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Eye Infections in Dogs
Preventing and Treating Eye Infections in Dogs
How to Prevent Eye Infections
You can help prevent eye infections by incorporating proper eye care into your regular dog grooming. Use clean cotton balls moistened with lukewarm water to gently wipe away dirt and muck that naturally gathers around the eye and can contain harmful bacteria. Use a new cotton ball for each eye to avoid spreading an infection.
How to Treat Eye Infections
If you suspect your dog has an eye infection, take him to a veterinarian, who may prescribe an eyedrop medication.
To safely administer eyedrops to a dog, lay him on his side. Make him calm and comfortable by petting him and praising him. Gently restrain the dog's snout with one hand and hold the eyedropper with the other. Rest the side of the hand with the eyedropper on the dog's forehead while you drop the medicine under his lower eyelid. It's important to keep that hand firmly on your dog's forehead so that it will move with his head if he jerks away. Otherwise, you could accidentally poke him in the eye.
You can use cotton balls moistened in a sterile eye solution such as artificial tears to remove the crusty discharge on your dog's eyelids.
Sources
Fogle, Bruce. "Natural Dog Care." Dk Pub, 1999. (April 18, 2011)
http://books.google.com/books?id=30dWAAAAYAAJ
Shojai, Amy. "The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats." Rodale, 2001. (April 18, 2011)
http://books.google.com/books?id=LIZ-gkLeXEkC
WebMD. "Conjunctivitis in Dogs." (May 23, 2011)
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/conjunctivitis-dogs
WebMD. "Healthy Dogs: Symptoms of Eye Problems." (April 18, 2011)
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dog-eye-problems-symptoms
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