Cocker Spaniel has dry eye; is there something else to use than vet's drops?

When I adopted my Cocker Spaniel, before they let me pick him up they had him neutered and had his cherry eye surgically removed. Now he has dry eye in his left eye and I've heard that the vets drops are going to be very expensive.

I'm not going to try it, because I'll do my research first - but aren't their eyes similar to ours? Why couldn't I use a really good quality OTC eye drop for him? Is there anything OTC that can be used to help him without an expensive prescription? Or is it the doggie version of Restasis or something...

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Restasis is the same as the cyclosporin drops the vet compounds(mixes up in the office)but it is costly.You can google compounding pharmacies(again they mix meds and are not the sav-on etc in the neighborhood)some sell it less than my vet does.I have also used optimmune ointment which is the vet equivalent of the med and you can shop around the online vet pharmacies for it.Over the counter drops are not medicated and I'd talk with a vet before going that route as nasty ulcers can occur if the dry eye is not treated

No, their eyes are not similar to ours - and this is not the time to try to save money at the risk of your dog going blind.
Use the drops the vet said to use.

you cannot use otc eye drops. the ones from the vet contain cyclosporine which actually can restart tear production over time.

People with dry eye need prescription products just like a dog would need a prescription. None of the over the counter products will protect and lubricate the eye as much as it needs too. Your dog could end up with an ugly eye that it can't even see out of, plus it can be very painful.

Talk to the vet and ask him. How long will the dog be on the drops? If there is a cheaper substitute the vet will tell you (if you ask). You may also be able to purchase them on line for less.

Talk to the vet about alternatives and have him/her explain the how the prescribed meds work differently than something over the counter. You may end up spending more in bills if the dog loses its eye.

I had a dog with dry eye and we used an ointment from the vet. You may be able to order whatever med the vet prescribes online and save money.

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