Managing Canine Eye Gunk

Eye gunk seems to be a pretty universal problem, especially for dogs with light colored coats where discoloration is very obvious. Humphrey has had a few inquiries lately, so this post is for those who asked.

Upon the advice of the veterinary ophthalmologist, we follow a fairly simple protocol that works. It requires cleaning at least a couple of times a week (sometimes daily) and a few provisions. We keep the following on hand for Humphrey:

• Cotton pads (the kind you find in a cosmetics department)
• Eye makeup remover (the variety that works on waterproof mascara)
• A glass eyedropper, preferably with a glass bottle, like this one. They are inexpensive in most health food stores
• Sterile eye wash (available at the human pharmacy), such as Optrex
• Plain Vaseline 
• Lubricating eyedrops, such as Systane or Genteal

The first goal is to remove any crusty debris around the eyes - it can be really uncomfortable for a dog! One might  leave any cutting to a groomer, but we have been able to remove most or all of it without resorting to scissors. Once it's clean, you have to be diligent in maintaining to avoid more crust. Here's the procedure we use for removing the crust around Humphrey's eyes:

• Wet several cotton pads with warm water. Use these as a compress on the eyes to soften or loosen any crust. At first, the dog may not love it, but keep trying even if you are only putting the pad on one eye at a time for a couple of seconds. Anecdotally, most dogs come to enjoy a warm compress. Don't press or rub, just let the water penetrate the crust gently.
• Once you have moistened the crust, use either eye makeup remover or Vaseline to get it off. We put eye makeup remover (it removes the brown stains!) on a cotton pad and ever so gently start working on the spot - not pressing hard, and gently wiping, being sure not to get anything into the dog's eye. It usually takes several applications. For Vaseline, I put a dollop on the back of my own hand, and take the  tiniest amounts to work into the gunk with my finger. I usually have to massage the crusted fur to get it in. Eventually, the  debris loosens up, and I wipe it off the excess with water. If there's a lot of debris, I repeat the process over several days. Be patient, take your time, take breaks, and be gentle.
• Once it's cleaned up, I apply a tiny bit of Vaseline to the part of the fur where the debris typically accumulates to prevent any new pieces from drying out and sticking. Humphrey was diagnosed with blepharitis (a chronic inflammation of they eyelids and/or lash line), and an effective treatment (for humans, too!) is to regularly apply the tiniest swipe of Vaseline to the lashline to keep debris from getting into the eye and irritating it. 

While cleaning the eyes, I always check the sclera (whites of eyes). If it looks red or irritated, it could be allergies/blepharitis or the result of a scratch to the cornea. If it is chronic or very inflamed, it may be time to see a vet.

Here's the procedure we use for maintaining Humphrey's eyes once they are cleaned up (though sometimes I slack off and he winds up with more crusty debris!):

• Every day or two, use a cotton pad with warm water to wipe away excess debris. If it is crusty, remember to apply the cotton pad like a compress to loosen the crusted debris
• Gently wipe away loosened debris
• If the eyes seem to need it, we flush with sterile eye wash - BUT we're careful not to do this too often, since over-use of eye wash can dry the eyes out (I'm not sure why!). However, we know that Humphrey's eyes get irritated  during pollen season or when the grass is freshly cut, so  we use it if there's a probability that allergens got in his eye to flush them out before they cause excessive tear production or irritation. 

On a final note, while Humphrey uses Vaseline about 90% of the time, once in a while he gets very expensive (prestige Estee Lauder) human eye cream on the fur under his eyes to keep them clean. It's a little less greasy than Vaseline and is formulated for the eye area. So far, it has not caused problems.

It's a commitment - daily or almost daily - to keep Humphrey's eyes clean. In the end, just wiping them with water is the best preventative process for him - but environmental factors mean that debris leading to the eye gunk is inevitable once in a while.