The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert to pet owners and veterinarians on Wednesday to watch for any sort of concerning behavior from their furry friends.
The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine issued the alert and warned of the use of certain recalled eyedrops over concerns for eye infections in pets. According to the agency, these recalled eyedrops were sold by several different brands and were originally marketed for use in humans.
"The FDA is aware that veterinarians may have dispensed or recommended that pet owners purchase them from pharmacies," the FDA's alert said. "Although the last recall took place in November 2023, veterinarians and pet owners may still be using the products."
The FDA said it has received at least one report of adverse effects among an animal after it was given recalled eyedrops.
"Pet owners who have used these products on their pets and notice that the pets are rubbing or scratching at their eyes or have swelling or discharge of the eyes should consult their veterinarians immediately," the FDA's alert said.
A FDA spokesperson told Newsweek on Friday that the agency "takes seriously its responsibility of protecting human and animal health."
"The adverse event reported was in a cat that developed an eye infection after being treated with the drops. However, testing was not able to conclusively prove that the eye drops caused the infection. Pet owners who have used these products on their pets and notice that the pets are rubbing or scratching at their eyes or have swelling or discharge of the eyes should consult their veterinarians immediately," the spokesperson said.
The FDA's warning comes several months after the agency reported recalls for different eyedrops that were marketed for humans.
In November 2023, recalls for two different eyedrops marketed by the companies Kilitch Healthcare India Limited and Cardinal Health Inc. were announced. November's recall announcement was an update to add additional recalled eyedrops following an initial recall announcement the month prior.
"FDA is warning consumers not to purchase and to immediately stop using 26 over-the-counter eye drop products due to the potential risk of eye infections that could result in partial vision loss or blindness," the FDA said in October 2023.
According to the FDA, the recalled eyedrops were marketed under the brands including CVS Health, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), Rite Aid, Target Up & Up and Velocity Pharma.
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"These products are intended to be sterile. Ophthalmic drug products pose a potential heightened risk of harm to users because drugs applied to the eyes bypass some of the body's natural defenses," the FDA said at the time. "FDA has not received any adverse event reports of eye infection associated with these products at this time."
The initial recall recommendation from the FDA was on October 25 and shortly after, CVS, Rite Aid and Target removed the recalled products from stores and websites.
"Products branded as Leader, Rugby and Velocity may still be available to purchase in stores and online and should not be purchased," the FDA previously said. "Patients who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection after using these products should talk to their health care provider or seek medical care immediately."
The full list of recalled eyedrops can be found here.
Update, 3/15/24, 11:56 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from the FDA.
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