My dog has green eye discharge. Can I clean it before seeing the vet?

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I suggest you take Cookie to your vet for an exam. Green discharge from the eyes usually means infection so she will likely need antibiotics to get this to clear up. In the meantime you can use this over the counter eye flush to help. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-eye-wash-for-dogs ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you are seeing green eye discharge in Chacha's eyes, this could indicate there is a problem such as dry eye, which should be diagnosed / treated by a veterinarian. There is specific treatment for dry eye that you will not find over the counter (Optimmune ointment or Tacrolimus ointment) which helps stimulate tear production. The over the counter products simply lubricate the eyes and do not last long enough. You can try an over the counter dry eye medication for dogs such as OPTIXCARE, which you can find online. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. The sooner you have this looked at the better as dry eye can lead to eye trauma from the lack of lubrication from the tears.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to an eye injury or conditions such as a corneal laceration and/or corneal ulcer. At least in these pictures, his cornea appears affected. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. Good luck and best wishes!

Hello again. Yes, human artificial tears are fine, that is what I use in the office. You can place a few drops into the eye every hour, or every few hours. It totally depends on your schedule. I would want to instill the drops at least 3-4 times a day. You can not over apply. Any concerns, please see your veterinarian as soon as possible. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would actually recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. The main reason is that greenish discharge can also be observed with things like a corneal ulcer or conjunctivitis for example. Your veterinarian could check for this and treat accordingly. Good luck and have a great night!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor guy! if the discharge didn't resolve with an ocular antibiotic it likely isn't a bacterial conjunctivitis. I would recommend having your Vet test for dry eye and then treat for allergies. Since he is rubbing his chin he could have allergies to his environment. He may need an eye ointment with steroids in it and be put on a systemic antihistamine. Below is a link to one you can try. I would also recommend preventing your other dog from licking the eye as he could be contributing to an infection. The foul breath could be dental disease or from the type of food you feed. I wish you all the best! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/zyrtec/