As in humans, some infections can be transmitted to other individuals or littermates. Allergies are not contagious and therefore pose no threat to other dogs or cats. All cases of conjunctivitis should be treated at once. A culture and sensitivity test may be necessary to determine if bacteria are the cause and, if so, what medication should be used for treatment. Scrapings of the conjunctiva can be made and examined to test for various viral infections.
Eye drops or ointments are usually the drugs of choice.
Eye drops are watery solutions that must be applied every few hours, while ointments last longer and are usually only applied two to three times per day. If the cause is suspected to be allergy, then various medications are available containing anti-inflammatories, usually hydrocortisones. If the cause is an infection, then bactericidal or fungicidal ointments or solutions may be applied. In severe cases, oral antibiotics are used in addition to the topical preparations. Most cases will respond to treatment, however, it may take one to two weeks to fully recover.