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My dog's eye is red, swollen, and losing hair. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 80 lbs

Our dog recently started to lose hair around one eye. It has progressively gotten worse. It is now red and swollen. We thought maybe an allergy so started giving him Benedryl. He's had 5 doses with no change.

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 6th, 2017

It looks like an infection around the eyelid. This can happen if the eye has been excessively moist lately. The other common cause of this hair loss around the eye is a mite known as Demodex. This is normally seen in puppies. Sport looks like he's a senior, so it's less likely, but still possible. The cause of the swelling can usually be identified by a veterinarian. They can look for the mite and treat for infection. The vet will also be able to give medication that will take down the swelling, which is much needed now. For now, it's best if you can flush the area with saline. You can find this at the local pharmacy or supermarket in the eye care section. Flush for 15 seconds twice a day. This will give some relief and help to treat/prevent infection. I recommend taking Sport to the vet within the next few days to keep this from getting worse.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on July 1st, 2018

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. It is important to have her evaluated by a veterinarian soon as she may cause injury to her eye from the scratching. You may use an e-collar to prevent further self-trauma. This could also be due to mange or something else which is determined based on a physical examination and basic cytology. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on April 28th, 2018

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. This could even be mange and that is something that can be differentiated based on a physical examination and basic cytology. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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