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Will the Blood in My Chihuahua's Eye Go Away?

by Jorge

Reader Question
Yesterday my Chihuahua was almost bitten by a bigger dog. He avoided the bite, but his eye started to turn red and swell, with the eyelid almost bulging out. We took him to the vet, and they gave us antibiotic medicine and ointments. Today the swelling went down and his eye is visible, but it's completely blood red, like a red marble. The vet said there's a 50/50 chance he might see or go blind. It looks like he can see, though. Will the blood in his eye ever leave, or will he have a red marble for the rest of his life?


Answer from Our Team

I'm sorry, this must be frightening. An eye that looks like a red marble after an injury can mean blood on the surface of the eye, or blood filling the front of the eye in front of the colored iris. That second kind is called hyphema. Your vet can tell which it is.

Blood on the white surface of the eye usually clears by itself. Blood inside the eye can take longer. A small bleed often clears in about 1 to 2 weeks with treatment, but a large bleed may not clear completely and can raise the pressure in the eye (glaucoma). After an injury, blood inside the eye can also hide other damage, which is probably why your vet gave a 50/50 outlook for vision.

It's a good sign that he seems to see. Follow-up checks are important so your vet can watch the eye pressure and look behind the blood as it clears. Small breeds with prominent eyes can be injured easily, and seeing a veterinary ophthalmologist can help with an eye like this. Keep him quiet, stop him rubbing, and give the medicines exactly as prescribed. Go back sooner if the eye looks cloudy, bigger, or more painful.

See blood in a dog's eye and eye injuries in dogs.

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

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