My 21 week old pup has had conjunctivitis three times now. She is on her third lot of eye drops which have to be administered three times a day . It is a nightmare getting the drops in and I think this is the problem. When she was given the second lots of drops I was advised to use the tube for 5 days but she went short of 3 doses because I ran out owing to getting more on her face than in her eye. I am on my own with my 11 yr old son to help (when he's here) but even when he helps it is still so difficult. In fact, twice different vets have given a dose and found it a struggle. I try to do it when she is really sleepy and lying on me but she twists her head from side to side (don't blame her) and I never know if I'm getting enough in. I asked one vet if there was anything else I could give but he said antibiotics for eyes are best given in the eye. I know it's a long shot but has anyone else had this experience and found a way to administer eye drops and actually get them in the eye?. I'm beginning to feel at the end of my tether. Thanks
I found it a 2-person job at first when Coco had conjunctivitis. One person has to concentrate on holding his head (and body) still. It's not too bad then. Coco got a really high value treat after each treatment. Have you tried being the one holding her while your son administers the drops? - I think that's the easier task for him to do. Towards the end of the course, I could manage single handedly - I would get the tube and the treat out together, and he would sit still enough and allow me to put them in.
I have not had a problem so maybe my dogs were easy. But here's what I do. I give treats in the bathroom. For eye drops we go to the bathroom and I close the door. I sit on the tub with dog between my knees, facing away from me. My legs and knees wrap around front of him to help hold him. I approach the eye from above and behind, left hand opening the lid, right hand dropping in liquid or smearing ointment. Left hand quickly giving treat. I'd start all of this without the drops or ointment first. Good luck.
Ask your vet for antibiotic eye GEL. You put some gel on your finger and smear the gel on the lids and into the eye. We also couldn't get the drops in. The gel was difficult at first but once I got the hang of it, it was far less traumatic for me and my dog. I asked the vet to show me his technique - he said to move the whole head. Hah! Easier said than done. He approached from behind and basically moved the upper eyelid and all the skin on the head back in a single move. I never really managed that. But Snowie trusted me and tried his best to cooperate while also instinctively holding his eye tightly shut! I just made cooey-coo sounds and tried to be as gentle as possible and we eventually got the gel in (wasted a fair amount!).
I get the dog to sit, stand over his back so I can clamp him between my knees, pull the lower eyelid down away from the eye and drop the drops or gel on the inside, let go of eyelid and it flips back against the eye delivering the meds. If you pull the bottom eyelid back you've got a much larger target for the drops and you can keep the bottle above the eye so the dog doesn't shy away or you accidentally poke him in the eye with it. That's how I was taught to use eyedrops on myself by the hospital. Hope this makes sense.
Luna has needed drops and she almost immediately became seriously head-shy because of it. So I've gone for a two-pronged approach of training her to lift her head up while the bottle approaches - but without administering drops yet at this stage (this is training for later life), and when I do need to do the drops, I distract her with a tube of Primula cheese. I find this the easiest way to angle her head for a while, but she is getting wise to it and moves her head back and forth now.
Thank you so much everyone for taking the time to reply. Really helpful advice. Primula cheese, here I come!
This will sound weird my OH works with kids who have serious eye problems. The have been so institutionalised by the time he sees the that you just can't get eye drops in. they see a doctor and they freak. One of the things they do is let them close their eyes then they drop it in the eyelash line were the eye lids meet. When the kid opens the eyes the drop often goes in. It doesn't work unless the heads at an angle but I have done it with Rory with some success . Oh can usually get eye drops in any eye., but even he struggled with Rory
That's good advice, @SwampDonkey, and I do the same if I can. Willow and Shadow are both good with drops, I think because at the times they've needed them, they gave instant relief. But they will still sometimes instinctively close their eye. It still goes in though, if you get it on the split, or on the inside corner.
I live in town somewhat close to my vet and I dropped in for a few days twice a day and let them do the drops. I could watch the professionals and try it when my baby was somewhat used to the routine. Hubby was out of town and this was so much less stressful than me trying alone. Funny part.... Used the same technique on my nephews real live child a few months later. Lol!
