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My dog has eye pressure. Can I use OTC drops instead of a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pug | Male | 30 lbs

I have no choice to give my dog over the counter TimololMaleate.5% Eye Drops That I'll will be purchasing tomorrow, I believe he has glaucoma It more for his eyes pressure it's better than nothing, I'm trying my best to figure out every solution to help him out, I don't have the funds to take him to the vet

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on March 14th, 2018

I'm sorry to hear you are having these issues with Scooter. Glaucoma is a horrible condition but it has to be diagnosed carefully. Usually it is suspected based on signs such as enlarged hard eyes, and then confirmed with a special pen that checks the pressure. It is really important with glaucoma to check the back of the eye with an ophthalmoacope to see if the retina is damaged. I would urge you not to try and treat this yourself. Number 1 it may not be glaucoma and you could do damage by giving the wrong meds or by omitting the correct ones. Number 2 if it is glaucoma treatment is multifaceted depending on severity. Even if funds are tight you need to find a way to get him to a vet for a proper examination. I hope you manage and in the mean time you could use lubricating eye gel to make the eyes slightly more comfortable.

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    Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on March 28th, 2018

    I'm so sorry to hear that Hunter is dealing with this. Glaucoma can be caused by a number of things and can sometimes be reversed before the blindness is permanent. I am attaching a handout with more information about glaucoma below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3543 If Hunter still has some vision, I always recommend consulting with a veterinary ophthalmologist. My dog developed glaucoma last year and the veterinary ophthalmologist was able to see him the same day. Hopefully you can find a veterinary ophthalmologist near you here. http://www.acvo.org/new/public/locate2.shtml There are a number of medications that can be used to decrease the eye pressure, but the most important thing is figuring what caused the glaucoma in the first place, which may require a trip to the ophthalmologist. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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