Is Ketotifen Fumarate safe for my Shih Tzu's red, itchy eyes?

It sounds like Tessa has an eye infection. I would take her into the vet today to have her eye examined. It's important to have any eye infections examined and treated promptly, as leaving them untreated can lead to vision loss. The vet can confirm that she does have an eye infection, and can prescribe an antibiotic eye ointment to treat it.

As long as there are only the 2 antibiotics you mentioned in the eye drops and no steroids (like prednisone or hydrocortisone), it will be safe to use as previously prescribed. However, I recommend that Shilo see the vet as soon as possible for diagnosis as sometimes what appears to be an infection may actually be something else, like a corneal ulcer or dry eye.

This could be an inflammation of the sclera (episcleritis). At this time this does not look very dramatic or like an emergency as I cannot see other swelling which would point to more serious diseases such as glaucoma or an underlying autoimmune disease, however I would make an appointment with a veterinarian for an eye exam soon. It is not possible to diagnose this from a photo, and would need a proper eye exam. The cause of episcleritis (superficial inflammation of the sclera) or scleritis (full thickness inflammation of the sclera) is unknown, however toxins, autoimmune disorders and toxoplasmosis are accepted causes, In severe cases the vet may want to take a biopsy under anesthesia to distinguish between a mass and inflammatory tissue. Treatment may be necessary and would consist of corticosteroids and/or other immunosuppressants.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Red or inflamed eyes and discharge can be indicative or irritation or infection, or a condition called dry eye. Shih Tzu's are unfortunately prone to many eye problems, just based on the conformation of their faces. Chloe may have an aberrant eyelash that could be irritating the cornea, or she could have a bacterial or viral infection affecting her eye. Dry eye is a condition characterized by inadequate tear production, so the eyes dry out and excessive mucoid discharge is produced to try to lubricate the eyes. If her clinical signs do not resolve in 24 hours, I recommend having Chloe seen by a veterinarian. They can perform an ocular exam to look closely for evidence of distichia (abnormal eyelashes), a cornea scratch or ulcer, infection, or decreased tear production. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would discuss starting an eye drop called Zaditor (ketotifen fumarate) that can help with allergies. This is an over the counter medication and can be safely used in Lucky's eyes for allergies. Again, I would discuss this with your veterinarian first prior to using it. Please let me know if you have any other questions and I would be more than happy to help further!

No, I would not use this on Snowy, it's not safe. This is for itchy eyes due to allergies, and it could be that he has an eye infection, which makes it a completely inappropriate medication. You should never try to self treat eye problems, as you could accidentally do serious damage to the eye. I would take him into the vet today. The vet can diagnose what is causing his problem with his eyes, and can treat him. It's important to have any eye problem checked out and treated promptly, as leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

Hello. If this is a new symptom, or a worsening of an earlier condition, or if the discharge is associated with facial rubbing or pawing at the eyes, and there is any redness to the sclera ( whit part of the eye ) then you should have Molly examined by your veterinarian at your earliest convenience. Molly may have allergies, an infection or a condition called dry eye that all require a different treatment. It is best to know exactly what the problem is so that the correct treatment can be started. The sooner the better because if serious enough, some eye conditions can lead to serious pain & discomfort as well as loss of vision. I hope you can have her seen soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.