Cleaning Your Dog's Eyes: Tips and Recommendations

Keeping your dog’s eyes clean is an essential part of his health because dogs are constantly around things that might cause problems or infections in their eyes. By following these simple tips, you’ll be able to take care of your dog’s eyes much better and avoid any problems in the future.

Natural secretions to be aware of

Animals and humans all secrete several fluids from their eyes. It’s what helps them keep their eyes moist when they are sleep, which is the eye-crust that everyone is familiar with. It can be white, green, or pus-filled, which indicates it’s probably related to an eye infection.

Green-colored crust isn’t a bad thing for humans, but it usually indicates that something is wrong for animals. It’s usually white for dogs, and they usually don’t have any problems getting it out of their eyes.

If it’s the eye-crust is green and you don’t get rid of it fast enough, it can get stuck into a dog’s tear ducts, irritate his eyes, and  cuase infections.

Your dog’s breed plays an important role in knowing what kind of eye cleaning method will be necessary for your dog. If you have a short-snouted dog, the crust probably builds up in the wrinkles on its snout when it secretes out of his eyes, which can lead to skin irritation.

If you have a dog with a lot of fur, especially around its eyes and face (like with a Yorkshire), it’s best to cut it every so often. That way no germs or other foreign objects get into your eyes and cause pinkeye.

Cleaning your dog’s eyes at home

In order to make sure your dog’s eyes are always clean and prevent future illnesses, it’s easy and safe to do at home. Here are some of the most common ways to do it:

• Cleaning his eyes with a damp cloth or a sponge. Make sure you use room temperature water without soaking them all the way. Your dog might find that uncomfortable and take it as a negative experience.
• Try not to use paper towels or toilet paper when you’re cleaning your dog’s eyes. Once they’re wet, they fall apart and you might leave bits of paper behind that can get in his eyes.
• There are wet wipes you can buy at the store for cleaning his eyes. The price and brand have an impact on the quality of the product. So read the labels and make sure they’re for animals and not people.
• Only use water when cleaning your dog’s face. Gels and shampoos aren’t necessary for this area because they quickly irritate your dog’s eyes.
• Underneath a lot of animals’ tear ducts (dogs and cats included), white spots can sometimes form. They’re just a reaction between their tears and the bacteria that surrounds them. You can usually get rid of them with a damp cloth, but there are also things you can buy at the store to get rid of tougher spots. Go to the vet if there’s too much to clean off. It might be a sign of an illness.