Eye drops are a common medication that many people use every day. There are many types of eye drops, which are made with a wide variety of medications. While these medications are safe when used the right way, what happens if a dog licks eye drops?
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Has your dog licked eye drops? Are you worried the eye drops will make your dog sick? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. We understand it can be scary when your dog does something like this.
In this article, we’ll take a look at eye drops and whether or not they can make a dog sick. Let’s get started!
What are Eye Drops?
Eye drops are medications that are made especially for use in the eyes. They can be used to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including eye allergies, glaucoma, and more. The medications used in eye drops will vary, depending on the condition they’re being used to treat.
For example, there are eye drops made to treat dry eyes. Then there are eye drops that contain steroids and antibiotics, while other eye drops contain allergy medications.
What happens if a dog decides to lick eye drops?
Eye Drops & Dogs
The answer to the question above depends on the ingredients in the eye drops. For instance, a common medication called imidazoline is used in many OTC eye drops. This is a vasoconstrictor that treats symptoms of colds, allergies, and more. You can find this ingredient in eye drops such as Visine, for instance. Imidazoline is a known toxin to dogs.
Then there are saline eye drops, which are used to rinse small particles off contact lenses or relieve dry eyes. If a dog licks saline eye drops, it’s like licking a little bit of saltwater. These eye drops are not toxic to dogs.
So, some eye drops are toxic to dogs, while others are non-toxic. It all depends on the eye drop ingredients/medications.
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Ask a Vet Live NowWhat to Do If Your Dog Licks Eye Drops
The first thing to do is to get the eye drop bottle away from your dog (if he has it). Make sure he has only chewed the bottle and not eaten any part of it.
Next, if the bottle is intact, then read the product label to determine what ingredients and/or medications are in the eye drops. Write this information down.
Take a look at your dog. Is he acting normal? Is he eating & drinking normally? Or has he developed any symptoms after licking the eye drops? Note this information down, too.
Now you’re ready to call the vet. Be sure to let the vet know when your dog licked the eye drops, what the eye drops contain, and whether or not your dog has eaten any of the product packaging. All of this information will help the vet determine the right course of action to help your dog.
The key is to call the vet as soon as possible. Don’t wait to see if your dog develops symptoms or if his symptoms worsen or improve. If the eye drops are toxic to dogs, then your dog needs to be treated by the vet as soon as possible to have a better chance of making a full recovery.
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Kim
Kim is a talented author, who loves animals especially dogs. She engaged in writing books and articles relating to animals a decade ago. Kim resides in Chicago with her husband and son. The family is the proud owner of a dog and a parrot (Jack and Lily). Kim wanted more than these two pets, but her husband put his foot down... She often visits elementary schools to talk to the kids about what she learned about pets and how they could learn from them.
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