Administering Eye Medications ~ Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.

Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.
Dog Health Care
Information by Condition or Disease

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Copyright © 1997 - 2009

Any health care links located here are NOT to replace a veterinarian visit; please take your dog to a vet immediately at any sign of odd behavior or any symptoms of illness or injury. Call your vet and describe your dog's symptoms with any of your concerns about the dog's well-being. Your veterinarian may discover changes in your dog's health that you have overlooked. It is always better to err on the side of caution.

Administering Eye Medications

Your veterinarian will have discussed the frequency and application of the eye medication prescribed, but it may be useful to have these notes as an aide memoir.

Applying the medication

It is always useful to have someone to hold the dog for you if at all possible.

Hold the head firmly but gently and tilt the nose upwards.

Remove any dried discharge from the corners of the eye with a cotton ball moistened with clean water.

Applying Ointment

If eye ointment has been supplied in a tube, do not point the nozzle directly at the eye. Gently part the lids between your finger and thumb and holding the tube with the nozzle parallel to the eye and approximately half a centimeter from the eye, gently squeeze a small amount of ointment across the already held open eye. Your dog will immediately close his eye. Gently stroke your fingers across the closed lids to disperse the ointment, which will rapidly liquefy when in contact with the warm tears.

Applying Eye Drops

If a liquid has been prescribed the technique is, if anything, a little easier. The lids are parted as before and the nozzle is held vertically, approximately half a centimeter above the eye and one drop gently ejected on to the eyeball. Following this the procedure is exactly the same.

General Tips

Sometimes although only one eye is affected your veterinarian will have advised you to apply the drops to both eyes. Please remember to apply the preparation to the unaffected eye first. This method challenges the infected eye to work harder at focusing properly by blurring the vision with drops in the normal eye. It is also important to avoid touching the eye with any part of the nozzle of the eye preparation in order to reduce contamination as much as possible.

If you find it difficult to apply the medication, sometimes a simple muzzle takes the dog's mind off what is happening and will be of great assistance. If you contact your veterinarian, he can supply a suitable muzzle or, alternatively, one can be improvised from a piece of bandage or an old tie. Your veterinarian will gladly assist with a demonstration of how to apply this.

With the flat faced, brachycephalic breeds (Boxer, Pug, Pekingese etc.) muzzling is more difficult but techniques using a towel or in some cases a special muzzle can be effective. Please contact your vet.

Page URL: http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/eyemeds.html

Resource References:
Much, much appreciation to Dr. Raymond Van Lienden, DVM of Clifton, VA USA for his extensive research in locating the material found on this page. Thank you, dear Doctor!