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This guide is a home-care support tool. It does not replace personalized advice from your veterinarian. For any questions, contact us at 514-223-1197.
Before you start
A little organization saves a lot of hesitation when it is time to aim for the eye.
Check the prescription
Make sure you know, for each product:
- The medication's name.
- The frequency (sometimes 1 to 8 times a day).
- The order of application if there are several products.
- The storage conditions (fridge, away from light).
When in doubt, call us: a team member will walk you through it.
- Plan the day: space the doses out evenly, sometimes even overnight. Agree on a realistic schedule with us.
- Line up help if your pet is restless, has a small face or a short muzzle: a second person makes everything easier.
- Set up in a calm, well-lit spot with everything within reach (medications, clean cotton, treats).
- Wash your hands before handling the eye.
The Elizabethan collar
It is often recommended to stop the pet from rubbing or scratching the eye. For dogs with a medium or long muzzle, you can leave it on during the application. For short muzzles and many cats, it is sometimes easier to remove it just for the treatment, then put it right back.
See the Elizabethan collar guideGetting the medications ready
When there is more than one product, order and timing matter as much as technique.
The order: thinnest to thickest
Always apply products in order of increasing thickness. A thick product applied first would form a film that stops the next one from reaching the eye.
Thinnest solutions and drops
Thicker gels and drops
Ointments (the thickest)
Lubricant
5 to 10 minutes between products
Leave a gap between two medications, for good absorption and so the first is not diluted by the second.
Temperature and shaking
If a product is kept refrigerated, warm the bottle in your hand for 1 to 2 minutes: cold is unpleasant on the eye. For a suspension, shake the bottle if the label says so, and do not leave it open too long.
Giving the medication, step by step
Work gently and confidently. If you can, approach from above the head, out of the pet's line of sight: it will flinch less.
Position your pet
Cats and small dogs: sit and place the pet on your lap or on a table at a comfortable height. Medium to large dogs: position yourself behind it, hindquarters between your knees, to limit backing away.
Steady the head
Rest your non-dominant hand under the chin or around the muzzle to steady the head, and tilt it slightly up to expose the eye.
The drops
Hold the bottle like a pen in your dominant hand. With the edge of your palm, gently lift the upper lid; with a finger of the other hand, lower the lower lid. Place the prescribed amount without the tip touching the eye or lashes.
The ointment
Keep the same hold. Squeeze the tube to lay about 5 mm (¼ inch) of ointment onto the eye surface or the lower lid. Never let the tip touch the eye or lid, to avoid irritation and contamination.
Finishing up
Gently release the head and let your pet blink: the medication spreads on its own. If you removed the Elizabethan collar, put it right back.
After the medication
A few simple steps to finish gently and keep the eye clean.
Clean any discharge
If the eye discharges (black, yellow, or sticky), wipe gently with a clean cloth dampened with warm water, from the inner corner outward. For two eyes, a fresh cotton per eye, so you do not carry the infection across.
Reward
Reward your pet with praise or a small treat. A positive experience makes the next times much easier.
Check the collar
Make sure the Elizabethan collar is in place and not too tight. It should keep your pet from scratching the eye.
Monitoring, and when to call
The treatment usually goes well. Keep an eye out for these situations:
- The other eye starts to redden or discharge: some conditions spread or point to a broader problem.
- Symptoms get worse: more redness, swelling, unusual discharge.
- No improvement despite the treatment.
Is your pet fighting it? Stop.
If your pet resists hard and you risk getting bitten or hurting it, stop. Call us: there are other options (sedation, oral or injectable treatment) and we can show you the technique.
Finish the full course
Keep the treatment going for the entire prescribed duration, even if the eye looks healed before the end. Stopping too soon risks a relapse or the return of symptoms.
Your questions, our answers
The most common situations during an eye treatment.
My pet has discharge in the corner of the eye in the morning. Is that normal?
Can the infection move to the other eye?
I really cannot get the medication in. What should I do?
Tip: keep a log
Write down the date, time, and medication given. It is invaluable when there are several products or several people sharing the care, so no dose gets missed.
Preparation, gentleness, consistency
With the right product order, a calm hold, and a schedule followed to the end, eye medication becomes a routine. Stay tuned to your pet's reactions, reward it, and never hesitate to call us if you get stuck.