How to clean your dog's eyes

Why is it important to clean my dog’s eyes?

Dust or other airborne particles will blow into your dog’s eyes on a daily basis. As this debris accumulates in their eyes, it forms a gunky, slimy discharge on or around their tear ducts. Although the dog’s body can protect the eyeball itself from initial bouts of debris, it can’t do anything about discharge forming in the corner of the eye; this will continue to grow and will become more and more uncomfortable for the dog unless removed by the owner.

The best method of cleaning your dog’s eyes

You will need: 

All you’ll need is a ball of cotton wool and a bowl of warm water. If your dog is hesitant to have their eyes cleaned, you may want someone to help you by keeping them still.

Method:

As Dave demonstrates, start at the inside of the eye and work your way to the outside when you wipe. As you bring the cotton wool closer to your dog’s face, they’ll naturally close their eyes. Simply wipe from the inside to the outside, removing any debris or discharge as you go.

Make sure you swap and use a new piece of cotton wool for the second eye; change over more than once if there is a lot of discharge.

Once you’ve finished cleaning, you can pat-dry the eyes with a paper towel.

Need more info?

If the eyes are discharging excessively or appear sore/inflamed, have a chat with your vet.

Find your nearest vet using our Find a Vet page, or speak to a vet online using Online Vets.