ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Cindy Sebastian

My little guy has recently been scratching at his eyes. As a result, the area around his eyes has become inflamed. If anyone knows what the problem is and what to do about it, please post a reply. I'm currently treating it with a saline solution and aloe vera. Thanks for your help.

DISCUSSION:

Because their faces are so low to the ground, they can easily become irritated by dust, pollen, etc. I don't know if this is relevant to the Maltese, but some dogs have eyelids that naturally turn out or in a little bit, and this causes them to have a chronic, low-grade form of conjunctivitis all the time because these lid formations are a constant irritation to the eye, which makes he dog's eyes alway seem to be red. You didn't mention if the dog's eyes were giving off a mucus discharge or not. If the condition doesn't improve in two or three days, I would have the dog examined by a vet for safe measure. If it is just an average case of conjunctivitis should clear up in about three days, using a boric acid wash.
-Vicki