Lola, eye issue

So sometimes after Lola wakes up from napping the bottom lid of her eye kind of gets stuck on her eyeball. She just bats her eyes for about a minute or so and then it opens up but what I am wondering is if she is getting a dry eye. I am assuming eye drops are probably needed. Anyone have one in mind? Is this something I should take her to the vet to have checked out? I have heard that using saline and a pure cotton ball works well, but I want to make sure that I use the best since pug eyes are so fragile.

If it's just lubrication she needs (the ophthalmologist I've taken my pugs to recommends it for all pugs) , Genteal works well (and is recommended by the same vet)--it's human over the counter medicine. I don't know about dry eye, though, and I think it's always smart to have pug eyes checked, by a vet who really knows about them (I probably could have just gone to my regular vet for my boys' eye issues, but ended up being paranoid and going to the specialist, but my regular vet knows tons about pugs and their eyes, since he specializes in brachycephalic breeds.)

Lex, do you use the gel/ointment or the gel drop, or do they make a thinner drop?

I don't think its literally dry eye, her eye isn't dry all the time, actually they usually are nice and shiny its just when she first wakes up. I am gonna make her an appointment to go see a local vet.

GingerSnap wrote:Lex, do you use the gel/ointment or the gel drop, or do they make a thinner drop?

I use them all depending on the dog and the time of day. For my guys with dry eye (I don't have any right now, thankfully) I use Tears naturale PM right before bed. I use Systane gel drops in the morning first thing to lubricate the eyes and the rest of the day I use the gel. There are a bunch of good ones out there these days in local drug stores. Refresh, GenTeal, Systane--all are good and most come in various viscosity levels.. HOwever, I routinely use some kind of eye lube on all my flat faced dogs just to be on the safe side.

It would be worth asking your vet if he can do a Schirmer tear test on Lola--it will tell you what her tear production is. Top level is 25, I think.

GingerSnap wrote:Lex, do you use the gel/ointment or the gel drop, or do they make a thinner drop?

I have the GenTeal gel drops; I must admit, though, I'm bad about using them, since both boys get two other drops, too--those, I'm good about.

The gel is the best to use but obviously harder to get into the eye. I buy the moderate to severe Genteal drops. If your pug sleeps with you, just put the eye drops on the night stand and apply when you wake up. It wouldn't hurt to have the tear production checked, and many pugs also sleep with their eyes slightly open which may be causing the eye to be dry in the morning.