# What do your poodles eye boogers look like?



## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

Weird question, I know - But what do your Poodle's eye boogers look like? I know that eye gunk can be a regular thing for some Poodles, but I always thought it was more like tears, leaking down their face? Is this true? Ralph has eye boogers, only when he wakes up in the morning, and they look like, well, snot. Like human boogers. Sometimes clear or light light green, (sorry -gross but it looks just like when you blow your nose) only these boogers are in his eye balls. I've been to the vet for this and he was 100% healthy, she thought *maybe* he had an eye infection causing the boogers, and gave some antibiotic ointment. The boogers cleared up while using the ointment but when stopped a couple days later they came back. This could be a coincidence, or not. When I clean out his eyes in the morning they are 100% booger free the rest of the day, but when I wake him up in the morning they are there, ready for me to clean out again. I am going back to the Vet Friday for his neutering procedure and I will follow up then, but just wondering if this is a Poodle thing, or if there is something wrong with him?

**I should also mention that his facial hair is long, this is the first time I have not had his muzzle and face shaved down, maybe the hair is bugging him? I am having his face shaved "poodley" again today, maybe that will help?**


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## RileysMommy (Jul 18, 2011)

Riley's eye boogies just crust up right at the corners of his eyes...and are black.....sometimes I do see some clear slime ON his eye balls...I'm assuming this is what crusts up and causes the boogies!


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## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

Yes, this is a slime on the eye ball. Sometimes he will use his paw to wipe it out himself and then it sits on his face until I wipe it off. Any little bit that doesn't get fully removed does dry up in to a black/dark brown crusty bit that I have to comb out.


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## roulette (Feb 18, 2011)

My Standards just get crunchy boogers in the inner corners every once in a while. I'd guess in your case, it's his hair poking his eyes, since it is only in the AM. You can trim just the few hairs around his eyeballs, if you wanna keep his muzzle fuzzy. Ha ha, we have to "spell" eye boogers around here, cuz none of the dogs want to get them picked off...if they hear me say it, they skulk and don't want to come to me : ) I've also found that excessive tearing can be limited by a switch to better quality food.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

They start out as grey when they're wet, then get black and gunky when they dry. Neither of mine tear, but they do have the normal eye discharge. Vienna has more, especially when her topknot hairs irritate her eyes.


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

My dogs get eye buggers that are just what you describe--snotty stuff in the corner of the eye that turns to black crusty stuff if you don't clean in out soon enough. I believe that it is contageous--the dogs lick each other's eyes and pass it to each other. My vet prescribed Neomycin and Polymixin B Sulfates and Dexamethasone Ophthalmic Ointment. It comes in a little tube and you clean the eyes out in the morning and then put a little bit in the corner of each eye. Seems to work pretty well. Not that it never comes back, but treating for several days certainly keeps the eye buggers away for quite a while.


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

Who doesn't get eye boogers in the morning! Leroy will have boogers on the inner corners after sleeping. Typically it's a little bit of dark brown crust, or slimy brown stuff if I catch it early. It does not smell. He has had the green smelly discharge twice, and each time was when I was switching foods. It lasted a week and I also used some eyedrops w/ the same ingredients peppersb mentioned. When he was kibble fed, I noticed more crusty stuff I had to religiously wipe away each morning. Now that he's raw fed, he does not have the same amount of eye crust.


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Beau gets some mucus in the inner corners of his eyes from time to time, and occassionally these end up as hard black crusties just outside the eye. It's certainly nothing that appears serious or infected. So is the presense of a bit of mucus (aka "eye boogers") a "condition" that requires "treatment" or just a normal (albeit messy) fact of daily life?


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

LEUllman said:


> So is the presense of a bit of mucus (aka "eye boogers") a "condition" that requires "treatment" or just a normal (albeit messy) fact of daily life?


For a standard, I'd say that a bit of eye crust shouldn't be anything to be alarmed about, but excessive tearing and staining like you would see in a toy would worry me. Of course there are breeds more prone to tearing and eye crusts like toy breeds and brachycephalic breeds, where they would need the owner to gently clean the eyes everyday. This will be a fact of daily life for them. Sadly, not all dogs get this hygienic treatment; I see too many shih tzus and poodle mixes with huge matted globs of hair and eye boogers. Some dogs' eyes can be matted shut with all that gunk. So, after a vet checkup and a bill of good health, you still get eye crust, you'll just have to live with wiping it away. This is our fact of life because we created these breeds. My only suggestion to decrease crusties is to feed high quality food.


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## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

Thanks so much for all your input! I will try to take a photo tomorrow morning if the boogers are there, this way I can show you guys AND the vet on Friday. Ralph has zero tearing, just this globby stuff in the mornings. I can't imagine leaving it to crust, it would surely hinder his vision, maybe there is more of it on Ralph than on your Poodles?

As for food choice, he is on Orijen Large Breed Puppy, which is what the breeder had him on and from what I have heard is a good quality dog food. The Vet was pretty sure it was not an internal/allergy thing because he had zero other symptoms. 

I will keep you posted, and try to get a picture.


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## Hester (Jul 28, 2020)

frankgrimes said:


> Weird question, I know - But what do your Poodle's eye boogers look like? I know that eye gunk can be a regular thing for some Poodles, but I always thought it was more like tears, leaking down their face? Is this true? Ralph has eye boogers, only when he wakes up in the morning, and they look like, well, snot. Like human boogers. Sometimes clear or light light green, (sorry -gross but it looks just like when you blow your nose) only these boogers are in his eye balls. I've been to the vet for this and he was 100% healthy, she thought _maybe_ he had an eye infection causing the boogers, and gave some antibiotic ointment. The boogers cleared up while using the ointment but when stopped a couple days later they came back. This could be a coincidence, or not. When I clean out his eyes in the morning they are 100% booger free the rest of the day, but when I wake him up in the morning they are there, ready for me to clean out again. I am going back to the Vet Friday for his neutering procedure and I will follow up then, but just wondering if this is a Poodle thing, or if there is something wrong with him?
> 
> *I should also mention that his facial hair is long, this is the first time I have not had his muzzle and face shaved down, maybe the hair is bugging him? I am having his face shaved "poodley" again today, maybe that will help?*


Hi, did you ever get this figured out? I’ve got same issue with my poodle pup. I happen to feed him same food as well.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Hester said:


> Hi, did you ever get this figured out? I’ve got same issue with my poodle pup. I happen to feed him same food as well.


Hi Hester! That user hasn't been active since 2013, so you're unlikely to get a response. You could try PMing him. Or start a new thread telling us a little about your pup and what you're seeing. Maybe some current members can help you troubleshoot.

Welcome to Poodle Forum


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## ToyPoodle.Teamo (12 mo ago)

frankgrimes said:


> Weird question, I know - But what do your Poodle's eye boogers look like? I know that eye gunk can be a regular thing for some Poodles, but I always thought it was more like tears, leaking down their face? Is this true? Ralph has eye boogers, only when he wakes up in the morning, and they look like, well, snot. Like human boogers. Sometimes clear or light light green, (sorry -gross but it looks just like when you blow your nose) only these boogers are in his eye balls. I've been to the vet for this and he was 100% healthy, she thought _maybe_ he had an eye infection causing the boogers, and gave some antibiotic ointment. The boogers cleared up while using the ointment but when stopped a couple days later they came back. This could be a coincidence, or not. When I clean out his eyes in the morning they are 100% booger free the rest of the day, but when I wake him up in the morning they are there, ready for me to clean out again. I am going back to the Vet Friday for his neutering procedure and I will follow up then, but just wondering if this is a Poodle thing, or if there is something wrong with him?
> 
> *I should also mention that his facial hair is long, this is the first time I have not had his muzzle and face shaved down, maybe the hair is bugging him? I am having his face shaved "poodley" again today, maybe that will help?*


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## ToyPoodle.Teamo (12 mo ago)

Tim gets dark brown or milky slimy booger pretty much daily and often multiple times a day post naps. I try to stay on top of picking em out post naps otherwise they dry out and become impossible to remove.
Any tips on softening crusty hair around the eyes would be great!


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

This is an older thread, and the original poster has not been back to the forum in quite a while. I'm closing it for now, as tear stains and eye discharge can have a number of different causes. Please start a new threat pertaining to your dog.


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