Eye Health

The eyes can be an issue for pets if there is not enough moisture to nourish the eye. Traditional Chinese Medicine states that the eyes are associated with the liver and gallbladder and thus, if the liver or gallbladder are out of balance, eye conditions can also be present. Conjunctivitis, tearing eyes and dry eyes may be attributed to those liver imbalances in pets.

Conjunctivitis:

Conjunctivitis looks painful and is actually quite painful for pets. Discharge can be clear, yellow or green puss. It may occur in one or both eyes. Its causes may include foreign matter, chemicals, bacteria, viruses or other germs, polluted water, or smoke.

Cheryl Schwartz, DVM in her book Four Paws, Five Directions on page 154, recommends the following using the herb Eyebright: Internally: Steep ½ teaspoon of the powdered dry herb in 1 cup of sterile boiling water, strain and cool, add to wet food at 1 teaspoon for cats and small dogs and 1 tablespoon for larger dogs. Topically: Squeeze the tea from a dropper into the eye three times daily. Store the tea in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Prepare fresh every 2 days.

She further notes, “This Western herb, provides nutrition to the eye itself….improves vision and has astringent, pungent, bitter and cooling qualities. It can be used both in deficient conditions when the eye is dry and has begun to form mucousy discharges, or in hot type infectious conditions with conjunctivitis…” Note: Preparations for use in the eye should always be made under sterile conditions.

Mary Wulff-Tilford states in her book, All you ever wanted to know about Herbs for Pets page 298, states “Goldenseal or Oregon grape root offers further assistance by fighting infection and quickly reducing inflammation and soreness."

Cataracts:

A cataract is an abnormal opacity (cloudiness) of the lens or its outer covering. Cataracts may develop due to nutritional deficiencies or due to an injury to the eye. Providing a well balanced, human grade, high quality pet diet is key in preventing the development of cataracts. Cataracts in cats have been linked to a deficiency in riboflavin (vitamin B2) which comes from poor nutrient assimilation. Adding enzymes and probiotics is beneficial.

Glaucoma:

Glaucoma is an abnormally high inner eye pressure. It can occur in animals and is especially common in cats. Signs of glaucoma may be swollen or red eyes, dilated and fixed pupils, vision loss and edema of the cornea. Mary Wulff-Tilford states in her book, All you ever wanted to know about Herbs for Pets page 298, “Although glaucoma is difficult to treat with herbs, perhaps the greatest success comes from the reduction of intraocular pressure with herbs such as ginkgo and bilberry.

Food Allergies and the Eyes:

Diet may affect the health of the eyes. As we all know, our liver is affected by what we eat. The old adage of “you are what you eat” certainly applies to the eyes as well. Food allergies can often show up as eye discharge/inflammation. If you notice your pet has chronic eye discharge, try changing the protein source. If your pet is prone to red, itchy eyes, you may want to eliminate garlic from the diet. You may want to consider feeding neutral foods such as potatoes, eggs, rabbit, cod, beef, chicken and defatted pork and thoroughly cooked brown rice. Avoid bitter foods such as celery, lettuce and spinach.

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