Eye Wash Pads for Dogs

Puppies may develop tear-stained faces during their first few months of life, and even healthy older dogs' eyes may accumulate stains and crusts. Regular grooming of a dog's face includes cleaning the eye area, and veterinarians recommend that examination of the eyes be a regular part of a medical checkup. Many conditions causing excessive eye secretions require diagnosis and treatment by a professional.

  1. Diagnosis

    • Determining the cause of a dog's eye secretions is recommended for new pet owners or owners whose dogs' eye discharge is increasing. The problems causing this symptom may be allergies, infections, inflammations, trauma to the eye or conformational abnormalities. If any of these conditions are present, your veterinarian will prescribe medical treatment.

    Cleansing

    • Even when no special medical treatment is required, you should keep a dog's eye area clean as a part of regular grooming. Bacterial infections most often occur when a dog's eyelashes and lids accumulate excessive, unsightly secretions. Keeping the eye area clean discourages scratching and reduces further irritation.

    Methods

    • Unless infection is present, sterile buffered saline solution may be used in and on a dog's eyes. Such a solution is available in drugstores and discount stores for human use, and pet supply stores offer a variety of canine eye cleaning solutions that do not require a prescription. Soak sterile cotton pads in the saline solution and use them to gently remove eye secretions. These pads also may be used to clean the dog's face, ears and nose.

    Eye Conditions

    • Dog owners should continue to consult a veterinarian when symptoms of pain such as squinting, pawing, rubbing or redness appear. A dog's eyes may indicate development of cataracts or other conditions when the eye appears cloudy. Blood in or around the eye, a dilated pupil or a swollen eye are all conditions that require professional attention.