My dog's eyes need drops. Can I use them safely without a vet?

Hello. It is always best to have your veterinarian examine any eye problem as soon as it is noticed. This can be an infection, irritation, or even the start of an autoimmune condition called Keratoconjunctivitis sicca. It may even be allergy driven. With the right treatment, the eyes can heal very quickly. The wrong or no treatment can let a simple problem blow up into a big one. So while I do use the Vetericyn ophthalmic products in certain conditions, if you have the means to have Sipsey actually examined, this would be the very best course of action. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to an eye injury or conditions such as a corneal laceration, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. It is not safe to use human medications without knowing the exact medical condition as some treatments can actually worsen the patient's condition when used inadequately. I highly recommend that you have Hershey evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. Good luck and best wishes!

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to something like conjunctivitis for example. However, there are some other diseases that really need a very thorough evaluation of the eye to diagnose. I think that if he has not improved on the current therapy, it may be a good idea to check in with your veterinarian. If they are concerned based on their knowledge of his case, they could consider having you consult with a veterinary ophthalmologist. They would be able to perform a thorough evaluation and recommend accordingly. Good luck and have a great day!

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!

It is never recommended to clean your dog's eye with any medication that has not been prescribed by a vet. That's because a dog's eye reacts differently to human medications than a human's eye. Without knowing the name of this drug, I can't say if it is safe or not to use on Bruno. I would not recommend using this on Bruno's eye unless it has been prescribed by a vet first.

Unfortunately, by law it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to say it's safe to give any drug without seeing the animal in person first. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, the experts cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for your dog. I would not use these drugs on Storm's eye unless prescribed by a vet. I would have her seen by a vet ASAP for her hyphema, as any eye problem is considered an emergency.