Choke Chain Collars
My German Shepherd puppy is 7.5 months old. We woke up this AM and found that the farthest side of his eyes have blood on them. The inside, top and bottom of white around the iris is white - just the one side in both eyes. Is this allergies - or is it a precursor to something worse and should we take him to vet? We were working with his walk yesterday (trying to work with him to stay next to us while we walk rather then pull us along)—and we used a choke chain collar. He was doing a lot of pulling. Could using the choker to correct my dog have caused this bleeding? If so, will it correct itself?
Choke collars, and even flat collars, can exert extreme pressure on the necks of dogs and this can cause bleeding such as you describe. Dogs have an opposition reflex to neck pressure. When they feel pressure on the front of their necks (throat area) they lean forward into the pressure, so the more you pull back, the more they push forward. A much more humane and effective way to walk your dog is with a properly fitted headcollar, such as a Gentle Leader. Information on a Gentle Leader is available at www.gentleleader.com, and they are available through many veterinarians and through retail stores. I stress the phrase "properly fitted". A properly fitted headcollar allows you to "power steer" your dog because you have good, comfortable control of his head, as opposed to a collar which only acts as a "brake", and a poor one at that. However, even though the bleeding may be due to choke collar pressure, it would be best to have your puppy examined by your veterinarian, as there could be medical reasons for this bleeding to occur.
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