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My dog keeps scratching his red, puffy eyes. Is it allergies or mites?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Male | neutered | 1 year and 5 months old

My Yorkie-schnauzer mix keeps scratching his eyes, started when we took him to get him shaved and they shaved off some skin around his eyes in the summer, went on for a little while then stopped but now it's winter and he started again, his skin is in good condition but the ones around his eyes are red and puffy, I thought maybe allergies? But this has been going on, on and off scratching since July. thanks, Daniella

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 5th, 2016

Yes, you are correct that this scratching around Denzel's eyes could be due to allergies. I would take him into the vet first thing in the morning for an exam. The concern with him constantly scratching around his eyes is that he could scratch the eye itself, leading to trauma and infection in his eye. Using blood tests and a physical exam, the vet can determine if Denzel does have allergies, and can treat accordingly.

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    This could be an allergy but it could also be mites that are causing this. You should have your vet examine the skin. He may want to do a skin scrape to look for mites. If Denzel has allergies, a food trial may be initiated, if it is mites, your vet will likely give Denzel an injection to kill them or prescribe tablets.

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