Conjunctivitis
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Conjunctivitis - Editor's Choice

| Modified on May 07, 2025
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Conjunctivitis Remedies for Pets.

Dogs and cats can get infections in their eyes, commonly called conjunctivitis, or pink eye. Natural remedies for eye infections in pets can often be very effective and include apple cider vinegar, boric acid solution, and coconut oil.

Eye infections in pets, no matter the cause, usually respond quickly to home treatments.

What Causes Viral Conjunctivitis in Dogs and Cats?

Pets can get bacterial and viral infections in their eyes. Sometimes this will accompany a respiratory infection. Foreign particles in the eye can also lead to irritation and infection. Allergies can also cause discharge from the eyes, eye irritation, and bloodshot eyes.

Top Natural Remedies for Eye Infections

Below are a handful of popular remedies noted by Earth Clinic readers that work fast in getting rid of eye infections in kittens, cats and dogs.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Diluted apple cider vinegar is an excellent remedy for eye infections in pets.

Apple Cider Vinegar is an effective natural remedy that over 50 of our readers have used to cure eye infections in their cats and dogs. Read the feedback here.

Watch our popular acv for pets video to learn 2 easy and gentle ways to use apple cider vinegar topically to treat your dog or cat's eye infection, and you don't even have to touch their eyes! 

Boric Acid Solution

A boric acid solution is an old fashioned remedy for infections. A boric acid solution is gentle, easy to make, and easy to apply. A boric acid solution will fight bacteria, viruses and help to wash foreign particles from the eye. Boric acid is a common ingredient in over the counter eyewash solutions.

Colloidal Silver

Colloidal silver fights bacteria, viruses, and fungus. To use it to treat pink eye in your pet, simply put two drops of colloidal silver into each eye twice a day for two days.

Tea

Black tea or chamomile tea makes a wonderfully soothing remedy for eye infections. Simply brew a cup of tea. Do not sweeten the tea. Allow the tea to cool. Use cotton balls to apply the tea to generously apply the tea to the eyelids. You don't have to get it directly into the eyes; some will seep in at the corners of the eyes. This remedy can be used 2-3 times each day until the infection resolves.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil soothes inflammation and fights infections. Using a soft cloth, apply a pea-sized amount of coconut oil to your pet's eyes, wiping from the inside corner of the eye to the outside corner of the eye.

Tips for an Effective Treatment

  • Once you begin to use a natural remedy for eye infections, you will often see results within 12 hours. If you do not see results within 24 hours, you may wish to try another remedy. If the infection gets worse or is accompanied by other symptoms, you should consult a trusted veterinarian.
     
  • Always treat both eyes when dealing with an eye infection, even if only one eye appears to be infected. It is very common for eye infections to spread quickly.
     
  • WEash your hands thoroughly after treating your pet's eyes to not contaminate yourself or other pets in your house.
     
  • If you are using a topical treatment, use a fresh cotton ball for each eye each time you apply a remedy.
     
  • It is best to continue treating each eye for several days after the infection appears to be resolved unless you use colloidal silver, which only needs to be used for 2 days.

Keep reading to see what our readers have used to treat their pet's eye infections!

Have you used a natural remedy for an eye infection in your cat or dog? Please send us some feedback!

Related Links:

Borax for Pets: Effective Skin Solutions & Arthritis Relief
Natural Pet Remedies for Cats

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Theresa (Fl) on 10/10/2020
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I just had to report my results using Apple Cider Vinegar for my new kitten's conjunctivitis. I did the half water-half vinegar solution (50/50) and tho it made no sense to me I did soak a cotton ball and applied it to Onyxs' shoulder blades (this being after my third application @ 2x/day) and I also mixed up a solution of 1cp water/1tsp of the vinegar and wiped his eyes out three times a day with it.

I am floored by the results so far!! It's only now the second day and it was posted by others that results would be noticed on the second day and I can 100% say with no doubts that the treatment is actually working!!

When I got him his eyes had a lot of pus in both eyes. The eyelids were both crusty and partially sealed by the discharge so I think it's fair to say his infection was moderate heading towards severe. This morning his eyes were both open all the way, a very tiny amount of pus, mostly his eyes were watery. He was so happy to actually see his toy that he played and played for a good hour before passing back out again.

I now have a very hyper kitty. He does have worms also but once I finish taking care of that issue I can't imagine how much energy he will have when his poor tummy feels better especially if he's displayed this much energy just fixing his eyes. It was literally the best $4 I ever spent on any kind of product. And to think putting vinegar on the shoulder blades in the back AWAY from their eyes actually works!! AND it sure beats going to the vet paying for just being there and then the cost of some kind of medicine and my baby is very young, too young to have been taken from his mother however the mothers owner is far from a responsible pet owner and was literally throwing the entire litter outside in the woods next to her house. If I could have taken them all I would have and I've thought about them ever since. I know I'm going to try everything I can to help the one I did save. I don't know about the worms, if the vinegar would kill those but that's my next mission. If not it's off to the vet with him.

Thanks for the advice, this site is fantastic!! I spend many hours here going thru all the remedies and ailments. Keep up the great work!!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Patricia (Ar) on 12/14/2017
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Had I not seen this with my own eyes, I never would have believed this would work, but it's a miracle cure for sure...Four months ago we rescued a cat who's elderly owner could no longer care for her, she was aprox 2 years old and was in a hoarding situation, raised in a very unhealthy environment. She came to us with upper respiratory problems and severe conjunctivitis in one eye. During her first Vet wellness exam to check for infectious diseases that could be spread to my other cats the Vet checked her eye for scratches, or foreign debris in her eyes. Nothing was found so the Vet diagnosed a herpes virus and we started administering antibiotic drops into her eyes. Several weeks passed with no improvement. She was taken in for her spaying surgery and shots at which time they rechecked her eye and prescribed more ointment to put in her eye, this time containing a steroid. Several weeks passed with no improvement. Another call to the Vet and they prescribed an anti-inflammatory drop. Several weeks passed...no improvement. Another call to the Vet, this time they prescribed another antibiotic drop, this time with a stronger antibiotic...10 days later, still no improvement. I was ready to give up hope and just thought she would be plagued with a bad eye for the rest of her life, and just hoped it wouldn't get so bad that she would have to have it removed.

Googled "Feline Conjunctivitis" to see what I could find online when I found the "EarthClinic" site. I was skeptical to say the least...I couldn't believe something as simple as putting organic Apple Cider Vinegar diluted 1-1 with distilled water could cure her eye problem, after spending several hundred dollars already on her eyes, but I was ready to try anything...

Day one I put the mixture on a jumbo cotton ball and soaked the scruff of her neck 3 times throughout the day. I could tell by that evening she was already starting to open her eye, which she had been squinting shut since we brought her home!

Day 2, I continued with the treatment 3 times throughout the day, her eye was 75% better, much less redness and no eye boogies!

Day 3 & 4, I used the mixture 2 times.

By day 5 her eye was completely healed! No redness, no squinting, and no boogies! I don't know how this works but, it is a miracle, this is the first time her eye's have been completely clear, open and healthy looking since we got her! She was to the point that she would RUN and hide when she saw me coming with a bottle of eye drops, but she didn't mind the ACV treatment at all, I warmed the cold solution to about body temp and she actually enjoyed me rubbing it on her neck between the shoulder blades.

THANK YOU EARTH CLINIC! I have many friends in the animal rescue community and will definitely will be sharing this treatment with them all!



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