How to Clean Gunk from Your Dog's Eyes

Determining the Cause of Your Dog’s Eye Discharge

Visit your vet. If your dog has gunk or discharge draining from her eyes, you first need to make sure it’s not a sign of a serious health problem. Make an appointment with your veterinarian to determine the cause of the discharge before addressing the problem on your own. While you should evaluate your dog for symptoms, you should never rely on your own assessment of the problem. Take notes on your dog’s symptoms and bring them with you to the vet visit. If it appears something is lodged in your dog’s eye, visit the emergency vet immediately.

Consider your dog’s breed. Brachycephalic breed breeds including pugs, bulldogs, boxers, and Pekingese are more likely to have eye discharge because of their flat faces, protruding eyes, and shallow eye sockets, and can suffer from issues with tear drainage and/or eyelids that don’t function properly. Saint Bernards, terriers, beagles, cocker spaniels, and bloodhounds have loose skin on their faces and, as a result, have eyelids that are more likely to roll outward. These breeds are also more susceptible to cherry eye, a condition where the gland in your dog’s eyelid slips out of its original position. If your dog has a furry face or a beard, resist the temptation to clean it every day. This may actually cause infections.

Figure out if your dog has epiphora. Excessive tearing, or epiphora, can result in stained, stinky, and/or infected fur and skin. If your pooch’s eyes are watery and teary, she could have epiphora. There are many conditions that cause epiphora, including allergies, ulcers on your dog’s cornea, inflammation, abnormal eyelashes, tumors, glaucoma, and poor drainage of the eye by the tear ducts. If you think your dog is suffering from epiphora, take her/him to see the vet as soon as possible.

Determine if your dog has conjunctivitis. If your dog has yellow or green pus, mucus, or watery discharge draining from her eyes, it could be a sign that she is suffering from conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is when the lining of your dog’s eye becomes inflamed. It can be caused by a number of factors including allergies, distemper, tumors, injury, birth defects, dry eye, tear duct problems or foreign matter. If your dog is showing symptoms of conjunctivitis, take her to the vet immediately.

Screen your dog for dry eye. If your dog’s eye discharge is sticky and persistent, dry eye could be the culprit. Mucus and inflammation are characteristics of dry eye in dogs. Dry eye can be caused by injury to the tear-producing gland, autoimmune response, or distemper. If your dog has dry eye, she is at serious risk for infection and/or ulcers on her cornea. If it looks like your dog is suffering from dry eye, make an appointment with her vet to get to the root of the issue and prevent future problems like infection.

Cleaning Your Dog’s Eye with a Damp Cloth

Keep your dog calm. While most dogs will be okay with you cleaning gunk from their eyes, others might not. If your dog is especially sensitive, try cleaning her eyes with the help of another person. Have someone with whom the dog is familiar hold your pet while you clean the dog’s eyes.

Wet a clean washcloth or sponge. If your dog’s eye discharge isn’t caused by a serious medical condition like epiphora or conjunctivitis, you can clean the gunk with a damp, soft cloth or sponge. Using water that is at room temperature, wet the cloth and wring it out so it remains damp but is not overly saturated. Avoid using extremely hot or cold water as this can cause further irritation in your dog’s eyes. Don’t use a napkin or paper towel as both can disintegrate when wet and leave harmful bits of paper in your pooch’s eyes.

Remove the eye gunk with soft strokes. Using the moistened washcloth or sponge, gently clean the discharge from your dog’s eyes using several gentle strokes. If necessary, you can rinse and wring the cloth between strokes.

Don’t use soap or shampoo. In the majority of cases, you should not use any type of detergent, soap, or shampoo when cleaning gunk from your dog’s eyes. This can cause irritation for your pet. Instead, you should stick to water and avoid cleansers altogether.

Clean your dog’s eyes with a sterile pet eye solution. If your pet is suffering from a chronic or serious condition that causes excessive eye discharge, your vet may recommend using sterile pet eyewash to clean your dog’s eye. Gently moisten the cotton ball or pad with the solution, taking caution to not soak it. Start at the inner corner of the eye and wipe outward. Use a new cotton ball or pad for each eye, as using the same one for both eyes can spread bacteria, viruses, and infection between the two eyes.

Preventing Eye Problems

Don’t let your dog hang her head out the window of your car. While it might seem like a whole lot of fun, allowing your dog to ride along with her head hanging out the window can be a recipe for disaster. The resulting wind can blow debris in your dog’s eyes, which can in turn cause irritation or even an infection.

Keep your pet’s eyes and face clean. The fur surrounding your dog’s eyes can be a hotbed for bacteria and viruses, which can quickly turn into an infection. Make sure you bathe your dog regularly and clean her eyes using either a damp cloth or a sterile pet eyewash.

Trim the hair around your dog’s eyes. Keeping the hair around your dog’s eyes clipped can help prevent irritation and the proliferation of disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Have someone familiar with the dog hold her while you use blunt nosed scissors to trim the hair. If your dog is not comfortable with this, do not try it at home. Instead take her to your veterinarian for eye grooming.