How to clean a blind senior Shih Tzu's eyes when he resists?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Something that I have used that has worked great in the past is using peanut butter which makes them focus on that and get distracted. I think this is something that would work great for you to use for Hershey. You can put it in his lip area and should give you enough time to clean his eye discharge. Good luck and have a great day!

I recommend cleaning this daily with a hot warm cloth to remove the discharge. Then when you have the area clean apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on the area below the eyes. That will help heal the skin and stop the discharge from sticking to the skin and fur. I would have Babygurl's eyes checked by your veterinarian. This looks like she has dry eyes, which is a decrease in normal tear production. With this condition the eye discharge is thick and sticky like this. There is medication for dry eyes which will increase the tear production. Dry eyes can be painful and she may irritate the corneas causing reduced vision without treatment, so please have her checked soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Babygurl.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. There is quite a bit of dry discharge around that left eye. Based on the pictures, I suspect that Willow may have an eye infection or dry eye. I would recommend having Willow examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. She may need antibiotic eye drops / ointment or dry eye medication. I would recommend that the vet stains her eye and checks to see if she has dry eye by using a Schirmer Tear Test. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. If this is a new symptom, or a worsening of an earlier condition, or if the discharge is associated with facial rubbing or pawing at the eyes, and there is any redness to the sclera ( whit part of the eye ) then you should have Molly examined by your veterinarian at your earliest convenience. Molly may have allergies, an infection or a condition called dry eye that all require a different treatment. It is best to know exactly what the problem is so that the correct treatment can be started. The sooner the better because if serious enough, some eye conditions can lead to serious pain & discomfort as well as loss of vision. I hope you can have her seen soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If you just need to remove the eye discharge, you can put warm water on a cotton ball and gently wipe the inside corner of the eye. If the discharge quickly returns or you notice discharge in the eye as well, you can use any sterile saline eye wash made for humans. If the discharge is not resolving after a couple of day or is getting worse at any point, then I would have your veterinarian recheck the eye and determine if any medication is needed to resolve the problem. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. This looks like a serious infection of the skin due to the matting of the eye discharge under the eye. Honestly, he will probably need oral antibiotics to clear this up so I really recommend you take him to a vet for an exam. Especially if the discharge from the eye has increased. In the meantime while waiting for an appointment you can use this eye gel in the eye AND on that raw spot, 3 - 4 times per day. You must be extremely careful with what type of products you use around the eye and many human eye medications are not appropriate to use in animals. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-pet-eye-gel-for-dogs-3-fl-oz-3760339 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Red or inflamed eyes and discharge can be indicative or irritation or infection, or a condition called dry eye. Shih Tzu's are unfortunately prone to many eye problems, just based on the conformation of their faces. Chloe may have an aberrant eyelash that could be irritating the cornea, or she could have a bacterial or viral infection affecting her eye. Dry eye is a condition characterized by inadequate tear production, so the eyes dry out and excessive mucoid discharge is produced to try to lubricate the eyes. If her clinical signs do not resolve in 24 hours, I recommend having Chloe seen by a veterinarian. They can perform an ocular exam to look closely for evidence of distichia (abnormal eyelashes), a cornea scratch or ulcer, infection, or decreased tear production. I hope this is helpful!