Conjunctivitis Remedies

Updated: 01/31/2012

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DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.




APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Ratings:
55
YEA
3
NAY
2
BETTER BUT NOT CURED
1
WARNING!
2
QUESTIONS

[YEA]  04/20/2008: Heidi from Aurora, Colorado writes: "I tried this on my 10 year old Calico. Her eye started to get goopy and she was listless. I felt so bad for her, but because of financial problems, could not afford to take her to the vet for a couple of weeks. I tried the ACV treatment on the scruff of her neck for 3 days in a row. The morning after the first treatment, she was doing a little better. By the 3rd day, she was fine. It has been 2 weeks now, and she's still doing great. Thank you so much for telling us about this. IT REALLY WORKS!!! BB Heidi N."

Replies
09/22/2008: Dolores from Hobe Sound, Florida replies: "What is the formula for ACV? My cat has eye problems and also ear mites. I use a commerical ear cleaner
but they keep coming back. I hate putting her through the ear cleaning so often."

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[YEA]  02/23/2008: Casey from Lancaster, PA writes: "Dreading another vet bill, I looked online for a home remedy to clear up a "goopy" looking eye infection developing in one of my cat's eyes. I read that if you massage a little ACV into the scruff of the neck, it clears up within minutes. Very hard to believe, I know - but I decided to give it a try. I massaged some into his neck and he promptly ran off to hide for awhile. He came back out about an hour later, running around and playing. I looked at his eyes and honestly couldn't even tell which one had the problem. Two days later, still all clear. I don't know why or how it worked, but it did and I'm very thankful someone posted the suggestion and I wanted to pass it on."

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[YEA]  01/26/2008: Marcella from Petaluma, CA writes: "ACV for Cats: Three Cheers! My seven-month-old rescue kitty came into my home with an upper respiratory infection and later developed some conjunctivitis in his left eye. Following the advice on this page, I gave him a dropperful of ACV right into the fur on the nape of his neck and massaged it down into his skin. Some of the liquid ran down the sides of his neck, where he licked it off. Within 90 minutes of his first dose, the conjunctivitis started to clear up, and his energy perked up considerably. He is now free of both the upper respiratory issue and the eye infection, with no vet visit needed. I know give him a maintenance dose every few days and yes, he's a little stinky from the vinegar, but happy and healthy nonetheless. I've also started taking the ACV myself. Good stuff."

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BABY SHAMPOO

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  09/15/2006: DJ from London, ON writes: "Washing the eyelid and conjunctivitus area with warm water and baby shampoo significantly cleared up the conjunctivitis. I didn't wait to see if washing the affected eye with baby shampoo cured the conjunctivites and pink eye, however I did notice that the affected eye was significantly better by the time I was able to get my dog into the vet's office two days later. I simply wet a face cloth with warm water and applied some baby shampoo, using the running water to foam up the shampoo, and then cleaned the eye lids and as close to the conjunctiva as I could. I reapeated this every couple of hours throughout the day. The weeping was significantly diminished. I also noticed that the next morning the eye seemed to have improved and was weeping considerably less than the morning before. She also stoped rubbing her face, and appeared to be more comfortable. I still saught anti-biotic medication from the vet to properily cure the problem."

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BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  12/27/2009: Amy from Madison, Wi, Usa writes: "I decided to try some vinegar on my English Cocker Spaniel. He has a horrible problem with Conjuctivitis. He is always rubbing and scratching his eyes and they matter and he always has crusty stuff on his eyes. I didn't have any ACV so I used Balsamic Vinegar on a cotton ball on the back of his neck, right by his collar and also rubbed a little on the top of his front paws. In one day, his eyes cleared up! They aren't red anymore and I haven't seen him scratch his eyes once! Who would think that vinegar could have such a healing quality on my dogs eyes?!"

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CHAMOMILE TEA AND LAVENDAR OIL

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  09/07/2007: raymarie from atlanta, usa writes: "2 week old kittens each had one eye crusted shut. Vet sister, who lives in another state, suspected conjunctivitis (common in newborn kittens). I steeped a chamomile tea bag, let the water cool and added 2 drops lavender essential oil. Soaked a soft cloth and bathed (do not rub) the eye area until the extra crud was removed. I repeated the process 3x per day until it cleared up! Worked awesome!"

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COCONUT OIL

Ratings:
1
BETTER BUT NOT CURED

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  10/14/2011: Homeremedyfan from Rochester, Ny, Usa writes: "My Cocker Spaniel has suffered with "pink eye" for months and months. We've tried the diluted ACV, chamomile tea, baby shampoo, loratadine tabs and antibiotic ointment. Nothing has helped. She also had a really awful ear infection which did clear up with ACV and a skin condition and smell that has all but disappeared after I read another post on this site about probiotic enzymes and started giving her two a day. I've even taken her off of commercial dog food and make my own for her in case all of these issues started as a food allergy. But the eyes remained a problem so...

I started doing some research on the benefits of organic, extra virgin coconut oil and learned that it contains lauric acid which is antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral. Thankfully, I had some on hand so I melted a little in the palm of my hand and carefully rubbed a bit of the melted oil into each eye. I've done this every day, only once a day (I leave early in the morning otherwise it would be twice) for about a week and guess what? Her eyes are improved SO much! Not perfect, mind you, but her eyes are not crusty, not nearly as red and she doesn't have the goop anymore. She actually looks like a normal dog now! I'm very happy with the results of EV coconut oil!"

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COLLOIDAL SILVER

Ratings:
2
YEA

[YEA]  08/02/2009: Diane from Uniontown, Pa writes: "I starting using colloidal silver for pinkeye for our cats several years ago. It only takes a drop or two in the eye a couple of times, (not a day, just a couple of times total) and poof! the pinkeye will be gone. It's not any more painful than a drop of water would be. Also works great for humans! Just costs a fraction of what you would pay at the vet or doctor, plus you don't need to pay for a prescription."

Replies
04/06/2011: Ashley from Blairsville, Pennsylvania replies: "I have some colloidial silver but it says on the bottle not to put it in your eyes? So is there a specific type that is safe for the eyes?"

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[YEA]  01/02/2009: Julie from Hancock Park, IL writes: "Colloidial Silver is an awesome remedy for virtually any bacterial infection; internal or external. I have cured my dog's eye and ear irritations (and my pink eye) with a couple drops, the results were immediate. It comes in drops or spray and I have both. I spray my dog's cuts, sores, rashes and teeth because it does not sting. Antibiotics are inferior to Colloidial Silver, which was commonly used before antibiotics were popularized. It is found at health food and Meijer stores and is inexpensive for its many possible uses. Research it; you'll be glad you did."

Replies
05/05/2009: Katelyn from Los Angeles, CA replies: "My dog has a thick strong smelling discharge coming from both his eyes and I wanted to try the Colloidal Silver on him. How much should I give him, he is a 7 lbs yorkie/poo."
05/08/2009: Linda from York County, Maine replies: "Katelyn - for myself, when I thought I had conjunctivitis, I would put a drop or two in the affected eye a couple of times a day. Within 3 days, my eye was clear."

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COOLED BOILED WATER

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  06/01/2009: CandyPaps from Merseyside, UK writes: "Home Remedy for Cats? Ordinary Cooled Boiled Water!

Our poor 9yr old Daisy has suffered with feline conjuctivitus since she was a kitten, our vet said when she was 2yrs old that if she gets any more she will be blind, every year twice a year she gets glue eye and severe reddening of the lids. She also suffers with heyfever. And every year i use ordinary cooled boiled water with 4 balls of cotton wool for each eye, each ball soaked generously in the water and i wipe her eyes 4 times a day for 5 days. I do not leave the eye wet but slightly damp after dabbing with a soft cotton cloth.

The water i use is boiled from the kettle and placed in a jug to cool in the fridge, then i put the same water back into the kettle, boil it again and pour some into a clean dish to cool. the remainder of the water i tip away.

7 years later after vets saying she will be blind and offers of expensive ointments (which i continued to turn down) she is still going strong and has 20/20 vision! Our Daisy is a Pure white persian cross with very slight tortoishell markings on her head and tail and would be an extreme shame if she ended up blind. After all, pets are there for care and attention!"

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CORN- FREE FOOD

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  06/06/2011: Sally from Baton Rouge, La. writes: "I fought conjunctivitus for 3 cats for about a year with eye sav and Lysine orally. I found that feeding them corn free food has cleared it up. I don't know why the vets never suggested it. They said (told by 3 vets) that they would always have it, that there was no cure!"

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DIET CHANGE

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  12/26/2010: Cheryl from Richmond, Va writes: "My cat suffered with chronic conjunctivitis for many months. I felt so helpless. The ointment worked temporarily, clearing the eyes for only three or four days out of the month. I tried vinegar, removed all of the carpets from my home, cleaned my hardwood floors daily and made countless trips to the vet with no long lasting solutions. FINALLY I FOUND THE CULPRIT. Through trial and error, and changing my cats diet, I realized she was allergic to Meow Mix Seafood Medley cat food! I changed brands and she has not had a problem since. That was over 3 months ago and she has been happy and playing since then! What a relief! "

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ESSIAC TEA

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  12/31/2006: Gayle from Tulsa, OK writes: "Over 3 years ago, our cat, Flora, developed a mass (tumour) in her abdomen and lost a significant amount of weight. She was about 12 years old at the time. I started giving her a dropper of concentrated essiac tea once a day and mixing about 1/2 teaspoon of the powdered herbs in her food. The tumor went away and she put weight back on. She is now 15 years old and doesn't look or act like a 15 year old cat. I've continued to give her the dropper of concentrate at least once a week up to every other day. I've also given the powdered essiac herbs to our dog for allergy eye drainage that would easily get infected. Since we started the dog on this, her allergy eye problem has been gone for over a year now. Again, about 1/2 tsp once a day."

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GENERAL FEEDBACK

09/06/2011: Tfmiller71 from St. Louis, Mo, Usa writes: "I LOVE this website. I believe in home remedies especially when incoming money doesn't meet the outgoing!

I tried a cayenne pepper, pumpkin filling, plain rice and boiled chicken diet w/my dog who had diarrhea and today for the first time-solid poop.

He has really had a rough time this year, he's a 10 yr old bischon/poodle mix. I believe he has an eye infection. Conjunctivitis describes his symptoms perfectly. I think it's a spin off of his skin allergy that I am currently remedying through antibiotics (I will backup w/probiotics after the last dosage! ). He's had it for about 6 years and after antibiotics, it just comes back. He is also on prescription dog food since it is believed that he has maybe a food allergy.

Anyway, I will definitely post after trying the Apple Cider Vinegar which I keep in the house for many reasons."

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GET YOUR AIR DUCTS CLEANED

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  11/03/2008: Deirdre from Atlanta, GA writes: "Last winter each morning I would wake up to find greyish goop in each of our dogs' eyes. Our elder dog Max had it the worst, and I had to clean out his eyes 4-5 times a day. I finally put two and two together and realized that their eye problems probably had to do with what was coming out of our air ducts when the heater was on. So last summer we had all the intake vents and air ducts cleaned out by a company I found on Angie's list that had high ratings. Finally last week we turned the heat back on when it hit the low 30s during the night and I got to test my theory. I am happy to report that the dogs have no more eye gunk problems! We've only lived in this house for a couple of years, but the previous owners did a lot of construction in order to get the house ready to sell. Most of what came out of our air ducts was construction material."

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GOLDENSEAL ROOT POWDER

Ratings:
2
YEA

[YEA]  08/09/2008: Tia from Eugene, Oregon writes: "A long time ago, my parents stumbled across the medicinal properties of Goldenseal. Last year, during the rainy Oregon winter, a 1/2 feral litter of kittens started trying to find shelter on my porch. Not long after they started coming around, the mother left them (went into heat i assume) and came back with a hellish upper respiratory infection. She proceeded to spread it to the whole litter. I had no money to take them to a vet, and they were dying of it. I wasn't sure if the Goldenseal would be poisonous to them, but I figured they were so bad off, it was worth a try. I used the liquid extract, started small, maybe one dropperfull to two cans of wet food, and eventually raised it to 3 droppersfull (between 1 adult and 5 3-4 month old kittens). They improved from even the smaller amounts, and improved drastically from higher dosages. Although for those that couldn't smell the wet food, i had to mix a few drops in canned salmon or tuna juice to get them to eat it. It didn't harm them. I swear by the stuff now, and have used it on my own indoor cats (though I've never gotten them to take it without forcing them.) Everyone should be aware that goldenseal doesn't just work on humans."

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[YEA]  01/26/2008: Christa from Vancouver, Canada writes: "Dog with Conjunctivitus(SP?) Take 1/2 Tsp of Golden Seal root Powder and add 1/2 cup boiling water.let steep with lid on for 10 minutes. Let cool. Strain. Carefully wash mucous our of eye with warm water by gently dabbing on the corners of the eys. Be careful not to use same cloth on both eyes as reinfection could occur.

2 people makes this easier. Have someone hold the animals face with one arm and open the animals eyes with the other. Talk gental and flush eyes with golden seal liquid. I have done this twice today and the difference in mucus is remarkable. I will do this 3 times a day untill it is gone and at this rate, I think it will be gone by tommorow. I used one of those plastic syringes and it seems to be a great way to fill the eye with the liquid. Yes..It always works and always has. For an open wound on an animal or person, try to wash out wound if possible and then throw golden Seal powder on wound. do not worry after this. The Goldnseal will form a scab and will seal up the wound and the Golden seal is a natural antibiotic. It will amaze you. If the animal licks it , it will only help them..so no worries. Amazing Herb TTYL "

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HOMEOPATHY

09/10/2010: Trulyjen from Tucson, Az, Usa writes: "I have been using the Detox Kit from Heel on my pets. It was recommended to me by a naturopath. She said they only needed a few drops per day, (the instructions in the kit call for a much higher number of drops). I have really noticed an improvement in my dogs! Especially my German Shepherd, Gunner. We have been battling Pannis, which is a disease of the eye which causes redness and lesions in the eyes. His eyes are always red and itchy and irritated. The only help for him is prescription drops, that I have to do daily to prevent them from getting worse. Well I realized that I have been forgetting the drops lately, because his eyes aren't red! They look clear and bright and amazing! I would highly recommend this homeopathic detoxing method. Safe and effective."

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HONEY

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  08/29/2008: Barbara from Miami, FL writes: "kitten/conjunctivitis: my vet refused to treat male 5.5 wks old kitten due to flat chest syndrome so I quickly found your website. used a diluted 2/1 mix of sterile water to honey applying twice a day alternating with warm compresses, for 10min. time in thrre hour intervals. the following day I saw Kit drinking milk- cream -egg yolk, mix.I then tried stepping it up a bit, on day three and used diluted ACV [Apple Cider Vinegar] but seems too strong. Now after concocting a mixture of tea bag (tepid) soaked in honey as a compress Kit is roaming aroud with affected eye opened more then closed. Rubbing me to distraction. HOPE THIS HELPS!"

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NEEM

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  05/21/2006: Deanne from Santa Cruz, CA writes: "My dog had a weeping eye and then both eyes. I am a huge fan of Neem products which are anti inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-viral. I opened 100% Neem capsules into his food when all else failed. I tried Eyebright tea, antibiotics, Eucanasia. It went on for almost a year. Finally Neem works for many ailments I tried it and it worked. Occasionally it comes back but I haven't had to use anything and it goes away. Neem products have flea and tick powder and Pet Shampoo. There are several companies. My health food store has one brand and the Web has several others. Be sure it is 100% and not diluted with other ingred. It is similar to Tee Tree only better. The Neem tree grows in India. most Indians cannot affort medicine. They use the Neem tree for cleaning their teeth, tincture, oils, lotions and more. It is a verital pharmacopia."

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REMEDIES NEEDED

01/31/2012: Bella from Kailua, Hi writes: "Our 6 month old daschund/pekinese puppy has a blue eye and brown eye. The blue eye has had "conjunctivitis" 3 times wherein a red bubble appears on the bottom lid (as if it can be popped back in). Took her to vet yesterday, an astounding $95 for exam/eye antibiotics, then became more painful when vet said it would cost $500 to surgically remove it. HELP! He was less than sympathetic and said it was common.... Easy for him to say... He is not paying the bill. What to do?"

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ROSEMARY AND TEA TREE OILS, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Ratings:
1
YEA

[YEA]  01/08/2010: Alexandra from Vancouver, Bc writes: "I have a ten week old Maine coon kitten. She has had a weepy eye on and off for just over a week. When I noticed it starting to get red I made a very wheak solution of Rosemary essential oil, tea tree oil and warm water to rinse her eye in . The Rosemary is antiseptic and pain relieving and tea tree also fights infection.then I applied some apple cider vinegar to the nape of her neck, And let her lick the rest off my fingers. Within fifteen minutes her eye became bright and wide open. If I thought she was a handful before... Her energy level has doubled and I haven't seen any signs of squinting in her eyes."

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SALINE SOLUTION

Ratings:
1
YEA
1
WORKED TEMPORARILY

[WORKED TEMPORARILY]  06/26/2009: Eric S from Hobart, Tasmania writes: "my cat was in a fight with another cat and injured his eye lid from a bite its been a week since that happend .his eye started to get stuck together i was cleaning around his eye and droping salty water in his eye this hasnt done anything apart from a little bit of relefe for the cat that lasted about 30min now its in both eyes ..after reading about apple sider vinegar im going to try it out by puting some on his neck ill get back to you to see what will happen thank you for your info hope it makes my cat happy"

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[YEA]  09/16/2008: Nicole from Redding, California writes: "I have seven cats and most of them, at one time or another, have suffered from conjuntivitis or other eye ailments. In the past I spent a fortune going to the vet for pills and creams, some of which did not work too well. Then someone told me to try saline solution. Since I am a contact lens wearer and this is something I always have on hand, I decided to give it a try. Thus far, it has always worked like a charm! I just soak a cotton ball with saline solution and then clean the cat's eye with it. For the first couple of days, I try to do this at least 3 times per day, and then once it starts to clear up, I do it once a day for about 5 days. It's not only a more effective remedy, but it is a lot easier to administer to an angry cat than creams and ointments."

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TEA

Ratings:
13
YEA

[YEA]  12/07/2010: Clearysage from Grants Pass, Oregon writes: "My dog was having a lot of discharge in her eyes. I took Dr. Jones, a vet in Canada, advice. Brew a strong cup of black tea let it cool then put 4 drops or more in the eye 3 to 4 times a day. Did this and it cleared up really fast. Brew a fresh cup each day to keep it fresh. Check him out online for many more natural remedies he really care about animals and wants us to treat them naturally."

Replies
[YEA]  12/17/2010: Sunnieday from Baltimore, Md, Usa replies: "I wanted to leave feedback for this remedy because it really does work! I noticed that the whites of my dog's eyes were very red one day, and it really upset me because she's AWFUL to take to the vet (and I'm not exaggerating). The fact that she's a large breed (Akita) makes taking her to the vet even worse. So, I was looking for a home remedy to try before I put her (and myself) through the trauma of a visit to the doggy doctor. I steeped two bags (one for each eye) and let them cool so that they weren't hot to the touch (but they were still warm). I took the first bag, leaving it sopping, but not dripping wet, and simply wiped her eye with it, like I'd wipe off her "eye boogers. " She was a little leery at first, but once she realized that it wasn't going to cause her discomfort, she let me wipe; I imagine it probably felt soothing to her poor, red eyes. I discarded that bag, then used the other bag for her other eye. I mean to tell you, it was only a couple of hours (not the next day, like I thought) before the whites of her eyes were white again! This is an inexpensive, but more importantly, SAFE and GENTLE remedy that I recommend to everyone who has a pet with conjunctivitis."

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