Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My dog got ear drops in his eye! Is it an emergency? What should I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Bulldog | Male | neutered | 1 year and 4 months old

Hello, So I Accidentally put my dogs antifubgal ear drops in his eye. Is there anything I can do? Is this an emergency.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on August 10th, 2016

This could definitely be a problem, since ear medications are not formulated for use in the eye and can be very irritating. If you have some plain saline eye wash on hand, flush his eye out immediately - then, I would recommend having him seen by a vet as soon as possible. The biggest risk is that he may develop a corneal ulcer, which can be severe in some cases and could cause permanent damage or vision loss. Your vet can evaluate the eye to make sure that all of the medication has been rinsed out, and will probably send you home with prescription eye meds to help heal the cornea if there is an injury.

20Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on August 25th, 2018
If the eye has been severely burned or injured it is best to seek veterinary care immediately. Your vet may need to further flush the eye, check it for additional injury, or apply medication to help it heal.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 12th, 2017
An eye infection is generally treated with a topical eye drop, but these eye drops are generally prescription only and not available over the counter. It would be important to rule out a corneal ulcer first since the medications used for conjunctivitis (eye infection) can make a corneal ulcer much worse. A corneal ulcer can also become infected and get worse rapidly, and in severe cases dogs can lose their vision or their eye can become irreparably damaged so I would urge you to see your vet as soon as possible. Unfortunately it's impossible for us to comment on cost since this can vary so much based on location even within the same city, but I would imaging your veterinarian would want to perform an exam and then stain the eye to look for an ulcer. You could always call your veterinarian to get a cost estimate.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on September 6th, 2018
There are no OTC drops that can be used for dogs. You can use plain saline solution to gently rinse the eye. Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent rubbing or pawing. Monitor for swelling, discharge, squinting or redness. He'll need to be examined by your veterinarian to diagnose corneal injury if symptoms persist.
Images must be no larger than 5MB and in.jpg or.png format. If you still have difficulties attaching them, email them to customerservice@Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.co and we can have one of our experts look at them for you.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

My dog has an ear infection. Can I use eye drops? Is it an emergency?

Poor DDuang! Ear infections are very uncomfortable. I would not recommend using ophthalmic ointment in the ear, as these medications are not designed for this and could damage his eardrum or the nerves in his middle ear. It's fine to use a regular ear cleaner labeled for dogs to help clean the discharge out of the ear - this won't treat the underlying infection, but may make Dduang a bit more comfortable until he can get treatment. An ear infection is not an emergency, per se, but it's certainly uncomfortable and unpleasant for both of you! Personally, I would probably go ahead and take your pup to the emergency clinic tonight or tomorrow rather than waiting until next week for treatment. You could also call some other vets locally to see if they have any appointments available tomorrow, since this would probably be cheaper than an emergency visit. The vet will take a sample of the discharge for analysis under the microscope and prescribe appropriate medication to treat the infection depending on what is found.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog accidentally got ear cleaner in his eye, what should I do?

Rinse Sam's eye with cool water as well. Monitor it for redness, swelling, discharge, or pain. He would show pain by keeping his eye closed as much as possible and/or rubbing at his eye. If you see any of those signs, have him seen by a vet. Best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's eye is running and glazed. Is it safe to use eye drops?

Poor Blaze! I'm sorry to hear that he's having a problem with is eye. Squinting, excessive draining, and a "glazed" look can be caused by an eye infection, or by an injury to the eye such as a corneal scratch or ulcer. He will need an eye exam by your vet to diagnose the problem, and will probably need prescription meds to treat it effectively - so it's good that you're planning to take him in for a visit when you can. In the meantime, I would not recommend using any type of ointment or medication in th eye until you can see the vet to find out what's wrong - eyes are delicate, and you can accidentally make the problem worse by treating with something inappropriate. You can use plain saline eye wash to gently rinse his eye, if he'll let you, and use a warm washcloth or cotton ball to wipe away the discharge if it seems to be bothering him. This will not treat the underlying problem, but may help to make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My puppy has watery eyes and smelly ears. Is this an emergency?

Your poor puppy! The watery eyes can be indicative of an eye infection or allergies. The odor from her ears indicates an ear infection, which can be caused by yeast, bacteria, or ear mites. Any problem with the eyes should be considered an emergency because the eye is such a delicate and important structure. Leaving eye problems untreated can lead to vision loss. I recommend taking her into a vet today to have her eyes and ears examined, diagnosed, and treated. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Good luck, I hope this helps and happy new year!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

What can I use to rinse my 5-month-old puppy's irritated eye?

You could rinse his eye out with an eye wash or some artificial tears, like GenTeal drops. If his signs continue then he needs to be examined by a vet to determine the cause. He could have an infection, scratch, ulcer, or foreign material in his eye and your vet can stain his eye to evaluate his cornea for damage. He may need an antibiotic eye drop and other medications to treat. Hope he feels better soon!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Dog's eye red, irritated after bath. Eyedrops not working. What to do?

Your dog is not in danger of going blind but you should let the drops a little longer to take effect and you should put an e-collar around it's neck to prevent him from pawing the eyes as he can injure himself. the cause for the irritation is pretty clear as you mentioned he just had a bath.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has an eye infection. Should I treat it myself or see a vet?

Please do not use this or any other antibiotic that is not specifically meant for the treatment of eye infections. There may be chemicals in this that will damage the eye. Eye infections are always emergencies and need to be seen by a veterinarian right away as there is always the danger of loss of eye sight. Your veterinarian will thoroughly examine the eye with an ophthalmoscope, check for injuries to the cornea and corneal ulcers, signs of glaucoma (may measure intra-ocular pressure) and check for swelling and infection. Depending on the type of infection or condition he will determine the type of treatment. Please take Melodie to a veterinarian or Pet ER today.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share