Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / May 2006

I have had this problem with my golden. Go to your local drugstore and
ask for "polysporin opthalmic". It will come in a small white tube with
green or blue writing I think. Talk to the pharmacist to ensure what
you get is for use in the eye. I use this for any eye infections my dog
gets and it fixes him up in a day or so.
Open your dogs lower lid and place a small bead of ointment in there...
rub it lightly with both lids closed to spread the ointment. I use this
now because the $70 stuff from my vet did nothing. Let me know how it
turns out!

Regards,

Ilja

There is absolutely no way to tell you what to expect price-wise.  In my
somewhat rural area, office visits alone range in price from $20-45, and my
brother in San Diego has to pay upwards of $75 for an office visit.  Some
places charge more for services, and mark products up less.  Some vice
versa.  I would think that if you called your vet and asked for a "ballpark"
figure -- explaining that you don't have a lot of money and are trying to be
a responsible owner and budget the visit -- then they should be willing to
at least give you a rough idea.

Generally speaking, you could expect to pay for an office visit and probably
at a minimum an eye stain (to look for a scratch on the eye).  The vet might
also want to check tear production.  Then dispense medications based on what
is found.

You definitely need to get in to a vet....you do NOT want to mess around
with eyes, especially in a puppy.  Delaying treatment or trying the "do it
yourself" method (as recommended by another respondant) is NEVER a good idea
with eyes!

Good luck,

Deborah, DVM

I don't know how long you've had your puppy, but if it is 8 months old, you
should have established yourself and your puppy with a vet by now.
Hopefully, you can find a good vet who can work with you re. costs. Do you
have friends or family who can recommend a vet?  If you have friends and
family, maybe they could honor your birthday and other holidays with gifts
of cash which you could put into a "puppy fund."

Margaret

There is absolutely no way anyone here can or should offer you pricing
advice given this set of circumstances.  Problems with eyes can be very
simple or very complicated, and to even hazard a guess would be unfair to
you and your dog.  You should also not drag your feet on having this
evaluated, as simple eye issues can become complicated very quickly if left
untreated.  If you have an established relationship with a vet, call them
and ask them to ballpark the costs for you, with the knowledge that if it
unfortunately is something difficult that it can become expensive.

Josh, DVM

It costs what it costs.
You inherently agreed to bear the cost when you took posession of the dog.
What will you do when you have a "real" problem- like canine opthamologists
and eye surgery from a long neglected infection?