My kitten has a runny eye with yellow discharge. Are human drops safe?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Roxy. I do understand being concerned, but in some cases, it can be safe to use certain human drops. It's off label use. If your vet recommended it, it should be ok. I hope this helps!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Human products that are natural tears such as Clear Eyes can be used, just be extra certain there are no medicinal ingredients. If the eyes are red and watering however, she might need medications and a visit to the vet is a good idea. As long as she isn't squinting, you can try the natural tears first, but if she isn't 100% by tomorrow then I would have her seen, or if she starts squinting then have her seen ASAP. Eyes will either get better or worse very quickly, so monitor them closely. Best of luck with Sassy!

A check up would be needed anyway as the signs you are describing could be compatible with corneal ulceration. Antibiotics eye drops may be necessary (clindamycin eye drops 0.5% for humans would be ok). If a corneal ulcer is present medical treatment may not be enough to solve the problem.

I'm sorry that Kenny has conjunctivitis! Unfortunately, I would not recommend using these drops in Kenny's eye - polymyxin is not recommended for use in cats, as it can cause a severe reaction in some cases. It's also important to determine what is causing Kenny's eye problem, since conjunctivitis can be caused by an eye infection, an upper respiratory viral or bacterial infection, or an injury to the cornea such as a scratch or ulcer - treatment recommendations would be different depending on the underlying problem. Because of this, I would recommend taking Kenny to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to. He/she can take a look at the eye and do some simple testing if needed to help diagnose the problem, and will prescribe a safe and effective eye drop to treat it.

Unfortunately we are not able to prescribe medicine through this website. Hi, and thanks for your question. That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. Antibiotics (eye drops) for human beings can be used (chloramphenicol 0,5 % three times daily for a week). If no improvement are seen a check up would be required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately no. :( Tobramycin is an antibiotic eye drop. Anything that contains an antibiotic requires a prescription. Also when it comes to eyes we have to very careful with what we prescribe, making sure it is safe for the eye and the condition being treated. If the kittens are having eye issues it’s best to have them seen to obtain a prescription. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, Refresh artificial tear solutions are safe for dogs. You can try applying some drops to her eyes 3-4 times a day to see if this resolves her clinical signs. Yellow discharge can be a sign of infection, however, which requires eye medications prescribed by your veterinarian. They will first want to perform a full ocular exam to look for evidence of corneal scratches or ulcers, as this would alter treatment. As a reminder, never give dogs pain medication that is intended for humans, as they can be fatally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!