If you’ve had conjunctivitis then you may have used eye drops to treat it. You’ll find there are eye drops for dog’s conjunctivitis too. Don’t worry – your vet will show you how best to apply them.
However, your dog’s pink eye treatment will be determined once the vet discovers what is causing the conjunctivitis. Once they know this, they can prescribe the most appropriate medicine.
Allergies (irritation)
If your dog is prone to allergic or environmental irritation of the eyes, your vet may prescribe eye drops to lubricate the eye and flush out any irritants. Additionally, antihistamines may be prescribed in eye drop, pill or syrup form to ease discomfort from allergies as needed.
These are low-risk treatments easily administered at home. Allergies or irritation may be acute (temporary) or chronic conditions, but pose little threat to health if properly managed.
Bacterial or viral (infection)
If they are found to have a bacterial infection, an appropriate antibiotic will be prescribed, such as oxytetracycline, tobramycin, or ciprofloxacin. These may come in eye drop, ointment or pill form, and are usually administered over a period of 1-3 weeks. For treatment to be effective, the entire course of antibiotics should be taken, even if symptoms improve before the last dose is reached.
Antibiotics do carry some risk of side effects such as vomiting and gastrointestinal distress, but these are usually mild, especially if taken as directed. In the rare case of antibiotic-resistant infection, a multi-drug approach may be taken.
Usually infections are rare and unlikely to reoccur, but frequent interaction with contaminated material (e.g. toilet water getting in eyes from drinking) may cause relapse. A clean and well-ventilated living space greatly reduces risk.
Dogs with viral conjunctivitis will be treated with oral antioxidants to boost the immune system often alongside antiviral medications.
Underlying condition
Conjunctivitis is sometimes a symptom of an underlying condition, such as canine distemper virus or keratoconjunctivitis sicca, also called dry eye.
Congenital defects of the eye, such as those common among collies, may also increase susceptibility to conjunctivitis. In this case, the vet will treat your dog according to the underlying condition or defect, which may include treating for infection as described above.
The treatment approach will vary based on the specific condition. Dogs discovered to have more serious conditions may require lifetime medication while those with an abnormality may need a surgical procedure.
Can you use a dog pink eye home remedy?
Instead of going to the vet to get pink eye medicine for dogs, you could just use a home remedy, couldn’t you?
No, not really. Home remedies can help with the discomfort. You can wash your dog’s eyes gently to remove the discharge and clean away any dust or debris. However, you won’t be able to treat the underlying medical issue.
You shouldn’t use anything on your dog’s eyes without speaking to your vet and you should never try to use human eye drops.
Rather than looking for home remedies you should get your dog to the vet as soon as possible. While some cases of dog conjunctivitis might clear up on its own, it may not be fully healed without medication.
If it’s not treated more of the eye will become affected and this could result in a more serious condition for your dog.
