# Crusty Lesions Around Eyes



## JollyRancher (May 18, 2013)

Our GSD has had these crusty, open lesions around his eyes for one year now (see photo). We clean his eyes, make him wear a cone to prevent scratching (on the grass) and reopening the wounds. Nothing works. Vet blames allergies but can't identify or solve problem. Help!!!!


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

I would ask for a referal to a dermatologist specializing in canine skin disorders.

Has he always had these? Have you changed his diet, used anything on your lawn, or changed your laundry detergent, fabric softener, or bleach?

Poor dog.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

JollyRancher said:


> Our GSD has had these crusty, open lesions around his eyes for one year now (see photo). We clean his eyes, make him wear a cone to prevent scratching (on the grass) and reopening the wounds. Nothing works. Vet blames allergies but can't identify or solve problem. Help!!!!


What are you doing? What is the vet doing?

How old is your dog, and what happened prior to eye crusting starting - incl. vet visits - was your dog put on HW/Flea prevention?

What does he eat.

Poor baby, looks so unhappy and in pain - have you considered a holistic vet - what area do you live in?

I can make some suggestions to help him, but have to get to the core problem - the immune system


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## yosmitesam (May 20, 2013)

my sisters dog has the same problem!! It started a few months back and he did have a limp and that went away and now he has very crusty and painful eyes... they look like they are bleeding but they are just red and very sore looking!


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

I wish the OP would get back, the pic is heartbreaking, but no amount of topical is going to help if cannot deduce what/why it started and what has been done med wise (even non related) and test wise


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## JollyRancher (May 18, 2013)

It would be helpful to get feedback from a knowledgeable vet. Are there any vets reading this post?


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## Heidigsd (Sep 4, 2004)

I agree with taking your boy to a dermatologist, he looks miserable  I have had two dogs with allergies (Heidi had severe allergies) and they never had anything like this.

Hope you can get him some relief!

Michaela


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

JollyRancher said:


> It would be helpful to get feedback from a knowledgeable vet. Are there any vets reading this post?


You might want to try "Allexperts.com" and search for a vet there.

Good luck with your dog


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## Dante's mom (Nov 25, 2012)

Our puppy started with that at 6 mos. the vet said that sometimes the eye lashes grow in towards the eye. It is common in some breeds. I cannot remember the name that he gave it. He gave us an anti-inflammatory eye ointment to use to get it to calm down. He said that if it did not correct itself he would need a simple surgery. He is better but we do use an ointment occasionally at night.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## JollyRancher (May 18, 2013)

Dante's mom said:


> Our puppy started with that at 6 mos. the vet said that sometimes the eye lashes grow in towards the eye. It is common in some breeds. I cannot remember the name that he gave it. He gave us an anti-inflammatory eye ointment to use to get it to calm down. He said that if it did not correct itself he would need a simple surgery. He is better but we do use an ointment occasionally at night.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Our dog is six years old. Nothing wrong with lashes. As I stated in original post, this problem began one year ago.

Short of traveling to a canine dermatologist one hour from where we live, I am hoping someone experienced with this issue can help. Please, with all due respect and appreciation, no more responses from guessers.

Is there a vet reading this post????


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

I am a vet student on her senior years and... without seeing the dog in person even a vet reading this post can only guess. This is a forum, you can expect advice and good wishes, not diagnosis, sorry.

One hour for an specialist sounds pretty close to me.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

If you've already seen the Vet, it's time for a second opinion and hopefully some treatment.

Suck it up and drive the hour to see the specialist. Jesus Christ, it's your dog.

There's no free diagnosis over the internet. Stick a crowbar in your wallet and go see a specialist.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Your dog desperately needs to be seen by a derm vet ASAP. 

Whatever this is, it's not anything that can be internet diagnosed safely, and just reading threads where people talk about boosting immune systems in the autoimmune should tell you enough to know that the advice here is not always rock solid. It should only be used in supplement to working with a quality vet and your own scholarly research. 

Please get him to the derm vet - I went 2 hours to see one and had I gone sooner, it would have saved me a ton of money (well, well, well over $1000), time, and most importantly, my dog's ongoing discomfort. An incorrect pathology report had led us down an entirely wrong road, and in probably 1 minute, the derm vet reversed course - that's all it took for him to know what was wrong and what we needed to do. He even re-did the biopsy for a new pathology report for free. My vet office changed labs after that incident. I will always pull the specialist card quickly now. Please consider what you would want someone to do for you, as well. Let us know - thank you.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I agree with getting to a specialized vet, this looks serious and very uncomfortable 
Not something to get diagnosed or try remedies via the net


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## ugavet2012 (Apr 15, 2010)

I am a vet and I'm also telling you to go to a specialist or at least change vets if your current one is just treating this as allergies 
I see LOTS of allergy dogs, probably 2-10 a day and not one of them has lesions like this. Not saying its not possible but it looks more autoimmune to me *just guessing based on appearance*. If this were my patient and after trying antibiotics, topical preparations, this did not respond, I would be referring, which most people do not do around here so I have to do a ton of what would be normally specialist work myself (lots of research and trial and error involved), or trying something different to come up with the underlying cause, I guess because I'm crazy like that, I don't keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results  a regular vet can biopsy this, and if they are willing, do a skin cytology to give you at least some idea more than a guess in the dark. I am not great at skin cytology for anything other than common stuff but I try them for free sometimes and whip out a few books for research to try to give the owner at least SOME idea what's going on. I worked up a very difficult case recently on my own that the vast majority of vets would have sent to a specialist (again, didn't have that luxury) through the use of VIN, books, and basic medicine principals that many seem to lose after school. It can be done,  the owner was thrilled, and now sends many referrals my way even though I am a very young new vet, and we have 2 other much more experienced vets in my clinic.


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## JollyRancher (May 18, 2013)

ugavet2012 said:


> I am a vet and I'm also telling you to go to a specialist or at least change vets if your current one is just treating this as allergies
> I see LOTS of allergy dogs, probably 2-10 a day and not one of them has lesions like this. Not saying its not possible but it looks more autoimmune to me *just guessing based on appearance*. If this were my patient and after trying antibiotics, topical preparations, this did not respond, I would be referring, which most people do not do around here so I have to do a ton of what would be normally specialist work myself (lots of research and trial and error involved), or trying something different to come up with the underlying cause, I guess because I'm crazy like that, I don't keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results  a regular vet can biopsy this, and if they are willing, do a skin cytology to give you at least some idea more than a guess in the dark. I am not great at skin cytology for anything other than common stuff but I try them for free sometimes and whip out a few books for research to try to give the owner at least SOME idea what's going on. I worked up a very difficult case recently on my own that the vast majority of vets would have sent to a specialist (again, didn't have that luxury) through the use of VIN, books, and basic medicine principals that many seem to lose after school. It can be done,  the owner was thrilled, and now sends many referrals my way even though I am a very young new vet, and we have 2 other much more experienced vets in my clinic.


Thank you for your helpful response.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

Looking for an update on your doggie. Did you source out another vet? Perhaps adding in some details (food, chemicals, vaccines, other), you may be surprised what all the "guessers" may know - things your vet can miss and/or ignore (like heartworm/flea prevention) as cause. Lets say they call it an allergy, well...that is not a dx., but rather a condition of a skewed immune system - so the vets solution? - steroids to suppress...However, supplements that work to regulate/modulate (activate or suppress) the immune system w/o additional toxicity of conventional drugs leading to cycling of disease state...this you will learn from a holistic vet - or pet owners who follow a more natural less toxic approach...

for example - This could be demodex mange gone way too far - treatment - boost immune system 

But look into bovine colostrum, better yet a prduct called "Seavive"

Diet change? Carb/gluten free - i.e. RAW

Topically - the herb "Eyebright" - buy in tea form and make compresses for the eyes, goldenseal is another, antibacterial, antifungal 

In fact I may harbour a guess that this could be a fungal problem (especially after reading a recent thread and searching for supportive therapy for it) - can come in may forms/species and if goes systemic - look out!

Hence the question about what tests have been done

So come back on and update - fill in the blanks for us please.


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## Mwise (Jun 26, 2020)

JollyRancher said:


> Our GSD has had these crusty, open lesions around his eyes for one year now (see photo). We clean his eyes, make him wear a cone to prevent scratching (on the grass) and reopening the wounds. Nothing works. Vet blames allergies but can't identify or solve problem. Help!!!!


I know this is a very old post, but worth a shot...
Did you ever receive a diagnosis? Or find a treatment that worked?
My GSD has identical type sores, and we cannot get them to heal. 
She already has an veterinary ophthalmologist (she has Pannus), and our regular vet working on this. I should also add the ophthalmologist works next door to an allergist who has also looked at her. They believe it is an autoimmune disease, and are frustrated that we cannot get the sores fully healed.
She’s on prednisone, and now we’re trying mycophenolate.


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## IamIstiaque (Jun 3, 2020)

I have had my vet recommend calendula tea to assist with skin allergies. Used it on both my dogs for runny eyes and it helped clear it up.
Make the tea, let it cool until lukewarm, and then dab it on with a cotton ball or folded up plain tissue (no aloe vera or eucalyptus since you are near dogs eyes). Can do this a couple of times a day.
I don't think it would help if is not allergy related, but since your vet thinks it is, maybe worth a shot?


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

The original posts are on the money in saying this can't be diagnosed over the internet. But, looking at the lesions, I wonder if there's something wrong with the tear ducts. A friend of mine had a puppy with an infected/blocked tear duct, and it had to have surgery. There's a bit of a scar on its face, but other than that, it's doing fine.

I'm sure anything to do with the eye is REALLY uncomfortable for the dog. I hope you can find a cure!


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## mmmm1234 (Feb 17, 2021)

Mwise said:


> I know this is a very old post, but worth a shot...
> Did you ever receive a diagnosis? Or find a treatment that worked?
> My GSD has identical type sores, and we cannot get them to heal.
> She already has an veterinary ophthalmologist (she has Pannus), and our regular vet working on this. I should also add the ophthalmologist works next door to an allergist who has also looked at her. They believe it is an autoimmune disease, and are frustrated that we cannot get the sores fully healed.
> She’s on prednisone, and now we’re trying mycophenolate.


 Did you ever find a cure? My GSD has the same problem for 1 year now


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