Can I treat my dog’s eye infection at home without seeing a vet?

If there is a little bit of gooey discharge in the eyes but your dog can keep both eyes open and is not squinting or scratching its eyes (either with its paws or by rubbing its face on the floor) and otherwise seems well, you can cleanse the eyes with saline, remove the discharge, and apply some lubricating eye drops (such as Zilk Eye or Sentrx eye drops).

If your dog does not improve in a couple of days you should book an appointment with a vet. It can be very difficult to see the difference between an uncomplicated, superficial, irritation in the mucous membranes of the eyes (conjunctivitis) and a deep inflammation of the eye (such as glaucoma, uveitis and corneal ulcers). It is therefore advised to always consult a veterinarian if your dog seems to have a sore eye.

There are some symptoms you should be particularly wary of that indicate the need of acute veterinary care: If your dog squints and does not keep its eye completely open, if it seems to be painful in or around the eye, if the cornea (clear part of the eye) becomes cloudy and you can not see into the eye (i.e. you can no longer see the colour of your dog’s eye), if the pupils differ in size or if your dog has suddenly become blind. If your dog suffers from any of these symptoms you should seek veterinary care immediately.