My dog has brown or yellow eye discharge. Can I use contact solution?

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!

That is pretty significant discharge that Nola has around her eyes. This is likely secondary to an infection (eye or upper respiratory) or even an allergy. It would be best to have Nola examined by a veterinarian because she may need medicated eye drops or even an oral antibiotic to treat the eyes. It's always better to have a dog seen if there are eye issues going on as it can progress to more serious issues quickly. You may use a sterile saline solution to rinse Nola's eyes but I don't think that will resolve the issue. So again, it's really the best idea to have Nola evaluated by your veterinarian. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Nola is feeling better soon!

I’m sorry to hear about Mikki’s eye! A saline contact rewetting drop like Blinks or Refresh contacts drops are fine for providing moisture. I would avoid contact solution because it often has other stabilizers and things in there. You want saline only. As a side note, this will not cure the ulcer (which is infected likely if there is discharge)- you’ll need an antibiotic eye drop or eye ointment from your veterinarian. However, it is nice for helping remove that discharge and for overall eye comfort. Mikki also needs an E-collar to prevent rubbing or scratching at the eye- which is a common reason they do not heal. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Mikki!

I would use a sterile saline solution to rinse out her eyes. The eye solution used for contacts may contain ingredients that are not safe to use in Toodie's eyes or can irritate them. I hope this helps!

Moo is adorable, but his eyes certainly seem uncomfortable given his squinting! Squinting is a sign of eye pain in dogs. Coupled with the yellow/green discharge, it is concerning that he may have an eye infection, corneal ulcer or uveitis (inflammation within the eyes). Allergies may be contributing, but the yellow/green discharge makes me suspicious that there is another issue present. If his eyes are itchy at all, make sure that Moo wears an e-collar (cone) until you can take him to the vet today or tomorrow to prevent further eye injury. I hope that all goes well!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Kali is very cute. Green or yellow eye discharge isn’t normal. I would recommend you take Kali to a vet for a thorough eye exam. She could have a scratch or an eyelid irritation causing discharge and discomfort. There could also be an allergy causing irritation or an upper respiratory infection. Once a vet sees her they can do tests to rule out a scratch and get her eye medication to help her feel better. Good luck and kisses to Kali!

It sounds like your dog has an eye infection, and I would take him into a vet right away. Eye infections should be considered an emergency, as leaving them untreated can lead to vision loss. The vet can diagnose that he does have an eye infection, and can give him an antibiotic eye ointment to treat it.