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Dog's persistent eye boogers: Benadryl not working. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labradoodle | Male | neutered | 6 months and 23 days old | 63 lbs

Winston has started getting frequent eye boogers. We’ll wipe them away first thing in the morning, then they’re back by lunch. We noticed them after a bout of pink eye, but the pink eye is definitely gone & eye boogers persist. Our vet thought it might be allergies,we’ve been giving him two Benadryl in the morning and evening but it doesn’t seem to be making a difference. He’ll paw at his eyes some, but not so often that I’m worried he’ll scratch them. Could this be something more serious?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Eryn Taormina, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 18th, 2018

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear about Winston's eye troubles. Since he was already treated for pink eye, perhaps another visit with his veterinarian to follow up would be a good idea. The doctor can recheck his eyes and make sure the infection hasn't returned. It could also be allergies, and you may need something stronger than benadryl. Other things I could think of in a young dog are viral infections in the respiratory tract that can cause eye discharge to build up. Also, they can sometimes have issues with eye lash hairs growing in the wrong places, and even with the eye lids rolling in. Sometimes these issues get worse as they grow, so may not be obvious initially. I think a follow up vet visit is definitely warranted. I wouldn't worry too much until the veterinarian looks at the eyes and reassesses the situation though. It may be something as simple as needing another round of medication, or even just a stronger allergy medication. Best of luck!

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