What are saline eye drops?
saline eye drops for dogs eye drops that are usually made of a mixture of water and sodium chloride. They are used to flush particles and harmful substances from the cornea and the conjunctiva and to also draw water from a swollen cornea.
Best saline eye drop for dogs
The plainest saline eye drop for dogs
Pets purest eye pro
If our dog has irritation, redness, inflammation, or infection and you want to wash its eyes, I suggest you use this saline eye drop.
This is a saline solution that has natural ingredients, it contains aloe vera, purified water, chamomile water, calendula water, and sodium chloride.
Chamomile is a daisy-like plant that used is used a lot for herbal teas. It is best known for its calming properties, chamomile is safe for dogs and full of health benefits.
Not only is it just safe, but it is also one of the safest herbs you can offer your dog! Chamomile has anti-inflammatory, sedative, and antispasmodic properties.
Aloe vera reduces inflammation by acting as a moisturizer and can prevent the future and reduce existing infections.
Aloe vera also preserves moisture and provides soothing relief from irritations.
Calendula water is safe for dogs and has been claimed to help with allergies, redness, and irritation in dogs.
Review on amazon
Review on their site
At the time of making this blog post, it cost £9.99 for a 250ml dropper container.
Best human saline eye drop for dogs
Medi-first saline eyewash
I consider this one of the plainest saline eye drops for dogs because it contains 93 % water, boric acid, sodium borate, and sodium chloride, while some other saline eye drops contain more ingredients than this.
If you want to draw water from your dog’s swollen cornea, this would be good for that.
This saline eye drop is also good for flushing your dog’s eyes especially if your dog has a condition in which you have to flush their eyes frequently then, it would be best to use plain saline eye drops like this one.
I know you would be worried about the sodium borate because it is said to be harmful to dogs but it is usually when ingested or when your dog comes in contact with a quantity that can irritate.
When a little amount of sodium borate is combined with boric acid as done in this saline eye drop, can improve the comfort your dog feels in its eyes while using it.
The Boric acid in this eye drop provides soothing relief for your dog from eye irritation and helps remove pollutants such as smog, chlorine, or other chemicals.
It can also be used as a mild antiseptic and to maintain the pH of the eye wash solution.
This saline eyewash comes in two different sizes, a 1-ounce dropper container, and a 4-ounce dropper counter and they are for single use.
This eye drop was not specifically made for dogs but I researched the ingredients above and they are safe for dogs.
But, even veterinarians.org vouches for this saline eye drop
You should ask your vet if it is okay to use it for your dog.
At the time of making this blog post, a 1-ounce bottle cost $5.22.
Other good saline eye drops for dogs
Burt Bees eye wash saline solution
This saline eye drop contains water, glycerin, sodium chloride, and benzalkonium chloride.
I was skeptical about the benzalkonium chloride because I am the type of person who researches a lot about ingredients that could be harmful and I have seen benzalkonium chloride a couple of times.
But it turns out that in very low doses it is safe, and from the reviews I have seen, most people said it is very good.
The glycerin in this saline eye drop is an ophthalmic demulcent (forms a soothing film) that works by lubricating the eye’s mucous membrane surfaces.
In this way, it provides temporary relief from burning and discomfort.
Benzalkonium chloride is often used in ophthalmology as a preservative and is one of the most widely used preservatives.
It is a quaternary ammonium compound that acts as an antimicrobial agent by denaturing proteins and disrupting cytoplasmic membranes.
I know the saline eye drop I mentioned above for irritation, redness, and inflammation may be expensive because each container is for single-use, so this might be a cheaper alternative especially if your dog does not need it frequently.
Reviews
This saline eye drop cost $7.44, for a 118ml dropper container.
GNC Pet Wellness Advanced Sterile Dog Eye Wash
Though this eye drop has an ingredient I am not comfortable using, some dog parents have said it worked well for their dogs.
The ingredient is Disodium Edetate and it could lead to some side effects on dogs but I suspect that it does not affect their dogs because it is an inactive ingredient.
You can try this if your purpose of getting a saline eye drop is to flush your dogs eye.
This saline eye drop contains Purified Water and Flushing Agent as its active ingredients and Boric Acid, Sodium Borate, Sodium Chloride, Sorbic Acid, and Disodium Edetate as its inactive ingredients.
I know you would be worried about the sodium borate because it is said to be harmful to dogs but it is usually when ingested or when your dog comes in contact with a quantity that can irritate.
When a little amount of sodium borate is combined with boric acid as done in this saline eye drop, can improve the comfort your dog feels in its eyes while using it.
Sorbic acid is a commonly used food preservative and it has a long history of safe use. Sorbic acid has no side effects as long as the recommended quantities are used and in this eye drop, it is an inactive ingredient, so it is very little.
The Boric acid in this eye drop provides soothing relief for your dog from eye irritation and helps remove pollutants such as smog, chlorine, or other chemicals.
It can also be used as a mild antiseptic and to maintain the pH of the eye wash solution.
At the time of making this post, this saline eye drop for dogs cost $13.99 for a 118ml dropper container.
Homemade saline eye drops for dogs
Option 1:
- Put one cup (250 mL) of tap water into a pot and boil for 15 minutes with the lid on.
- Remove from heat and cool until the water reaches room temperature.
- Add ½ teaspoon of salt into the pot and stir to dissolve.
- Carefully pour the salt-water solution from the pan into the jar or bottle and put the lid on.
- Refrigerate the solution and use it within 24 hours.
Option 2:
You can use distilled water purchased from most drug and grocery stores to make sterile and longer-lasting saline without boiling water. This is an easy and less time-consuming process.
- Mix eight teaspoons of salt into 1 gallon (4 L) of distilled water.
- Refrigerate the solution and use it within one month.
Note: in the process of preparing the saline eye drop for your dog, you may contaminate it which may lead to infection in the eye. That is why I prefer normal eye drops.
Where to buy saline eye drops for dogs
All the saline eye drops we discussed above are either on Amazon, chewy, Petco, or Walmart.
You can also check your local pet store, you might find them there.
Saline solution for dog eye infection
For dog eye infections, I suggest you use a saline solution to flush the eye and not as a treatment.
I would recommend you use, Pets purest eye pro saline eye drop or Burt Bees eye wash saline solution, I have already discussed them above in this post, so you should go back and read about them.
FAQ about saline eye drops for dogs
Are saline eye drops safe for dogs?
Well, generally saline eye drops made for dogs are safe for dogs but sometime the manufacturers may use an ingredient that is not safe for your dog, so you should always check the ingredients.
What do saline eye drops do for dogs?
They are used to flush particles and harmful substances from the cornea and the conjunctiva and to also draw water from a swollen cornea.
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