Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

Why is my dog scratching his eyes so badly? What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | 7 years and 10 months old | 70 lbs

My dog german shephard scratching his eyes so badly

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 22nd, 2018

Poor Scooby! He could have severe allergies, an eye infection, or may have something in his eyes. He could damage his eyes badly by scratching them, and he needs to see a vet as soon as possible for this issue. Leaving this untreated can lead to vision loss if he scratches his eye badly enough. I would put an Ecollar on him now (I will put a link below on how to make one at home), and get him into a vet right away. Good luck, I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
He keeps rubbing his paws on his eyes but one eye his really in bad shape like it not gettin any better im scared we live to far from a vet. So what do i do ???
Oh no, poor Rocco! Eyes are very delicate structures and can be damaged very easily. Excessive itching can quickly worsen an existing issue, such as a corneal ulcer, and can even lead to eye rupture in severe cases. Unfortunately, the only thing that you can do at home is make sure that Rocco is wearing an e-collar (cone) so that he does not damage his eye further. A vet will need to examine Rocco to determine the cause of his eye issue so that he can be appropriately treated. I hope that he feels betters soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi my dog has these bumps around his eye! He has been scratching them they seem to bother him a little bit!
This could be an allergy. Put an Ecollar on Marley to keep him from rubbing his eye, as he could damage his cornea with his nails. You can make one at home or buy one at a pet store. Take him into a vet tomorrow to get this checked out. Best of luck. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, What if i have noticed that around my puppies eyes, its like he has been scratching at them and causing him to lose the hair and cause it to start to bleed. What should i do?
I would have Sunny seen by a vet immediately. It could be that he has an eye infection, suffering an injury to his eyes, or allergies causing him to rub his eyes. I would be concerned that he may stretch his eyes with his claws while rubbing them, and that could lead to damage to his eye. The vet can diagnose what is causing Sunny to rub his eyes and can treat him for it.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
hes got a discharge from both his eyes,there sometimes kind of red and he seems to be trying to scratch them so i figure there itchy maybe or hes trying to get the gunk out of them. sensitive to light a little and he doesn't like me messing with them
I would recommend that Sampson get checked out by a vet. The symptoms you have described could be caused by allergies, infection, corneal ulcer or abrasion, among a few others. You can use an OTC saline eye wash to gently flush the eyes to try to remove any dirt or debris that can be causing irritation. Sampson should also wear an e-collar or cone to prevent damage to the cornea from rubbing and itching. But if the eyes don't look better in the morning he should definitely see a vet. Eyes can heal quickly, but they can also get much worse very quickly! I hope Sampson gets to feeling better soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I noticed a small mark on the bottom of her eye last night, almost like she'd gotten scratched. I only noticed it on the bottom part of her eye, felt around it, didn't really seem like a wound, figured I'd wait and see if it went away. Today when I
Ouch! This looks pretty irritated now. Ada could be having an allergic reaction to something, have chronic allergies that are starting for the season, or even have an issue with her immune system. I would recommend putting and e-collar (cone) on her tonight so that she can't rub her face and damage her eye and schedule an appointment for tomorrow with her regular vet. If she can't get comfortable this evening, or you don't have an e-collar, err on the side of caution and take her to an emergency clinic. Good luck and thanks for using Boop by Petco. Please let me know if this was helpful information.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 2 yr old dashaund has recently started scratching and now has open wounds on his ear. Also scratching at his gumline. I've noticed that he has irritation around his eyes, so much that one eye is closing. The vet is treating him for dry skin, and I
Poor guy. Scratching to this degree indicates Stoney either has an ear infection, demodex mites, or a severe allergy. I would start with a good ear exam to look for debris or foul odors in the ears. If that shows nothing, then a skin scrape should be done to look for possible mites. If all that is ruled out, then you should focus your treatment on skin allergies. Allergies in dogs can be to something in the environment, fleas, or an ingredient in the pets food. Here is more info on food allergies in dogs. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952662 I hope that your pet Stoney gets some resolve to his severe itching soon! Its best to place an elizabethan collar on him to prevent him from causing further trauma to himself until you can get him seen again by your vet. You can purchase these e-collars from your local pet store. Best wishes and take care!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 2 y/o German Shepherd/retriever mix has one cloudy eye. It started looking milky this morning and she has mucus in the corner of her eye. I cleaned it off this morning and it’s already back and she’s acting like it’s itchy this evening, although i
Hi Hannah! It could be that Sydney has an eye infection or could have injured her eye. There could be a foreign body there also, such as a grass seed. This is something that needs to be checked out by a vet promptly, as leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I would put an Ecollar on her now to keep her from rubbing at her eye and making it worse, and take her into the vet first thing in the morning. You can make an Ecollar at home, and I will put a link below on how to do it. Best of luck, I hope this helps! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Around my dog's eyes is red and has scabs. What is causing these symptoms? He scratches at it.
Hi, and thanks for your question. That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to an allergy or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My dogs eyes have been red and irritated for the past week now and he keeps scratching and pawing at them. I'm not sure whats wrong with him so i decided to talk with you. His name is Bodhi and he is 4 years old.
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This could be due to an eye injury or conditions such as a corneal laceration, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. I suspect that the scratching is due to allergies. I highly recommend that you have Bodhi evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. Good luck and best wishes!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a four year old male Boxer whose eye is swollen shut. He been scratching at it and rubbing it on the carpet and his bed. He also has been scratching at his under arms to the point where his fur is gone
He looks to be generally itchy. I'm suspicious of allergies causing this, but it could be due to mange, fleas, or other causes. The eye may be a separate problem, or related to the allergies. Without seeing it, it's difficult to tell the cause of this, or the severity, but the fact that it's swollen shut warrants a visit to the vet. I recommend having him seen by a vet within the next 24 hours to prevent serious complications with the eye. The vet can also help narrow-down the cause of the itch and provide medication to help give him some relief. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. For now, you can flush the eye with normal saline. Saline flush can be bought at the pharmacy, or supermarket in the eye care section. Flush the eye 3-4 times daily and gently wipe away the discharge with a warm/moist cotton or cloth. Below is a link to a good video that demonstrates
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Toys Dog Food Dog Eye Care Dog Ear & Eye Care Dog Health & Wellness Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Dog Ear Care Dog Ear & Eye Medicine Prescription Allergy Medicine for Dogs Allergy & Itch Relief Dog Shampoos Natural Remedies Dog Eye Care Skout's Honor Dog Eye Care Vetericyn Dog Eye Care Sulfodene Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Well & Good Dog Eye Care Earth Animal Dog Eye Care Angels' Eyes Dog Eye Care Espree Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Dexamethasone Ophthalmic Solution Dog Medicine and Prescriptions HEALERS Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored