same time, rather than cherry eye which can be isolated to just one eye.
Other Beagle eye problems
Apart from your Beagle having red and bloodshot eyes, there are other eye and visual problems that can affect this breed. Other eye problems include:
- Eye inflammation and irritation: as well as allergies, Beagles can also develop eye problems with sleep dust. It can be treated with an eye ointment if you see any swelling or excessive blinking combined with an obvious sign of debris.
- Eyelash abnormalities: these can include trichiasis, distichiasis, and ectopic cilia. It means the eyelashes can either become in-grown, grow from an abnormal place on the eyelid, and even come up through the eyelid’s inside. This can damage your Beagle’s eyes, the cornea particularly.
- Entropion: entropion is another common Beagle eye problem, occurring when eyelid hairs connect and rub the cornea. It’s irritating to the eye and the eyelid margin will roll out. It’s occasionally seen with Beagle puppies, but many will grow out of it.
- Corneal abrasions and ulcerations: corneal ulcers or abrasions will often be the next stage after dry eye.
- Pigmentary keratitis: if you see a brown/black color across the surface of your Beagle’s eye then it could be pigmentary keratitis. This is where pigmented melanin granules are deposited into the eye.
Handy Hint: I’ve published a guide which explains each step in the development of Beagle puppy eyes.
Beagle cherry eye treatment
There are two ways in which a vet will treat cherry eye in a dog.
- Medical management: vets will prescribe a steroid ointment eye drop that encourages your Beagle’s red eye gland to return back to its natural position. If the treatment is unsuccessful then the next stage would be surgery. They might also recommend that the eye is massaged.
- Surgical procedure: vets will prefer to not remove the red eye gland if at all possible, but this can happen in more serious cases. Your vet could recommend a procedure to re-position the gland into the conjunctiva instead.
Whilst I always recommend you talk with your vet as soon as you see any red in your Beagle’s eyes, some owners have successfully treated their dogs themselves… if it’s something like an allergy or a dry eye problem.
Here are some suggestions I found online for treating Beagles with red eyes.
Home remedies
If you believe your Beagle’s red eyes to be an allergy or dry eye then there are some home remedies and treatments some owners recommend online.
1. Herbs
Several herbs and herbal products could alleviate the redness of the dog’s eyes as well as any discomfort they may be in. The first of these is eyebright.
Eyebright is an herb (yes, that’s the real name) that you can use to make a natural eye drop that should treat your Beagle’s eyes. You only need a small quantity of eyebright, about an ounce. Then, steep it in boiling water. At the very least, keep the herb in the water for 60 minutes, but it’s better if you can do it overnight.
Then, the next morning, apply the drops to your Beagle’s eyes. Do this up to four times in a day if your dog really needs it.
Besides eyebright, marigold is another herb to have. It contains zeaxanthin, a type of carotenoid. Astaxanthin, an algae, is one to use as well, as it’s packed with stuff that’s good for eyes, such as phytonutrients and antioxidants.
2. Change your Beagle’s diet
What your dog eats can play a role in the health of their eyes. Stop buying the packaged dog kibble and incorporate a diet that includes sardines, kale, broccoli, blueberries, pumpkin, and carrots.
Why those foods in particular?
Well, sardines have omega oils for eye health, kale and broccoli contains phytonutrients, and blueberries antioxidants. Orange veggies such as pumpkin and carrots are loaded with carotenoids.
3. Keep your Beagle’s eye clean
This is a good one to do even if your Beagle’s eyes aren’t red. You only need gauze or a cotton cloth and some warm water to clean your dog’s eye area.
If you do use a gauze, make sure it’s at least 4×4. Also, don’t reuse them. In lieu of water, you can always try saline solution, but make sure it’s warm.
As you clean, begin in the center, moving towards the part of your Beagle’s eye that’s nearest their snout. Make sure you go extremely slowly and carefully so you don’t accidentally hurt your dog.
Handy Hint: You can also use dog-friendly wet wipes to clean your Beagle’s eyes. Find out which ones I recommend for safe eye cleaning.
When to call a vet
You may opt to start with some home remedies if you see your Beagle has red eyes. You can also skip that and go straight to the vet. This is personally what I would always recommend, making sure the symptoms aren’t part of a more serious issue.
Signs include your Beagle keeping their eyes closed more than open, crying out, trying to rub at the eye with their paw, or having an illness or fever that precedes the eye redness.
Your vet will start with a check-up, then do some testing to confirm the diagnosis of your Beagle’s red eyes.
If it’s a case of dry eye, then they’ll likely prescribe you a medication for the dog. This can simulate tears while triggering your Beagle’s tear ducts to make their own natural tears.
What about cherry eye?
That’s treatable by a veterinarian as well. Eye drops can eliminate this condition if your Beagle has never had cherry eye before.
In the most serious cases, such as when the tear ducts pop up and move, your vet can push the tear duct where it should be with sutures.
If that doesn’t work, then they’ll try to reposition the gland or take the tear duct out entirely. Your Beagle would need a recurring prescription for eyedrops to maintain eye moisture from that point forward. Otherwise, they’ll get dry eye.
Handy Hint: All dogs will occasionally get a hard crust in their eyes. A lot of the time, you can soften your dog’s eye boogers at home and then work to clean them safely.
Conclusion
You wake up ready to greet the day and go about your normal routine, but then you notice there’s something wrong with your precious Beagle’s eyes. They look very red when they’re usually not.
Has your Beagle had some sort of allergic reaction? Should be you concerned? Why does your Beagle have red eyes?
If your Beagle has red eyes, you shouldn’t write this off as something normal. It could be that the dog has tear gland inflammation, also known as cherry eye. With this, the tear ducts become large and swollen.
Dry eye, where natural tear production ceases and the eyes lose lubrication, can also cause reddened, painful eyes.
While lots of home remedies exist to treat a variety of canine eye conditions, sometimes these don’t quite do the trick.
Rather than let your Beagle suffer in agony, take them to a vet if the remedies don’t treat the red eye in a few days. Your vet can prescribe you drops and other medications that will have your Beagle’s eyes looking healthy and normal again in no time.
Disclaimer: I am not a vet, and the opinions in this guide are my own, and ones I’ve researched online. You should always seek a professional opinion.
You might also like…
There’s a wealth of Beagle information on Doggysaurus, including:
- Find out why your Beagle has suddenly started limping
- This is how easy Beagles are to train… (allegedly!)
- This is why your Beagle is such a big howler!
Image in header via https://pixabay.com/photos/dog-lying-tired-eye-portrait-5206484/