NEED HELP WITH DROPS

[LarryL]

So about 2-3 weeks ago Oliver woke up with some goop in his right eye. Since the color of it was yellow, I brought him to the vet to check it out. The vet gave me a choice of drops or ointment. He said ointment was much harder, so I opted with the drops.

We are supposed to give it to him 3 times a day.

This is where our nightmare begins!!

It is literally impossible for us to do it.

He just wont let us. We've tried almost EVERYTHING!

From 3 times a day, we're lucky if we can do 1 drop a week.

We did manage a few drops the first few days, and it cleared up a bit - but we are no where close to doing 3x a day for 4-5 days.

And every day he wakes up with a little of that yellow goop in his eye.

Its not nearly as much as it was when we took him to the vet, but none the less, it's there.

I can't help but feel like a bad doodle parent for not being able to give him his meds.

Any advice, tips or secrets you can share??

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Ohh, poor puppy and how frustrating for you! Maybe the ointment would have been easier cause you have more opportunity to mush it in there. Does he have a blocked duct? My son had that and we had to use warm washcloths, wiping gently from the outer end toward the nasal corner of the eye. Sort of massaging out the yellow goop. I wish you luck!

[Kylee]

My Willow has the same thing, and it is so annoying with the drops. She kept waking up with green goop in her eye so I too took her to the vet to get it checked out. I opted for the drops as well and I only do like two drops in her right eye once a day. I just sit on the floor with her and have her lay down, then I hold her head down with my left hand and hold her eye open with the left hand as well. Then with my right hand I put the drops in, but it is never easy and she always moves. I think I get more on her face then in her eye. The only other way I do it is to have my boyfriend hold her head still and put them in real quick. Either way she hates it, I wish there was a pill I could give her.

[LarryL]

The doc didnt mention anything regarding a blocked eye duct.

I do wipe it with a cloth, but thats just to get the goop out right, thats not a solution to the problem.

My wife and I try to hold him down, but it doesn't work.

He wriggles too much, and goes crazy.

what do we do!?!?!?

I don't want him to live with this for ever.

[Brenda Updike]

I feel for you, I had to give Willow a pill for a possible  UTI she had the symptoms but the urine test came back neg but he still wanted to give her meds ,I think trying to judge the amount of water to give them is why her pee is a darker yellow ,so I upped their water and did not give the meds ,I don't like giving medication unless it's necessary so after the experience of  1 pill  you would have thought I was killing her, I tried putting it in food she picked the pill out!

Maybe the drops sting and that's why he doesn't want them , maybe try the ointment and do it when he is calm and give him treats as he sits still he might not think it's so bad.

[Elaine Allen]

Our Oliver had the same thing..........I used a warm tissue to softer it and while doing that tried to do the ointment as it also softens it.......it cleared up in a couple of wks.............but never did get it in like it was ordered..they need to make a pill for this!! I think vets do know it cant happen......................drove me nuts...............good luck...warm tissue will atleast feel good to him while you try.....which is what I found out...............................................the hard way...........maybe its a puppy thing...................

[John Wang]

Try distracting them with treats, chew toys or tug of war. Basically get their head tilted up, then have at it with the drops. My puppy's eyes get huge when we're playing tug of war, so you'd just lift upwards so his eyes are up, then quickly try to get a drop in before they start shaking their head wildly to win.

I had to blow-dry Boomer's cast because I caught him licking at it late at night, so I distracted him with a fist full of crushed up (seriously, it was like sand/pebble consistency, this is important to make it last longer.. each fistful should last a good minute if you keep a tight hold of it) treats (he gets REALLY excited with warm air from a blow dryer and starts freaking out when it goes on his cast). He'll lick at my hand nonstop and ignore the warm air, keeping him completely still. Warning, it's extremely gross because the powdered treat and the dog's saliva create a horrible slimy paste haha.

Maybe you can try doing that  with Oliver? (Make sure he is sitting, then let him access the treats little by little through the opening in your fist at your pinky.. then slowly move your hand until it's over his head and he's forced to tilt his head up. While he's distracted, put in a few drops. He might jerk at first but hey, he's got treats right there so he shouldn't go anywhere.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

IF it is caused by a blocked tear duct (blockage = buildup = infection) then the massage in that direction will help "milk out" the goop and get it flowing again. Yes meds help the bacterial infection, but if the infection was caused by structural issue, then go to the root of the cause, IMHO... Sorry If I grossed you out, lol!

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

We had a bought with eye drops I don't remember now what for? It got to the point just entering the room where the drops resided was all it took for her to take off running and she would hide in another room or outside. Our resolution was to wrap her tightly in a towel then my daughter would straddle her body while I administered the drops we only did this twice a day (morning and night). She hated it and us for a while but hasn't had a problem since. After each dosing was lots of love and treats! Good luck, my girl is also NOT a pill taker!

[Rosella T]

I had a dog who was attacked by a Rhodesian Ridgeback when he was 14. His eyeball was punctured and his eyelid was torn. He went blind in that eye and it was very high maintenance for the remaining two years if his life so I became somewhat of an expert with doggy eye care. I had a method for treating the eye. What I did as place a towel on the dryer or any elevated surface like a table. If you are trying to put drops in Oliver's eyes while he's on the floor then you will probably never succeed. Basically I bribed my dog with treats while treating his eye. Use the sit command and the stay command and reward him for that at the beginning of the process. If he gets up or breaks his stay give him a little correction and withhold the treat. It's best to have a leash on him so you can give the correction and then sit him back down.
I'd place the treat in front of the dog's nose with one hand and hold the dropper near his eye with the other. If he's calm give him a treat. Then just keep working your way up to actually putting the drops in his eyes all the while rewarding him with treats when he sits still and let's you do it. Be very calm and soothing. You might need two people to do this at first but it will get better.
It you make this a positive experience for him with the treats you will eventually be successful. My old dog reached the point when he would start licking his lips as soon as he saw me (out of his one good eye) get the towel out.
Best of luck!

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

Shaggy had a very simular issue and finally had to have the tear duct opened.  The vet did have to give Shaggy a mild seditative to relax him then slipped a needle like thing with a thred in the duct to open it. I think the thread was stitched in for a few days to keep it open to drain.  After the stitches were removed he hasn't had a problem with it again.  It's been almost 2 years.

Good luck!!

[Michelle & Ruepunzel]

Rue got "pink eye" after her spay. I opted for the ointment. I felt it would be much easier than the drops. I sat on a chair and had her sit backwards between my legs, kind of holding her hostage, and lifted up her head to put the ointment in. She would wiggle but the ointment would go in and if it was around her eye, I'd just wipe it with a cloth and kind of massage it in. Would the vet be willing to let you switch to the ointment? It might be worth a shot to try that out instead.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I'm sorry to hear this, I know how frustrating it must be  (Lucy is very similar with ear drops). If you live close to the vet's office, could you possibly drop in and have one of their techs administer the drops at least a couple times a day? We're lucky in that we live a block away from the vet and we've dropped in on more than one occasion, sometimes just to get a professional opinion regarding an issue. Good luck!