Puppy ingesting eye drops??

[NeverlandClub23]

I have a 4 month old Min Pin that got hold of a small bottle of eye drops. She chewed up the bottle and the blanket she was laying on is really wet so I don't know how much she actually drank. I'm freaking out that this is going to kill her or harm her. Should I be going to an emergency vet?

 

[themarquis]

If they are saline eye drops (check the label), I think it should be perfectly safe. If there are any other ingredients in them, you will have to check with a vet or call animal poison control (or maybe someone else will know about these ingredients).

 

[kaw1218]

I would call a vet and ask. Isn't saline(eye drops) what can cause major stomach problems in an adult? I may be thinking of the wrong thing.

I googled it..

this came from Snopes.com

Some eye drops contain only sterile saline solution, which is not
harmful if ingested. However, other eye drops can be hazardous if they
are consumed. Ingesting eye drops that contain tetrahydrozoline can
potentially be fatal, particularly to small children.

"The active ingredient in Visine eye drops is Tetrahydrozoline HCl
0.05%. Swallowing this substance can result in a number of nasty
effects, including:

Lowering body temperature to dangerous levels
Making breathing difficult, or even halting it entirely
Blurring vision
Causing nausea and vomiting
Elevating and then dropping blood pressure
Causing seizures or tremors
Sending the ingester into a coma

Pfizer's cautions to users of Visine include, 'If swallowed, get
medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.' In view
of the above list, that advice should not be taken lightly."

 

[HelenePA]

I would call a vet and ask. Isn't saline(eye drops) what can cause major stomach problems in an adult? I may be thinking of the wrong thing.

saline is a general term referring to a sterile solution of sodium chloride (table salt) in water, frequently used for intravenous infusion,

no it wont hurt him at all

 

[themarquis]

saline is basically slightly salty water. Possibly if an animal drank a bunch, it might make them vomit, but it wouldn't be dangerous, as far as I know.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

It was Bausch & Lomb Advanced Eye Relief. These are the ingredients:

Active Ingredients

Glycerin (1.0%) - Lubricant

Inactive Ingredients

Benzalkonium chloride (0.01%), boric acid, edetate disodium, potassium chloride, purified water, sodium borate, sodium chloride, Hydrochloric acid and/or sodium hydroxide may be used to adjust pH.

My vet is closed so I'm searching the phone book for an emergency vet hospital.

 

[themarquis]

It was Bausch & Lomb Advanced Eye Relief. These are the ingredients:

Active Ingredients

Glycerin (1.0%) - Lubricant

Inactive Ingredients

Benzalkonium chloride (0.01%), boric acid, edetate disodium, potassium chloride, purified water, sodium borate, sodium chloride, Hydrochloric acid and/or sodium hydroxide may be used to adjust pH.

My vet is closed so I'm searching the phone book for an emergency vet hospital.

Well, the glycerin is not going to be a problem (its ... a lubrication ... like vaseline? Should just pass through their system), and that's the main ingredient. The other ingredients are present in very very tiny amounts. I They are "inactive" ingredients meaning they are not pharmaceutical agents. The benzalkonium chloride is probably the other largest component (notice that it is a very small amount, even so -- like probably a couple of drops in the whole bottle). I looked it up, and it looks like they put it in a whole bunch of products, like baby wipes. I think it would be unlikely that it could cause harm in such tiny amounts.

If it were me, I'd watch the dog closely for a day -- watch for excessive drooling, eyes that don't focus, wobbliness, vomiting, anything out of the ordinary -- and only take him in if he seems sick.

best of luck.

 

[poohandwendy]

I wouldn't worry about it. Not only do the ingredients look harmless, it's unlikely she even drank an amount that would be a problem with a more harmful ingredient.

 

[solferino]

Just call your regular vet- there should be a an answering service or a way to page the vet on call.

 

[daisax]

Ask your vet for the nearest Animal Poison control # -- there are national ones but your local vet school or hospital may have their own at a lower cost. Usually it costs $50-75, but if it's the middle of the night and your vet is closed, or the weather is foul and you think it's probably okay but are still a little worried, it's a good number to have handy BEFORE you need it.