When to clean your dog's eyes?
You only clean your pet's eyes if there are secretions or crusts at the internal commissure of the eye. Some dog breeds are prone to chronic but benign watery eyes. This is particularly the case for dog breeds with short muzzles and drooping eyelids. In these animals, it is then necessary to carry out daily cleaning of the eye contour.
If, on the contrary, your dog's eye area is clean, cleaning is absolutely not necessary.
Always check that your dog's eyes are clear, shiny, moist and that the mucous membrane is pink. If you notice abnormal discharge because it is too abundant or purulent, consult your veterinarian.
Why clean them?
Using hygiene gestures on your animal is important to maintain the relationship and complicity with your dog. The earlier he gets used to it, the more cooperative he will be. More than a hygiene gesture, cleaning your dog's eyes is also a preventive gesture to avoid the formation of irritating crusts for the eyelid and the stagnation of secretions that can lead to eye disorders.
What to clean them with?
To clean your dog's eyes, never use cotton wool that leaves fibers that can produce an infection. Use a clean, soft single-use tissue or, better yet, a sterile gauze pad.
Also take a specific eye cleanser or saline solution in pods. If you use a special bottle for your dog's eye hygiene, pay attention to the expiry date of the product.Check on the instructions the shelf life of the product after opening and remember to note on the bottle the date on which you opened it. If in doubt, if the product seems open for too long, do not use it, you could contaminate your dog's eyes with bacteria that have grown in the product. Choose single-use pods whenever possible.
To cleanse your dog's eye area, you can also use cornflower or Roman chamomile hydrosol with soothing properties.
How to clean your dog's eyes?
1 - Prepare the equipment and wash your hands thoroughly with clean water and soap.
2 - Ask your dog to sit and not move and immobilize him by placing yourself behind him or beside him.
3 - Tilt his head back slightly then gently pull on the dog's lower eyelid to open his eye.
4 - Approach the tip of the eye solution bottle towards his eye and pour the lotion abundantly on the surface of his eye. Be careful not to touch the eye with the tip of the bottle.
5 - Release your pet's eyelid then use the compress to wipe off the dirt formed at the inner commissure of the eye and evacuated by the product by gently rubbing from the inside out.
6 - Then repeat the same operation for the other eye.
Do not hesitate to reward your dog after having cleaned his eyes with a treat, a caress or a play session then remember to close the bottle well after use or to throw away the single dose.
You may notice a flow of serum or cleansing product from his nose after cleaning his eyes, which is completely normal. This means that the tear duct that goes from the eye to the nose is not blocked.
Last tip for cleaning your pet's eyes to go as smoothly as possible: all your actions must be done without abruptness and very gently to avoid scaring your pet. It is better to bring the bottle of cleaning product or the pipette from the side, out of the animal's field of vision, or from behind and not to make this gesture too directly from the front.
If you use cornflower or chamomile hydrosol, do not instill the product directly into your pet's eye but soak a sterile compress to clean the eye area and the eyelids of your pet. dog.