Dogs are adventurous and explorers. They want to try anything and everything that comes their way. From human medicines, poop, chocolates to plastic and soap, they are experts in eating things that they are not allowed to.
One such thing is a contact lens. They would gobble these down and you won’t even know that they ate these. You will be surprised to know how many fur babies have eaten a contact lens and got away with it. So, if your dog has the same inquisitive spirit and has done something similar, then read on to know how you can rectify it.
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What Should You Do If Your Dog Ate a Contact Lens?
Let us start off by informing you about an interesting fact that we recently came to know. Dogs have their own contact lens! But these contact lenses are completely different from human ones.
They do not have any power to provide vision to the dogs rather they help to keep the eyes safe. Especially if your dog has corneal ulcers, the lens protects the eyes and provides it comfort.
Moreover, the contact lenses are water-soluble and antibiotic which won’t let the dogs’ eyes get dry. They will rather keep them moist.
But the problem arises when the dogs eat the human or pet lens. So, we have a couple of things for you to keep in mind if your dog ate a contact lens.
1. Look Out for Symptoms
Although your dog should not ingest contact lenses, if they do, then don’t worry as it will not cause any serious issues. Still, you should look out for certain symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and lack of appetite.
Additionally, if your dog gets seizures or loss of consciousness, then you should be alarmed because contact lenses would never cause such an issue. There might be an underlying disease that has surfaced due to contact lenses or contact lens solutions.
2. Induce Vomit
The best method to ensure quick recovery is to induce vomit. Since the dogs cannot digest contact lenses, chances are that they will vomit it out. You can give them some amount of hydrogen peroxide which will induce vomit almost instantly.
3. Fast for 6 hours
Since contact lenses can irritate the GI tract, you should be careful about what you feed your dog. Give some rest to their stomach especially after vomiting. Don’t give them anything solid to eat for at least 6 hours.
Within this time, you’ll understand if your dog is still facing the symptoms or is on the road to recovery. Contact lenses along with vomiting can cause irritation to the GI tract, hence fasting for some time is essential.
4. Give Water in Moderation
Usually, the doctors would recommend you to keep your dogs hydrated in any illness but in this case, give them water in moderation. If their stomach is upset, then water will only induce more vomiting which will cause weakness.
If the dog wants water, then it is better to give them ice cubes to lick. The irritation down the GI tract will remain less with ice cubes.
5. Give High Fiber Diet
Fiber always causes poop, so if your dog is constipated then you should change their diet to a high fiber diet.
In this case, if your dog has not vomited the contact lens, then give them a high fiber diet after 6 hours, so they poop it out. You can give them bran flakes, oatmeal, pumpkin, whole grain bread, etc.
6. Contact The Veterinarian
If nothing seems to work or if there are any unusual symptoms, contact the veterinarian immediately. The unusual symptoms may include green vomit, green poop, seizures, lethargy, loss of consciousness, etc.
Additionally, they can assess the situation better by asking you questions. For instance, if they had hard or soft lenses, or they had any contact solution with it or not. It’s always good to contact your vet to get the best advice and to remove any additional doubt that you may have.
7. Give The Dog Medicines
If the vet thinks that the condition can worsen with time, give them the medicine they prescribe.
It is easy to get worried and look out for medicines on the Internet, but the vet knows your dog well. They know what will cause a negative or positive reaction. So, follow their advice and give your dog the right medicine.
Are Contact Lenses Poisonous to Dogs?
Contact lenses or contact solutions both are not poisonous to dogs. It may cause them discomfort but overall it will not impact their health negatively.
Additionally, contact lenses do not have toxins since you have to put them in your eyes. If they had any, then they would react in your eyes too. This is not to say that you don’t get your dog’s health checked after such a mishap.
Moreover, it will only cause them slight discomfort and irritation, so nothing out of the blue will happen.
What Happens if a Dog Eats a Contact Lens?
Contact lenses are not something that your dog should eat. It will definitely affect your dog’s health but the severity of the situation depends upon how many contact lenses or solutions they have had.
One or two contact lenses will not affect them, they’ll probably poop it out without any problem. But if they have an urge to eat it and are constantly eating contact lenses or a contact solution, then you should immediately contact the veterinarian.
Some of the common symptoms that a dog can face due to ingestion of contact lenses are:
- Inappetance
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Inappetance is the loss of appetite that is quite normal in dogs after they vomit. There are several reasons for vomiting such as indigestion, eating too quickly, change in diet, etc.
Nobody understands their dog better than you do, so keep a check on why your dog has vomited if they ate a contact lens in your absence.
Can Dogs Digest Contact Lenses?
Contact lenses are not edible so your dog will never be able to digest them. It won’t melt in their stomach rather it’ll just stay the way it is. The only way to take them out is through stool or puke. This is definitely a relief!
How to Prevent Your Dog From Eating Contact Lenses Again?
There are a few things that you can do to prevent your dog from eating contact lenses again.
1. Professionally Train Your Dog
You should train your dog early in their life. Professional training goes a long way. Your dog will never mess up your sandals or eat the cushion or tear apart the socks if you train them well.
Additionally, you should know that you can train your dog at any point in their life. Although training a senior dog can get a bit tough, a little patience can help both the dog and the owner.
2. Teach Your Dog The Commands
Commands such as ‘Leave It’ or ‘Stop’ are really important for your dogs. With these commands, they know that they are not allowed to do that particular thing.
Dogs are really smart. If you stop them from eating something a few times, they won’t do it again. Teaching commands is the best method to go for a mischievous dog.
3. Keep The Contact Lens Out of Your Dog’s Reach
Dogs are inquisitive and they would literally try to open up the drawers too so it’s always good to keep things out of their reach.
Dog-proof your house and keep things on high shelves so they don’t reach that area. This is the simplest method to prevent a visit to the vet.
4. Do Not Let Them in Your Washrooms
Most of the time, the mishaps happen in the washroom or dressing rooms because we keep our makeup products and shaving creams there. A lot of stuff that they are not supposed to eat is usually kept in these two areas.
So try to avoid your dog’s entry into the washroom otherwise they can eat or chew something that they were not supposed to.
Is Contact Lens Solution Harmful to Dogs?
Yes, contact lens solution is harmful to dogs but if they had it in small amounts then it won’t do any harm to them. If they are going back to it time and again then there could be an underlying problem of something lacking in their body. So, they are fulfilling that requirement by drinking the contact lens solution.
The symptoms will remain the same as eating contact lenses. If the dog has a large contact lens solution, then the situation can be problematic. Either way, your first step should always be to contact the vet.
Conclusion: Can Dogs Eat Contact Lens?
Contact lenses are only for the eyes. There are certain conditions whereby the dogs can wear the dog contact lenses but they are not meant to be eaten. They won’t harm them to the extent of seizures or loss of consciousness but they can definitely cause some irritation in the GI tract.
Diarrhea, loss of appetite, and vomiting are common symptoms that you should look out for. Overall, don’t worry, contact lenses are not toxic or poisonous, so they won’t harm your dog.
