Dog eye boogers come in a few colours and consistencies. But generally they transform from being liquid-ish to forming a hard crust.
Boogers are a result of our doggo’s eyes filtering out dust and external particles which irritates their eyes as they stick their snoots into nooks and crevices out of curiosity.
Hence, a routine cleaning of their eyes to remove eye boogers would keep the region clean and reduce the odds of them contracting an eye infection.
If you never tried to clean your dog’s eyes safely and properly, no worries! Our experts at Petchef are here to help you out.
Soft Boogers
If you spot some hanging around the eyelids of your doggo, simply:
- Moisten a washcloth, sponge, or cotton ball with room-temperature water.
- Very firmly but gently wipe the area around the eye to loosen and remove the gunk.
- Repeat the process until the area is clean. Use a clean cloth or an area of the cloth every time you’re going in for a wipe.
Be careful not to over soak the cloth either as it may feel soggy and cause your doggo to be in discomfort and unhappy about the cleaning.
Another option would be to use pre-moistened dog-friendly wipes as the ingredients are ensured to be safe for usage and there’s no risk of over soaking the material.
However, if the booger that you’ve been working at for the past minute doesn’t seem to smear off and appears to be stuck to your doggo’s fur, you might have a curious case of the
Crusty Boogers
If you’re lucky, they may have shaped themselves into a ball, hanging on by a thin thread of fur surrounding the eye. These boogers could be removed with a dog eye comb.
But if they appear to have glued themselves onto your doggo, a simple wipe and comb may not do the trick.
Here are some ways to soften that dried stubborn booger:
- Gently pressing a warm flannel or soft washcloth on your dog’s eye
- Use a vet prescribed doggy eye-drop or booger treatment that has ingredients to soften and flush out your dog’s eye booger safely and effectively
Once they’ve softened, a dog eye comb can be used to dislodge the gunk. Be careful to only use as much force necessary, gently but firmly so as to not hurt or make your doggo feel uncomfortable.
Boogers In the Eye
Whether it’s dry eye boogers, mucous or a foreign particle being stuck in ours and our dog’s eyes, it can get really uncomfortable. In this scenario, saline solution or dog-friendly eye drops may be your best bet for cleaning your dog’s eyes.
To apply eye drops to your doggo:
- Gently pry open your dog’s eyelids with your fingers
- Use at least a few drops or a stream of solution to gently flush their eyes
- Allow them to blink and/or shake their head before tackling the other eye.
What Not To Do
As the eyes are a very sensitive area of a doggo’s face, you should avoid using:
- Too much force when cleaning as you might risk injuring your dog’s eye when they squirm out of discomfort
- Paper towels and napkins as these materials easily disintegrate and may end up getting stuck in their fur or end up in their eye socket
- Shampoos or soaps near your dogs eyes as it may cause irritation and damage their eyes
- Non-dog-friendly products as it may irritate their eyes and worsen the problem
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Ideally your doggo’s eyes should be gently wiped daily or whenever a booger appears, to avoid a build up.
Should you notice a sudden increase in amounts of eye discharge or boogers being produced, simply stay calm and ring up your vet.
