Shih Tzu With Frequent Eye Infections

Repeated eye "infections" in Shih Tzus usually come from their face shape rather than from germs. Many Shih Tzus can't fully close their eyes. Nose-fold hairs and in-turned lower lids can rub the eye, and the breed is prone to dry eye. Each of these causes red, goopy eyes, and bacteria usually move in only afterward.

Ask your vet for a tear test and a check of her eyelids and lashes. If she has dry eye, daily tear-stimulating medicine stops the cycle, which antibiotics alone can't. In the US, antibiotic eye drops for dogs now need a prescription, so there's no over-the-counter option.

At home, wipe away discharge daily with sterile saline on a soft cloth, keep the hair around her eyes trimmed, and ask your vet whether lubricating drops would help. Avoid human medicated drops. Have her seen the same day if she squints or the eye looks cloudy, because Shih Tzus can develop corneal ulcers quickly.

See why many eye infections aren't bacterial and dry eye in dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.