A Detailed Guide to Eye Care Methods for Healthy Dogs

--For routine protection of the eye area, always check for eye discharge; when there is discharge, have the dog close its eyes and clean it off with a wet wipe or damp cotton swab. If both eyes are tearful, there may be problems such as ingrown eyelashes, and a veterinarian should be consulted. If the eye discharge differs from the usual transparent or dry brownish kind, or if the conjunctiva (the white part of the eyes) of both eyes is reddened, or the cornea (the dark part of the eyes) has white spots or damage, seek medical attention immediately.

--Short-nosed dogs are prone to protruding eyes, which creates pressure on the nasolacrimal duct, causing breeds such as the Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Pug, and Pekingese to constantly have two long brown streaks on the part of the eyes near the nose. White Poodles, Maltese, and Bichon Frise are also prone to this phenomenon. If the eyes themselves show no abnormality, simply trim away the stained brown hair and wipe dry frequently; but if the condition is severe, see a veterinarian promptly and do not casually buy eye drops to apply on your own. Many steroid-containing eye drops, when used for a long time, can easily lead to glaucoma, so caution is essential.

--Some dogs with large eyeballs and high tear gland secretion, such as the Pekingese, Chihuahua, Shih Tzu, and Poodle, often have a large amount of tears flowing from the inner corner of the eye, staining the coat and affecting appearance, so the eyes should be checked frequently. When dogs develop certain infectious diseases (such as canine distemper, etc.), especially when suffering from eye diseases, the eyelids often become red and swollen, and a large amount of mucus or purulent discharge accumulates in the inner corner of the eye; at this time the eyes need careful treatment and care.

--The method is to use a 2% boric acid cotton ball (cool boiled water may also be used) to gently wipe from the inner corner of the eye outward; do not wipe back and forth on the eye. If one cotton ball is not enough, use another, until the eye is wiped clean. After wiping clean, instill eye drops or apply eye ointment into the dog's eye to eliminate inflammation.

--Some dogs, such as the Shar-Pei, often have excessive wrinkles on the head that cause their eyelashes to grow inward. Ingrown eyelashes can irritate the eyeball, causing blurred vision, conjunctival inflammation, and corneal opacity in dogs. For this, a veterinarian should be asked to perform surgery to remove part of the eyelid (similar to human double eyelid cosmetic surgery), but if the surgery is not done well, the eyelid may fail to cover the eye socket, or even expose the eyeball. A simple method is to pluck out the ingrown eyelashes with tweezers. Ingrown eyelashes in Shar-Pei are hereditary, so when buying a Shar-Pei, besides checking its bloodline clearly, you should also find out whether its parents have the defect of ingrown eyelashes.