How To Clean Your Pet’s Eyes
Why is it important to clean my pet’s eyes?
Are you curious as to why it’s important to clean your dog’s eyes or why it’s important to clean your cat’s eyes? We will go over why it’s important, how to do it, and some helpful hints and recommendations in this blog post. Plenty of things can get into the eyes of pets, particularly when there is a lot of dust and debris in the air and wind. This leads to an accumulation of dirt and muck in the eyes of these animals.
Usually, animals such as dogs are able to protect their eyeballs from dust or debris, however, they cannot stop the formation of discharge building up in the corner of their eyes. The problem with this happening is that it can continue to grow and get worse, causing discomfort for your pet until it is removed, which we will teach you how in this blog.
What you will need to clean your pet’s eyes
It is crucial to make sure you have the necessary supplies before cleaning your pet’s eyes. Although we’ve included a brief list of things you could need here, feel free to add anything more:
- Cotton balls, cotton wool or a cloth
- An effective and reliable saline solution
- A bowl of warm water, not too hot or cold
- A towel
- Treats
How to clean your pet’s eyes
Are you wondering how to clean your dog’s eyes or how to clean your cat’s eyes? Here’s our step-by-step tutorial on how to do it. If you are concerned about your pet’s eyes, though, please speak to your veterinary surgeon before cleaning their eyes.
Step 1: Gathering the things you need
Making sure you have everything you need on hand will help you avoid having to leave your pet while you retrieve it, which is a vital first step in cleaning their eyes. Try and set all of the things you need out close to you, so you can clean your pet’s eyes quickly and easily.
Step 2: Keeping your pet calm and comfortable
Before you start actually cleaning your pet’s eyes, make sure they are calm. This can be done with a treat, keeping them close and stroking them so they are comfortable before you start. This can also help young pets, such as puppies and kittens, realise the process is not scary.
Step 3: Cleaning the face and eye area
It is now time to start to actually clean your pet’s eyes, but before starting to wipe your pet’s eyes, make sure your hands are fully clean to prevent any dirt or debris from getting into the region around their eyes. When beginning, dip a cotton ball into warm (not hot or cold) water and softly dab at the eye area and around the eyes.
To prevent injury to your pet’s eye, make sure you keep their head steady while doing this action. Using a different cotton pad, carefully work on the inner corners of the eye area without touching the actual eye to remove any dirt, discharge, or debris.
It can also be helpful to use a quality saline solution, or even pet wipes with or instead of warm water, such as Optixcare Eye Cleaning Wipes. These wipes gently soothe and clean the eye and its surrounding area. Repeat these steps if necessary until your pet’s eyes are clean.
Step 4: Dry up and reward your pet
Once finished, make sure to take a clean towel and dry your pet’s face and eyes, without touching the eye. You can do this by gently patting and making sure to check for any signs of irritation whilst doing so.
When you’ve finished, give your pet a reward such as a dog treat or a cat treat so they understand they will be rewarded for allowing you to gently clean their eyes. Doing this will make them more comfortable with you cleaning their eyes as time goes on, and it is best to start when they are young, so they get used to it.
Tips and tricks for how to clean your pet’s eyes
- Keeping up with a regular grooming routine can help prevent any eye issues with your pet, and it can help them get used to the routine, so there will be no issues when cleaning their eyes.
- Make sure to contact your local vets if you see any issues in or around the eye. This could include redness and swelling, persistent discharge from the eye, issues with your pet’s vision or behavioural changes that cause them to become distressed.
- When cleaning your pet’s eyes, look for any common eye problems such as conjunctivitis, infections in the eye, dry eyes or any sort of sore skin and redness.
- Washing your pet and their eyes a few times a week, especially if needed, can really help maintain their health and wellbeing. This routine also guarantees that you can check your dog’s eyes on a regular basis, which enables you to quickly detect and take care of any possible problems.
- Look into products for your pet’s eyes that could help, such as a good saline solution for dogs or cats, soft cotton balls, eye drops for your pet, eye lube to help with dry eyes and a soft wash cloth.
Conclusion
Regular eye cleaning is necessary for the comfort and overall health of your pet. It reduces the accumulation of debris, lessens the risk of infection, and allows you to identify any early warning signs of eye problems.
These easy steps will help you: gather supplies, calm down your pet, clean gently, and then reward them. Keeping your pet happy and healthy will require regular grooming and checkups. Please contact your veterinarian if you observe any problems. Establishing eye cleaning as a regular practice will benefit your pet’s health and build your relationship with them.