Those who believe that caring for a dog is limited to taking it for a walk regularly and feeding it healthy, are wrong. Dogs require many other attentions for their well-being, such as bathing, cutting their nails, brushing their teeth or cleaning their eyes.
Speaking of your eyes, they are a very sensitive area and exposed to external agents and conditions. Sand, dirt, grass, dust or insects can get into your eyes during a walk or play. They can also pass an eye infection from one dog to another. And, in addition, many breeds are predisposed to certain eye pathologies.
For all these reasons, it is essential to consider the care of the dog's eyes as part of its basic needs. This way we will keep him healthy and happy, since an eye disease is very annoying for our four-legged best friend. And although cleaning his eyes is very simple, it is convenient to know how to do it correctly so as not to make mistakes that worsen the situation.
The frequency of cleaning the eyes of the dog will depend a lot on its breed and particular condition. Some breeds are at higher risk of suffering certain eye injuries, while others are more prone to tearing and rheum and others with bulging eyes have them more exposed to intrusions from external agents.
All this must be taken into consideration when establishing a periodicity for your pet's eye cleanings. As a general rule, they are necessary once or twice a week, while in dogs with more tearing, rheum or risk of infections, they should be done daily.
It is important that the dog is calm at the time of eye cleaning, so do not do it after a walk or play time, as it will be overexcited. He tries to establish a cleaning routine always at the same time and in a place without too many stimuli, so that he is calm and gets used to this ritual.
It is advisable to get him used to cleaning his eyes from when he is a puppy, but if this is not possible, we can always soothe him with words of affection, caresses and a reward.
Once he's calm, it's time to hold him firmly so he doesn't run away, but gently so you don't hurt him. He soaks a clean gauze pad with physiological saline – the same one used to clean human eyes – and gently rubs your dog's eye, lightly dabbing from the tear duct outwards.
If it has any rheum, apply special pressure to it until it softens and you can remove it without pulling. Repeat the process in the other eye always using a new gauze, so you will avoid transmitting possible infections from one eye to the other. Remember to reward his good behavior with a treat and he will let himself do much better next time.
Cleaning the dog's eyes is not only essential to avoid possible infections, but it is also a good opportunity to observe his eyes and detect if he is already suffering from them. Pay attention to excessive tearing, yellowish discharge, redness or swelling in the area and, at any sign that something is wrong, go to the vet as soon as possible.
