Didn’t I just wipe them?
This seems to be one of those issues people don’t realize they have until it’s already gone too far. I’d like to bring this onto your pup parent radar and let you know there are some very easy things that you can do to help your baby out!
All dogs get them at some point, to some degree. Eye boogers are similar to mats in that if you don’t take care of them, they will only get worse. Some dogs indeed have a seemingly constant ball of goop in the corner of their eye even after it was wiped away a few minutes earlier!
*First and foremost if you notice excessive discharge and/or staining it is important to get it looked at by a vet. There are various medical reasons ranging from benign to things that require immediate attention as to why this would happen.
Once you’ve taken that important step, there are some very simple things you can do to help your dogs’ eyes stay clear and clean at home.
Wipe them daily
Use a warm damp wash cloth and gently wipe away any discharge around your dog’s eyes. This easy and effective step is probably the most important for preventing eye boogers from getting out of hand.
Keep the hair around your dogs’ eyes trimmed short
Your groomer can help you keep the corners of your dog’s eyes short as well as the hair above their eyes and to not collect any of the goop in their hair. Please do not attempt to cut the hair close to your dog’s eyes at home!
*Pro tip:
This may not be a popular position, but it is a safe one for your dog. Ditch the long eyelashes! Are they cute?? Absolutely. Do they perpetuate issues for dogs that already have eye problems? Very often, yes.
Be consistent
If it gets to the point where the discharge has clumped together and hardened in the corners of your dog’s eyes, it can be dangerous and painful to remove them. The skin underneath is often very tender, irritated, and sometimes infected. It is simply a part of dog ownership to stay on top of the eye situation as to not allow it to become a serious problem for your dog.