# Help with Eye Drops



## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

Cali has a pink eye and has to have drops in both eyes twice a day. I've only done it three times and it is turning into a major battle. She wiggles, buries her head, closes her eyes and generally fights as hard as she can to get away. I just keep at it until I get the drops in but it takes quite a while and I have to physically restrain her harder than I'd like. When I eventually get them in, I reward her with some peanut butter and lots of praise but she is pretty stressed by it. Does anyone have any suggestions or tricks for getting the drops in faster so this isn't as traumatic for her?


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

Use the baseball hold. Your 4th finger and thumb (of your non-dominant hand) around the top of the neck on the points of the atlas. Stretch the upper eyelid up with your index finger. Hold the eye drops in your dominant hand with your index finger and thumb. Use your middle finger of your dominant hand to pull the lower lid down and dispense the drops. Then pop a treat in her mouth.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

I'm pretty clumsy with it. I think speed is the answer. My guy got some grooming product in his eyes and I have to keep irrigating them tonight. So I took a video for you 

http://youtu.be/a5Sg7BLuDZU


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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

caroline, do you know if the drops are actually an irritant (cause actual discomfort) or whether it is the circumstance of having them administered that is causing the ruckus ? If the former, you will probably need a forceful method akin to what tortoise has described (and I can't be of any help). If the latter, time, patience and conditioning will work.

I administered drops to Rain's eyes twice daily for almost a year, while waiting to see if her Entropion would resolve without surgery (it didn't ...). I turned the administration of drops into a love session that also included an eye cleaning and face wash with treats. So there was alot of petting and talking (and patience & treats). She so looks forward to this that she insists on it still, though it is no longer necessary. So she lays on the bed with her head in my lap and gets her eyes and face done, and I can give her a pretty good facial/ear exam with lots of chin scratches and neck rubs interspersed, and, sometimes, a drop of Genteal Gel in each eye, because she likes it ...


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## vicky2200 (Feb 14, 2012)

Dakota has pink eye too! Only, he is getting drops 3x a day. He is OK about it, in the sense that it is doable. However, he turns his head and squeezes his eyes shut. Sometimes it is easiest to have someone else help me hold him still. I don't have any real suggestions, just letting you know your not alone.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

I assumed it was a 10 day thing. Just git er done.  But if it will be ongoing, making it rewarding is better.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would go for the click-and-treat love fest approach, even if it is just for a few days. It will save you time in the long run, if she ever needs medication in the future. 

She is probably hiding the moment you reach for the bottle now, so I would try several sessions of treats, and handling her head and touching around her eyes. Then a break. Then treat for touching with the bottle, lid still on. Another break. If you are lucky, by the time you get to time for the next application, she will already be more relaxed - especially if you keep the treats coming through the whole process.

It may also be easier to do one eye at a time, at least at first, and wait a few hours before doing the second eye.


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## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

Thanks to everyone for all the great ideas! 

Tortoise, you're right and it's actually only 7 days, thank goodness! Your video is very impressive , now if only Cali would stand still so I could actually get that baseball hold on her. LOL She's 6 months old and the word "stay" isn't reliably in her vocabulary yet! 

This morning I put her in a corner so she couldn't back away, stuck my knee under her head so she couldn't duck it down and then attempted to apply the baseball hold to get the drops in. Sounds pretty awful when I write it down but it was probably kinder than me physically holding her down to get the drops in. I kept matter of fact about it and rewarded like crazy with treats and attention when it was done. 

fjm, she is not usually bothered by my handling her head or wiping her eyes. In fact, I can tap all around her eye with the closed bottle while feeding treats and she doesn't mind at all. As soon as the drops are in, she happily allows me to wipe away any gunk the drops have flushed out. It is the moment when she sees the bottle close to her open eye that freaks her out. I'll try rewarding just for letting me open her eye and see if that helps at all. It would be nice to get through this without the struggle.

nu2poodles, I don't think the drops themselves are irritating. Once they are in, she doesn't rub her eyes or scratch at them or do anything that would suggest her eyes are irritated. 

vicky2200, thanks for the sympathy. LOL Much appreciated.  I'm single so I don't have anyone else here on a regular basis to help with the job.

Time to make some more weiner treats and see if I can get a bit of desensitizing done and, if that doesn't work, then I'm going to have to get them in any way I can and just "git er done". Her eyes are already looking 100% better.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

Is it restraining if the dog is not resisting? 

Try having her sit (insert treats). Swing a leg over her so your knees are on her shoulders and you are facing the same way she is, pull her chin up. (no treats, but stroke her jaw and throat). Eye drops quick then lots of treats and praise). This is an effective restraint that is used in vet clinics everywhere (minus the treats). It works great if you can sit her butt in a corner so she can't scoot backwards.


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## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

I might need a YouTube video for this one! LOL I can't picture it at all. 

Also, would this work on a 10 lb mpoo puppy? I know, I know, the way I've been carrying on you probably thought I was fighting with a 50 lb spoo! LOL Honestly, I think that would be easier, I never had these struggles with my Rotties.....of course, they were never as stubborn and determined as this little piece of fluff is turning out to be!


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

Oh, nevermind. She's too small for that.

OK, you can try this. Have her lie down and give her a big pile of treats so she stays for a second. Kneel over her (one knee on each side) and tuck your toes together behind her. Do not put any weight down on her body! You're making a cage with your body. She can't stand up or back out. If you want her to like eye drops, this would be a time for high-reward treats. It might look bad, but there's no reason why she can't be happy and relaxed in this position. This time hold her head under her jaw so she can't bounce her head around and get stressed out. Put the eye drops in and then lots of treats!

I use this when a dog is getting more and more stressed out and ther other staff are too busy to help. It's kinder than allowing the dog to be panicked or by not restrained effectively, get injured (or miss medication).

Restraint is not bad. Restraint is good. A dog can be taught to be happy with restraint. (A leash is restraint and we're good at teaching dogs to accept and enjoy it.)


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## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

I have no problem with restraint, sometimes it's necessary. All my dogs have been crate trained, happy in an x-pen and had no problem with a leash. I would have been in a whole world of trouble after one of my Rotties had TPLO surgery if she'd never been restrained/confined before!!

I think you've hit my problem right on the head. I just didn't know a good way to keep Cali still while I put the drops in. Trying to physically hold her in place was causing her to get more and more stressed. What you've suggested should keep her in place and leave my hands free to get on with the drops. Hopefully that will get it done faster so as to relieve some of the stress. 

I'll let you know how it goes next round of drops.


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## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

tortoise said:


> It might look bad, but there's no reason why she can't be happy and relaxed in this position. This time hold her head under her jaw so she can't bounce her head around and get stressed out. Put the eye drops in and then lots of treats!


Okay, got it done! I used the hold you suggested and backed us both into a corner to ensure she couldn't wiggle out. I got the drops in the fastest yet.  Cali didn't struggle as much as previously so maybe she's getting resigned to it? Or maybe she was so stuffed full of weiner treats, she was too full to move?  Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and the sympathy.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

caroline429 said:


> Okay, got it done! I used the hold you suggested and backed us both into a corner to ensure she couldn't wiggle out. I got the drops in the fastest yet.  Cali didn't struggle as much as previously so maybe she's getting resigned to it? Or maybe she was so stuffed full of weiner treats, she was too full to move?  Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and the sympathy.


Yay! Keep the treats coming! Make sure she gets extra reward for her good behavior.  If you're rewarding her enough it will get easier every time. 

Which reminds me I have to go put some goup in my dogs eyes. 3x per day until the cloudiness is gone.


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## lunamarz_31 (Nov 15, 2010)

caroline429 said:


> Cali has a pink eye and has to have drops in both eyes twice a day. I've only done it three times and it is turning into a major battle. She wiggles, buries her head, closes her eyes and generally fights as hard as she can to get away. I just keep at it until I get the drops in but it takes quite a while and I have to physically restrain her harder than I'd like. When I eventually get them in, I reward her with some peanut butter and lots of praise but she is pretty stressed by it. Does anyone have any suggestions or tricks for getting the drops in faster so this isn't as traumatic for her?


oh my, I am having the same problem! I have to give my girl drops 3x a day, and she fights so hard I am worried I am going to poke her eye!
My husband has mastered the trick, he gently pets, inspects each eye, and touches her face until she gets annoyed and distracted. And then...unsuspectingly, he puts a drop! I should make him do that every day. Thankfully, I am 2 days away from being done! :amen:


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## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

Yesterday was Cali's last day for the drops.:biggrin1: Of course, she was quite well-behaved about having them put in. :rolffleyes: 

I suspect you won't hurt your pup. Cali struggled really hard at first but I just persevered and rewarded big time afterwards. In the end, I found that sitting in a kneeling position on the ground and backing her inbetween my legs, letting her sit up, worked best for her. I faced her forward and kind of gently held her in place with my legs which left both hands free to hold her head and administer the drops. 

Each day she struggled a little less. I know she was scared when I first started because I could feel her little heart beating very fast, but by last night, her heart rate didn't even go up. I guess she must have figured out it wasn't going to hurt and that there'd be a jackpot of treats afterwards. Good luck with your last two days. :smile:


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## lunamarz_31 (Nov 15, 2010)

caroline429 said:


> Yesterday was Cali's last day for the drops.:biggrin1: Of course, she was quite well-behaved about having them put in. :rolffleyes:
> 
> I suspect you won't hurt your pup. Cali struggled really hard at first but I just persevered and rewarded big time afterwards. In the end, I found that sitting in a kneeling position on the ground and backing her inbetween my legs, letting her sit up, worked best for her. I faced her forward and kind of gently held her in place with my legs which left both hands free to hold her head and administer the drops.
> 
> Each day she struggled a little less. I know she was scared when I first started because I could feel her little heart beating very fast, but by last night, her heart rate didn't even go up. I guess she must have figured out it wasn't going to hurt and that there'd be a jackpot of treats afterwards. Good luck with your last two days. :smile:


Thanks caroline! Glad to hear you are through with Cali's "routine". Muffin is getting better, she doesn't fight so hard anymore, probably because she knows it doesn't hurt her, she's more scared by something going into her eye. One more day, and I'm done!


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