My dog's eyes are goopy and hard to open. Can I use human eye wash?

If you just need to remove the eye discharge, you can put warm water on a cotton ball and gently wipe the inside corner of the eye. If the discharge quickly returns or you notice discharge in the eye as well, you can use any sterile saline eye wash made for humans. If the discharge is not resolving after a couple of day or is getting worse at any point, then I would have your veterinarian recheck the eye and determine if any medication is needed to resolve the problem. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

With the eyes squinting I worry that they are painful. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. In the meantime using a warm water compress to clean the crusts from around the eyes may be helpful and provide some comfort. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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.

He can have a possible infection or conjunctivitis since it is affected both eyes. Since the discharge is getting worse and he does not want to open his eyes, it is best he sees a vet to determine if there is a scratch on the cornea or just an infection. There is topical antibiotics +/- a steroid to help clear them. The only thing you can do at home is rinse with sterile eye wash and try to apply a warm compress to help with the swelling.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Nico! You can warm compress the eye 2-3 times per day. I recommend you use an E-collar so he doesn't rub the eye and cause a scratch on the surface of the eye. Do not put anything in the eye until you see your Vet. Ointments or drops for the eye are made specifically to be safe for use in the eye. Ointments for the skin are not safe to be put in the eye. I wish you the best and Nico a speedy recovery!

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!

If it is just a saline eye wash than you can use it to clean her eyes. If she is having problems with her eyes than it would be a good idea to have a vet examine her to determine the cause. She may need medications to treat.