I got a cry for help from a dog-owner recently. They had to administer eye drops to their little dog, who is normally happy to be handled all over.
But the very sight of the eye dropper caused him to snap and growl - quite out of character for this fellow.
So here are some suggestions I gave them - that you may find useful if you’re struggling to give ear or eye drops to your frightened dog!
Ideally, get him used to funny interventions in advance of actually needing them. You can pretend to give eye drops or ear meds, doing everything bar actually putting anything in the eye. Make it fun and rewarding - with treats to follow, and a toy game if your dog likes that.
If you do this regularly, your dog will be quite happy to put up with this strange behaviour.
In the photos on this page you can see Coco keen and happy to get his anti-inflammatory meds. This happened because of careful desensitisation round meds, droppers, syringes, and the rest. No restraint needed!
2. If the drops appear to sting his eye, see if your vet can prescribe something more gentle.
3. If it’s permitted, ensure the bottle is warm, or at least the load in the dropper is at room temperature, so your dog doesn’t get the shock of cold liquid in his eyes.
4. Use a muzzle, or a fabric lead or soft scarf round his snout for a moment. If you’re alone, drop the scarf over the nose, cross it under the chin and tie behind the head. Be quick! And If you have a helper, ensure that one of you holds the ends tight while the other QUICKLY drops in the drops, being sure not to touch the eyeball. You can pull up the eyebrow (not the lid) to give you plenty of space to drop.
My enquirer also chose to wrap her dog in his customary after-bath towel so he felt cuddled and warm. And this and the scarf method worked perfectly, with no distress to their dog.
5. This is a time for breaking out the Class A stuff - fresh or dried sprats, cheese, sausage - leave your dog with the happiest memory of the intervention.
6. If all else fails, ask if you can get the vet nurse to administer the drops so that you’re not the bad guy!
You’ll want to follow much the same steps for ear meds. I always favour powder rather than wet stuff in the ears, with all the unpleasant noise that can make. I use Thornit (which you can readily get from Amazon) and that’s also brilliant for drying up hot spots and wet patches.
It’s great that we can get help for our dogs so easily these days. If you have to administer something, be sure to get a lesson from the vet or nurse before you leave the surgery. Ask them to show you in slow motion!
And start a program of desensitising your dog to all this right away - before you need it!
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