Eye Injury — Eye Injuries Lose Function in Hours

Types of Eye Emergency

1. Corneal scratch/ulcer — squinting, watery eye, cloudy spot, pawing at face
2. Foreign object — visible debris, hay, branch, claw scratch
3. Proptosis — eyeball partially or fully out of socket (Frenchie classic)
4. Blunt trauma — hit by ball, dog fight, fence collision
5. Chemical exposure — shampoo, cleaning product, citrus oil

For PROPTOSIS (Eye Out of Socket)

• ❌ DO NOT push eye back in — permanent damage
• ❌ DO NOT let cornea dry out
• ✅ Apply sterile saline or contact-lens solution every 30 seconds on clean gauze
• ✅ Cover loosely with damp clean cloth (NOT pressure)
• ✅ Cone or muzzle dog so they can't paw at it
• ✅ CALL THE ER BEFORE YOU GET IN THE CAR — ten seconds; they need to prep for tarsorrhaphy (suturing eye back in). If someone is with you, they call while you drive
• Goal: operating table within 60 minutes

For FOREIGN OBJECT

• ❌ DO NOT try to remove — even a "small" stick fragment can be embedded into the cornea
• ❌ DO NOT rub or wipe
• ✅ Saline rinse ONLY if surface debris is loose (sand, grass)
• ✅ Cone the dog, transport

For CHEMICAL EXPOSURE

• ✅ Flush with saline or clean tap water for 15 MINUTES MINIMUM — only home intervention that saves vision in chemical burns
• Use syringe, sports bottle, or shower
• Then transport to ER

For CORNEAL SCRATCH (Squinting, Tearing, Cloudy)

• ✅ Cone immediately to prevent self-trauma
• ❌ DO NOT use human eye drops — many contain steroids that PERFORATE ulcers
• ✅ Vet within 12 hours for fluorescein stain test (orange dye, glows green on ulcers under blue light)

Why Frenchies Extra Vulnerable

• Shallow orbits — eye sits more exposed than long-nosed breeds
• Large palpebral fissures — eyelids don't fully cover cornea even when "closed"
• Decreased corneal sensation — Frenchies don't blink as much because they don't FEEL surface damage
• Proptosis can occur with minimal trauma — even rough scruffing by groomer, harness pull, or play tumble
• Skin folds + ingrown hairs rub on cornea daily

Cost of Emergency Eye Surgery

• Tarsorrhaphy (proptosis replacement): $1,500-4,000 + $1,000+ follow-up
• Enucleation (eye removal): $500-2,000
• Corneal ulcer treatment: $300-800 simple; $2,000-5,000 if grafting needed
• Pet insurance: Frenchies typically eligible only with eye-issue exclusion if pre-existing — get coverage BEFORE first incident

Recovery and Follow-Up

After tarsorrhaphy:

• Eye sutured shut for 2-4 weeks
• Topical antibiotics (vet-prescribed — your vet sets the schedule)
• Oral anti-inflammatory (vet-prescribed)
• Cone 24/7
• Recheck weekly

Possible complications: blindness, glaucoma, dry eye (KCS) requiring lifelong cyclosporine, corneal ulceration recurrence.

Time-Critical Takeaway

Eye injuries lose function in HOURS, not days.

• Squinting + cloudy spot at noon = vet by 6pm, NOT next morning
• Corneal ulcer 1mm at 9am = potential perforation by 9pm

About the Author

Spike’s Dad

Not a veterinarian — the human behind Spike, a dark brindle Frenchie, for 7+ years. What is written here is checked as carefully as we can against the sources listed above. When real life with Spike differs from the studies, we say so.

How this site is researched →