Urgent and What to Do Tonight

A suddenly “squinty” or red, watery eye is uncomfortable for your pet and can worsen quickly. Eye problems are one of the most common after-hours visits we see. Here’s how to tell what’s urgent, what you can do at home, and how we treat eye issues at an urgent care visit.

Fast checklist: Seek

same-day care

if you see any of these

• Squinting or keeping one eye closed
• Constant pawing/rubbing at the eye
• Redness of the white of the eye or inner lids
• Thick yellow/green discharge or a strong odor
• Cloudiness, blue/gray “haze,” or a dull surface
• Unequal pupil sizes or pupils that don’t respond to light
• Obvious trauma (scratch, thorn/foxtail, cat claw, head/face injury)

Eyes can change quickly. The goal is to relieve pain, find the cause, and protect vision.

Common urgent causes

• Corneal scratches/ulcers (cat claws, grit, foxtails)
• Foreign bodies under the lid or trapped in hair folds
• Dry eye (KCS) leading to thick discharge and infections
• Allergic irritation or conjunctivitis
• Entropion (inward-rolling eyelids) or hair rubbing the cornea
• Glaucoma or uveitis (pressure or inflammation inside the eye)

What you can do right now (first aid)

• Prevent rubbing: use an e-collar or a clean T-shirt as a temporary barrier.
• If you have plain sterile saline (contact-lens rinsing solution without additives), you may gently flush debris from the surface of the eye.
• Keep your pet calm and in a dim room if light hurts.

Please avoid until your exam

• Human eye drops or leftover pet meds (especially steroids), which can worsen infections or corneal ulcers.
• Attempting to remove embedded objects.
• Home “redness relief” drops—these can mask symptoms without treating the cause.

How an urgent care exam helps

At the visit we’ll:

1. Stain the cornea (fluorescein) to find scratches/ulcers.
2. Measure tear production (Schirmer test) to check for dry eye.
3. Check eye pressure (tonometry) to evaluate for glaucoma/uveitis.
4. Inspect under the lids for foxtails, hairs, or debris.

Typical treatments

• Pain relief and protective e-collar
• Antibiotic or lubricating drops/ointment; sometimes anti-inflammatories (non-steroid if an ulcer is present)
• Foreign-body removal and thorough eye rinse if needed
• Recheck in 2–5 days for healing ulcers or pressure changes

Can it wait until tomorrow?

Mild, clear tearing after a windy walk that resolves within a few hours, with no redness, squinting, or discharge, can often wait—monitor closely. If any sign returns or your pet seems painful, treat it as urgent.

We’re here to help

Eye pain is frightening—but with timely care most problems improve quickly and vision can be protected. Our team provides after-hours urgent exams with on-site staining, tonometry, and treatment to keep your pet comfortable the same night.

Walk-ins welcome during evening hours.