Cleaning Your Dog’s Eyes: Tips And Recommendations
Cleaning your dog’s eyes is essential for the care of your pet, especially since dogs are often exposed to various stimuli and activities that can compromise their eye hygiene and lead to discomfort and even infections. Thanks to these simple recommendations, you can take better care of your eyesight and prevent future problems.
Natural secretions that you should be aware of
Both the eyes of animals and people continuously secrete a series of fluids that help them stay moist during sleep. These produce legañas, which can be whitish, greenish or accompanied by pus, in which case it is very likely that we are facing an eye infection.
The greenish color of legañas, while not a concern in humans, is often an indicator of an underlying problem in animals . Dogs usually have a whitish color and do not usually have much difficulty expelling them from the eyes.
The type of breed we have influences our pet’s eye cleaning habits. For example, if we have a dog with a short muzzle, it is most likely that the legañas, once expelled, end up accumulating in the folds of the skin of the muzzle, which can lead to skin irritation.
If we have a dog with abundant hair, especially around the eyes and forehead, as is often the case with Yorkshire, it is best to cut it regularly to prevent germs and other foreign bodies from entering the eye that can cause conjunctivitis.
Cleaning your dog’s eyes: home remedies
In the event that we want to acquire a series of hygiene habits that prevent future diseases, cleaning your dog’s eyes can be carried out at home in a comfortable and safe way. Among the simplest and most common cleaning methods, we find:
- Eye cleaning with a damp cloth or sponge. Make sure to moisten them with room temperature water and not completely soak them – your dog may feel uncomfortable and associate this practice with something unpleasant.
- Try not to use paper towels or napkins when cleaning your dog’s eyes. Once wet, they usually come apart and leave pieces of paper scattered over the animal’s face that can get into its eyes.
- There are a number of pre-moistened wipes on the market that are often used for this type of case. The variation in prices and brands affects the quality of the ingredients used in their manufacture, so read their composition and make sure they are aimed at animals and not people.
- If you want to clean your dog’s face, try using only water. Gels and shampoos do not have to be used in this area, and they can irritate your pet’s eyes very easily.
- Under the tear ducts of many animals, including cats and dogs, whitish spots usually form that are nothing more than the result of the reaction that the tears of the animals experience towards the surrounding bacteria. The most common is that they are removed with a gentle wipe of a damp cloth, but there are solutions on the market that can help clean the most difficult stains. If there is an excess, consult your veterinarian, as they can be a sign of an underlying disease.
