How to Clean a Dog's Eye Infection

Most infections affect the outer membranes of your dog's eye, often referred to as “pink eye” or conjunctivitis,  but more serious conditions can affect inner structures. Symptoms include inflammation and discharge, redness, and itchiness. Treatment may involve medication such as antibiotics or steroids or home remedies, depending on the severity and cause. Along with treatment, cleaning your dog's eye and the area around the eye to clean away discharge and help healing of the eye membranes is usually necessary.

Most canine conjunctivitis does not impair vision and discomfort is minimal. You may notice your dog pawing at their eye in an effort to relieve irritation, itchiness, or discomfort; this should be discouraged as grubby paws will only contribute to infection and can damage delicate eye structures. More serious eye conditions can cause more discomfort and require veterinary attention. Cleaning the eye and eye area when your dog has an infection can be an upsetting process for your dog who is already experiencing irritation in the eye and may be protective of this delicate area.  Working around the eye requires some patience and understanding on your part to make the experience as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Be careful around your dog's eyes when working at cleaning and treating so your dog does not develop an aversion to the process from unnecessary unpleasantness or fear.

If you need help cleaning your dog's eyes, consider booking a Grooming service with a Pet Caregiver near you.

• Clean cloths, materials, and hands before working with your dog's eyes.
  
• When instilling eye drops or substances into the eye, be very careful  not to poke the eye with the applicator or dropper. Hold the applicator at an angle to the eye, not perpendicular.
  
• Instill drops in the corner of the eye to avoid injuring the eye and to allow drops to wash over the eye.
  
• When pulling back eyelids, be careful to use clean hands. Do this as little as possible--usually, your dog will blink and distribute the drops. However, if excess discharge builds up under the lids, some manipulation may be required.
  
• Be sure to seek veterinary advice for eye infections that appear severe and do not clear up quickly; they may require antibiotic or steroid treatment.
  
• When removing hair or cleaning around the eye area, be careful not to injure the eye. Work slowly and carefully.
  

Dogs get dirty, and dirt can mean eye infections. Some infections resolve on their own with a little cleaning of discharge around the eye, while some require homemade or prescription medication instilled into the eyes. Be sure to seek veterinary attention if your dog's eye infection is causing substantial discomfort or if your dog shows photosensitivity, which could indicate a more serious condition. Always be sure to clean your materials and hands carefully when working with a dog's eyes. Be very careful to work slowly and carefully around a dog's eyes to avoid injuring these delicate structures. Several homemade and over-the-counter eye wash solutions can be very helpful in cleaning your dog's eyes and eye area when combating an eye infection.

Don't feel too confident about cleaning your dog's eyes? Book a Grooming service with an experienced Pet Caregiver near you.