Can You Use OTC Eye Drops For Dogs?

Is there something wrong with your dog’s eyes? You may be tempted to look at over-the-counter human eye drops as a treatment option. But is that safe? Let’s look at the three most common reasons for eye issues in dogs to find out.

Infections

An eye infection can come from irritation from long fur, dehydration, or foreign objects getting into their eyes. Will eye drops help this situation?

Well, human eye drops mainly use Tetrahydozoline hydrochloride as an active ingredient. This component shrinks the blood vessels down, so it will not help.

Conjunctivitis

Some dogs have a little redness in their eyes after a nap or a long sleep, but if your dog develops more serious pink eye, they may have dry eye or conjunctivitis. It is typically caused by environmental irritants.

It’s easy to grab the human eye drops when you see this, but that’s not going to solve anything – especially not the main reasons behind the conjunctivitis.

Allergies

Allergies are not particularly common among eye irritation causes, but in the spring or summer, they may be more common. They can come from fleas or environmental irritants.

Once again, eye drops are unlikely to be of real help. Look for new irritants that may have cropped up around the house (a new cleaning product, a new type of air freshener, etc.) before turning to the bottle.

So, should you use OTC human eye drops?

No! If you think your dog has an eye problem, go to a vet and ask what to do next. Do not use human eye drops on your dog unless your vet tells you too.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay