Rules of Basic Canine Eye Care

When you groom your puppy or adult dog, you need to take proper care of the eyes as well. The eyes are easily forgotten when dog owners groom or play with their dogs. There are safety precautions and cleaning around the eyes that will help keep your dogs eyes free from potential health problems.

Steps to Keeping Your Dogs Eyes Healthy

Protecting the eyes from potential injury is important. When you are training or just playing, make sure to watch out for the eyes. Sometimes when you are playing with the dog, you could kick a ball or throw a stick for them to catch and inadvertently hit them in the eye causing injury. You need to be careful around the eyes.

In the mornings you need to look at the dogs eyes to see if they have that crusty stuff that can sometimes be around the outside of the eye. You can take a soft clothe and gently wipe this away so it does not enter the eye and obstruct vision. If you allow this to continue to build up, it can become irritating to the dog.

Longhaired dogs will sometimes need a trim around the eyes. Hair that covers the eyes can irritate the eyes and sometimes cause infection. If your dog breed has the natural look of hair that covers the eyes, you should make sure it is not rubbing the eye. It is always better to carefully clip away some hair in order to keep the eye safe from injury.

If you are giving your dog a bath, you need to protect the eye from soap. These chemicals can cause irritation and sometimes cause the dog to scratch at the eye. Be careful when applying shampoo or conditioner to the head and face area. You might even squirt a little shampoo into your hand to avoid getting it into the dog’s eyes.

Dogs who ride in cars love to hang their heads out the window. This can be very dangerous to the dog’s eyes. Flying insects, debris and other foreign particles can enter the eye and cause serious injury. Rocks, discarded cigarettes and other debris could injure the eyeball or even cause lost of sight.

If you follow these simple rules pertaining to your dog's eyes, they should have no apparent problems and have healthy eyes for life.

Article by Robert Nelson of  Oh My Dog Supplies- the online source for raised dog bowls