Cleaning your dog’s eyes should be a regular part of your dog’s grooming routine. Keeping your dog’s eyes free of crusty build-up and watching for early signs of infection or other problems can protect your dog’s vision and avoid huge veterinary bills.

Small dogs with long hair are notorious for having unsightly eye discharges, and often the problem is that they aren’t properly groomed around the eyes. The long hair tips may touch the eyeballs and leave dirt and debris behind. The dog’s eyes will create mucus and runny discharges in an attempt to wash out the offending particles.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/top-medical-reasons-for-grooming-your-dog/page1.aspx

Some dogs have an overabundance of tears, and the overloaded tear glands may not adequately drain the excess away. The extra tears run down the face from the inside corner of the eye(s), where they may react with the natural bacteria or yeast on the dog’s skin and leave a reddish stain. Excess tears and stained fur may indicate a mild infection, but the problem is often a matter of appearance and may be remedied by keeping your dog’s eyes clean.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/epiphora-in-dogs/page1.aspx

The characteristic physical features of some dog breeds invite eye irritation and excessive eye discharges. Dogs who have short, wrinkled noses (like pugs, mastiffs and bulldogs) may scratch their eyes with the coarse hairs on the tops of the wrinkles. Some breeds have droopy lower eyelids, eyelids that turn under, or excess skin that rolls into the eyes. It’s especially important that such dogs have good eye care to prevent infections and other eye disorders.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/top-medical-reasons-for-grooming-your-dog/page1.aspx

Cleaning your dog’s eyes is a simple process (that is, if your dog is cooperative!). You’ll need a soft cotton cloth or a piece of gauze, a saline solution or eyewash (not Visine, which has no therapeutic value but simply removes redness for a short time) and perhaps a few cotton swabs or a pair of sharp straight-edge scissors with rounded tips. You can buy a sterile saline solution designed for humans or OTC products that are designed to clean dogs’ eyes, but plain lukewarm water may also work effectively. Please use this guide to learn how to clean your dog’s eyes.http://www.thepetcenter.com/article.aspx?id=3529

For the time being, we will assume that your dog does not have an eye infection, merely a yucky buildup of eye discharge that needs to be removed for appearance’ sake. Your dog’s eyes should be clear, bright, and expressive. If your dog shows signs of eye infection or other eye disorders, consult your vet before trying to clean the eyes yourself. The signs and symptoms of common eye disorders in dogs will be discussed in the last step of this how-to guide.

1. First, use the saline solution, eye wash, or warm water in a squeeze bottle to wash any gunk and debris out of your dog’s eyes. Hold the bottle at a downward angle near (but not touching), his eye, and squeeze the bottle gently to flush away dirt and debris. Your dog isn’t going to enjoy this, so give him a treat afterward for his cooperation.http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/people-and-pets/dogs/how-to-clean-your-dogs-eyes/
   
   
2. Next, wrap the soft cloth or gauze around your fingertip and wet it with the saline solution (or whatever eye wash product you have chosen). Gently clean the fur around the eye, being careful not to poke your dog’s eye or scratch the eyeball with your fingernails. If the goo has dried into a hard crust, you may need to wet the crust down and wait a few minutes for it to soften up before you can wipe it off.http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/people-and-pets/dogs/how-to-clean-your-dogs-eyes/
   
   
3. Reddish-brown stains may remain on the fur even after the gunk is removed. To remove these rusty-looking stains, mix a small amount of boric acid and cornstarch together and apply the fine powder to the stains, carefully avoiding the eyes. Let the mixture remain on the fur for a few hours before thoroughly rinsing it away with tepid water. Some dog care products for cleaning the eyes also contain stain removers, and some pet food products are formulated to prevent tears from staining the fur. Ask your vet about these options for keeping your dog’s eyes clean and beautiful.http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/people-and-pets/dogs/how-to-clean-your-dogs-eyes/
   
   
4. If your dog has wrinkles on his face, use a cotton swab and the cleaning solution to gently clean between the folds where dirt and debris may become trapped. This step will remove irritants before they have a chance to find their way into your dog’s eyes.http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/people-and-pets/dogs/how-to-clean-your-dogs-eyes/

Once you’ve cleaned the discharge around the eye, decide whether you also need to trim the hair around your dog’s eyes. Comb the long hair above your dog’s eyes straight down and check to see whether it’s long enough to reach the eyeball (consider that it may be blown by the wind or be tossed around as the dog jumps and plays). If so, use your scissors (remember, sharp and straight-edged with rounded points!) to cut his “bangs” straight across so they are slightly shorter than eye level.

Be sure to hold the scissors parallel to his eyes while you cut; never pointed toward the eyeball. If your dog is wiggly, you may need to get a helper to hold his head still. Take your dog to a professional dog groomer if he’s uncooperative or you are unsure of trimming your dog’s hair yourself.

Some dog owners prefer to tie their dog’s hair into a topknot to keep it out of the dog’s face, and this method is fine also. It’s really a matter of personal preference.

If your dog is of a breed with a short, wrinkled nose, check to see whether his facial expressions cause the hair to touch the eyeballs. If so, carefully trim the offending hairs to a shorter length.

Grooming around the eyes will help prevent eye infections, but some eye disorders may require veterinary intervention to save your dog’s sight. Call your veterinarian if you notice any of these signs of eye disorders in your dog, either alone or in any combination:

Red stains on the fur around the eyeballs: As noted above, this is a common reaction between your dog’s tears and natural microorganisms on his skin. However, it may signal that your dog has an infection known as “red yeast” that may need veterinary care.http://www.pedigreedpups.com/Eye-Problems-In-Dogs.html

Excessive tearing: This may be a genetic predisposition in your dog, or may be a symptom of an eye infection or other irritation, perhaps debris in the eye or an injury.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/epiphora-in-dogs/page1.aspx Have your dog evaluated so you know for sure and have the condition treated if your vet deems it necessary.

Redness and inflammation, usually accompanied by excess discharge: Your dog may have conjunctivitis, an infection of the tissue that lines the eyelids and coats the eyes. There are many types of conjunctivitis (“pink eye”), some more serious than others, and left untreated the condition may result in permanent vision loss. Conjunctivitis can be spread to other pets in the house and the symptoms are similar to those of glaucoma, so early treatment is vital.http://www.thepetcenter.com/article.aspx?id=3529

Your dog paws at his eyes or rubs his head on the floor or furniture: Something is irritating your dog’s eyes and making them itchy, and his efforts to relieve the itch can cause further damage. It may be that your dog has dirt or other foreign matter in his eye, and using an eyewash to remove the debris may take care of the problem. Dogs who scratch at their eyes continuously may have an infection or other eye disorder that needs veterinary attention.

Ulcers on the cornea. An ulcer may begin as a small spot or sore on the eye that grows larger, and left untreated may quickly create a hole in the eyeball that allows the insides to protrude. Permanent blindness may result from corneal ulcers. Call your veterinarian immediately if you notice sores or spots on your dog’s eyes.http://www.thepetcenter.com/article.aspx?id=3529

Eyelids that roll inward toward the eye: This is a common trait in some breeds, and the hairs on the fur that rolls under may scratch the eye and cause irritation which invites infection. Usually it is the lower lids that cause problems, but may affect the upper lids as well. This physical trait can be surgically corrected, which improves your dog’s chances of avoiding an eye infection. http://www.pedigreedpups.com/Eye-Problems-In-Dogs.html

Squinting or excessive blinking: Your dog may have debris in his eye, a painful scratch on his eyeball (often courtesy of a cat he was terrorizing), or an eye infection, but squinting and blinking can also be the first sign of more serious health conditions such as cancer.

Yellow eyes: When the part of the eye that should be white (the sclera) turns yellow, it may indicate that your dog has a liver condition or a dysfunction of the red blood cells.http://www.thepetcenter.com/article.aspx?id=3529