Basic Eye Care For Your Dog

When it comes to puppy grooming, do not ignore proper eye care and safety. Some dog owners forget the little things when it comes to grooming their pet which can result in health problems in the future. Below are a few puppy eye-care pointers.

1. Guarding your puppy’s eyes from injury is important so be sure to be overly conscious of your puppy’s head when you are playing games that have potential consequences for injury to the eyes. Some example games to be careful of would be when you are kicking a ball around with your pup, playing fetch with a stick, or simply play-wrestling by using your hands.

2. Each and every morning, examine your dog’s eyes and wipe away any of that “morning crust” that builds up overnight. If this crust is left unchecked and builds up, your puppy can experience a very irritating and painful reaction. Use warm water and a soft cloth to wipe the eyes clean.

3. If your dog has very long hair because of his breed type, do your best to trim around his eyes. I realize that there are some breeds out there who are supposed to have long hair covering or overlapping the eyes, but this can cause irritation if the hair is constantly rubbing inside of the eyeball.  Just use your best judgment and try to err on the side of your dog’s health as opposed to his appearance.

4. When bathing your dog, try to avoid squirting shampoo and flee chemicals directly on top of his head. Even if you are being extremely careful, there is always a chance that some of this material will spray in his eyes. Gently rub the shampoo into your hand and then over your dog’s scalp and surrounding face areas. This will avoid potential eye irritation.

5. When bringing your dog along for a car ride, avoid the temptation to let him hang his head out of the window.  I know it is a joy to watch your pet having so much fun as you are driving along, but there have been many serious eye injuries, and even the loss of an eyeball due to a small pebble or rock hitting the dog’s face. I don’t know about you, but that is not something I would want to risk at all.