Dog Eye Boogers: What's Normal and What Needs a Vet

What it usually means

Tears keep the eye clean, and they drain away through tiny ducts in the inner corners of the eyelids. Overnight, some of that fluid and the debris it carries dries at the corner of the eye, leaving the small crust most owners call eye boogers. Vets call it rheum. A little each morning, wiped away easily, is part of a healthy eye.

Some dogs make more than others. Flat-faced breeds such as Pugs, Shih Tzus, and French Bulldogs, and small breeds with hair near the eyes, often have more discharge because of their eye shape and drainage. Wind, dust, pollen, and smoke can also increase it for a day or two.

What the color and texture can tell you

Clear, watery discharge often comes with irritation, allergies, or a speck of dust, and with a blocked tear duct it may overflow onto the face. Brown or rust-colored crust is usually ordinary dried tears, and the reddish staining on light fur is caused by natural pigments in tears rather than blood.

Yellow or green discharge can mean infection or a scratch on the surface of the eye. A thick, sticky, yellowish discharge that comes back soon after you wipe it is a classic sign of dry eye, where the eye is not making enough of the watery part of tears. Color is only a clue, though, and several problems can look alike.

When to call your vet today

Call your vet if discharge is yellow, green, thick, or smelly, if there is a lot more than usual, or if it lasts more than a day. Also call if your dog is squinting, blinking a lot, rubbing their face, or has red or swollen eyelids, or if the third eyelid is showing across the inner corner.

Middle-aged and older dogs with a sticky discharge and dull-looking eyes should be checked for dry eye, which is uncomfortable and can damage the eye over time but is very treatable. Puppies with gooey eyes should also be seen, as infections can spread quickly in young dogs.

When it's an emergency

Go to an emergency vet if your dog is holding an eye shut, if the eye looks cloudy, blue, or bulging, if a pupil is a different size from the other, or if there has been an injury, a cat scratch, or a chemical in the eye. These can threaten sight within hours to days.

Discharge together with a heavy nasal discharge, coughing, fever, and lethargy, especially in a young or unvaccinated dog, also needs urgent care, because some infections affect the whole body and not just the eyes.

How to clean your dog's eyes safely

Use a soft cloth or cotton pad dampened with sterile saline or lukewarm water. Hold it on any hard crust for a few seconds to soften it, then wipe gently from the inner corner outward, away from the eye. Use a clean piece for each eye so you do not move anything from one to the other.

Do not use human eye drops, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, witch hazel, tea, or essential oils near the eyes, and do not use leftover medicine from a previous problem. Keep hair around the eyes trimmed, ideally by a groomer, so it does not poke the eye or hold discharge against the skin.

Long hair around the eyes can trap discharge, so a fine dog comb and the tools in a dog grooming kit help keep the area tidy.

What the vet will likely check

Your vet will examine the eyelids, lashes, and the surface of the eye, and usually place a harmless dye on the eye to show any scratch or ulcer. A simple tear test measures whether the eye is making enough tears. They may also check the eye pressure and whether the tear ducts drain properly.

Treatment depends on the cause and may include eye drops or ointment, allergy management, treatment to stimulate tear production in dry eye, or a procedure to open a blocked tear duct. Some conditions need lifelong treatment and regular rechecks.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.