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My dog's eye is red after bath soap. Will it resolve naturally?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 3 years and 3 months old | 80 lbs

My dog got soap in his eye during a bath and now it’s really red. He is still behaving normally Will it resolve itself on its own?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Stacey Anstaett, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 3rd, 2019

Aww poor guy! It will likely resolve on its own over the next 24 hours. Rinse his eye thoroughly with tap water to make sure residual soap is gone.
If it’s not resolved in 24 hours or if it starts to seem like it’s bothering him, take him to your vet. It’s possible there is enough irritation to cause an ulcer on his cornea. (Though not likely.)
Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

33Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 30th, 2017
Poor puppy. Rinse the eye copiously with lukewarm water. Then take puppy in to your vet because he likely has a chemical burn on the cornea that needs to be treated with topical eye ointment in order to heal properly. The vet will do a quick eye stain to check first and confirm that the eye cornea has been compromised.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jenny, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 24th, 2018
His corneas appear clear in the pictures and he is holding them open which are all good signs. You can rinse them with saline eye drops and apply a warm compress to help with the discharge and the redness. This can be from an infection or an allergy and irritant. If it continues after 48 hours or you does not want to open his eyes or they seem cloudy, then he should be checked by a vet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on August 18th, 2019
Twizzle should see a vet ASAP. If he has a corneal abrasion, which sounds likely due to the cloudy appearance, it can get infected and get worse very quickly. It is also really painful. There aren't any OTC medications that will likely help in this scenario.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Soap is very irritating to dog's eyes and can cause superficial damage to the cornea. This is painful, and causes dogs to squint their eye and produce more tears. I recommend trying to flush the eye with eye wash - you can purchase from a pharmacy - 2-3 times per day. If Dobby is still squinting his eye in 16-24 hours, he should be seen by a veterinarian for an eye exam. Depending on the severity of injury, a cone collar may be recommended as well as other topical eye medications. If Dobby's eye seems to improve in the next day, he may be OK. I hope this is helpful! Please consider purchasing a puppy-safe soap that won't be so irritating to Dobby in the future!

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My dog's eye is twitching and closed after Dawn soap. What to do?

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