Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, also known as dry eye disease, develops when a dog's tear glands stop producing tears to lubricate the cornea and lids of the dog's eyes. Affected dogs may suffer from corneal inflammation, recurrent conjunctivitis (pink eye), and a thick discharge around the tear glands and on the eyelids. Veterinary treatment normally consists of twice-a-day applications of optical medication designed to replace the tears the dog is no longer producing naturally. Dry eye disease is incurable and medical treatment will need to be administered over the dog's lifetime. Because the medicine will need to be given at home, dog owners need to learn how to administer the drug easily and safely.
Things You'll Need
- Towel (optional)
- Assistant (optional)
Instructions
Immobilize your dog's head in some way. You can wrap a small dog in a towel, leaving his head exposed, and place him between your knees, or you can ask an assistant to hold your larger dog's head so he can't move.
Place one hand above your dog's affected eye and gently widen the eyelid so that you can see the entire cornea of the eye.
Take the medication in your other hand and lay the side of this hand next to your dog's ear directly behind the eye to be medicated. Hold the medication approximately one inch above the eye.
Drop the medicine onto the cornea of the affected eye, making sure not to touch the eye with the tip of the medicine bottle or tube.
Administer medication to the other eye using the same hand placements on the other side of your dog's head.