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Grooming Around Your Dog’s Eyes

Many of the smaller, long-coated breeds such as the Maltese, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso or any crosses of these, as well several others, will have long facial fur around the eyes and, if not trimmed, will obstruct your dog’s vision.  It is important to keep the eyes clear of this excess fur for health reasons as well as just keeping the dog looking neat and tidy.  This part of the grooming can possibly be the most fiddly and you certainly need to pay close attention to what you are doing, making sure a steady hand with the dog grooming scissors, and a hand to keep the dog’s head as still as possible, will ensure that no injuries occur.   It will be best to take your time with the scissoring, initially, until you have had a little practice and you will find it becomes easier with practice.
Miracle Eyes Oral Supplement for Dogs Vegetarian (4 oz) is the veterinarian-recommended solution to safely reduce tear stains without the use of antibiotics.  Instead of antibiotics, Miracle Eyes utilizes probiotics to create an affordable product with no preservatives. Mitacle eyes granules utilize hyaluronic acid, a component in the eye, to support eye structure. These granules also help by restoring beneficial bateria through the use of probiotics and bioflavonoids. Miracle Eyes works especially well on Smoyeds, Maltese, Bicon Frise breed dogs and on dogs with light-colored fur that are prone to tear stains. Miracle Eyes comes in 2 oz containers and in three palatable flavors. This option is the highly palatable vegan flavor, but there are also chicken and beef options. Don’t let your dog’s eyes tear up ever again- order some Miracle Eyes Tear Stain Reducer today! Key Benefits: Reduces tear stains in dogs Provides essential nutrients and bacteria to the eyes Comes in three palatable flavors: beef, chicken and vegan.

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How to Clean the Gunk Out of the Dog’s Eyes
Before commencing to trim the hair around the dog’s eyes, it is best to clean the gunk from the corners of the eyes.  In some dogs, this accumulates over a period of time so it is important to wipe it away on a regular basis to prevent build-up.  This gunk does not necessarily indicate that there is a problem with the eyes, but possibly caused by a little irritation or over-active tear ducts.  The smaller designer breeds are the ones who tend to suffer from this more so than the larger breeds.

There are a number of products on the market which will assist you with managing this, such as eye wipes and solutions that help break down this build-up, keep the corners of the eye clean plus reduce the tear staining.  Otherwise, simply wet a face washer with some warm water and wipe away.  If there is a hardened lump, just sponge this until it starts to soften and loosen up and then gently ease it off by rubbing.

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The other method of getting rid of eye gunk is to cut it away.  If the lump is extremely large and hardened and has been there for quite some time, then it may be easier to very gently use some scissors to cut it out, however you have to be very careful not to cut or poke the dog in the eye whilst doing this and this could be quite difficult if the dog has a lot of matting around the face.

Once the eyes have been cleaned you are ready to trim the hair.

Dubl Duck Curved Blunt Tip Scissor 6.5 inch

Dubl Duck Curved Blunt Tip Scissor 6.5 inch
from: CherryBrook

The best style we carry for inexperienced groomers or for use in areas like paws and faces:  Handmade carbon steel, 6.5″ long, great for detail work around paws and face.

Check out the range of thinning and blending shears, here at Cherrybrook.com!

 

Trimming the Hair Around the Dog’s Eyes

Trimming the dog’s hair which overhangs the eyes is necessary, not only to allow the dog to have clearer vision, but also to prevent this falling against the eye and causing irritation.  The thickness of the hair on the dog’s nose can also get too long and block the dog’s vision from the corners.  If the dog hair rubs against the eye itself it can create irritation and extra tears to be produced which then builds up into balls of gunk and/or cause a red stained patch from the corner of the eyes.

To firstly trim the hair which overhangs the eyes, brush (or comb) the hair just above the eyes outward from the face and towards the nose.  Face the dog side-on to yourself so that when you hold the scissors naturally they are pointing from one side of the dog’s face to the other and the tip is not pointing towards the dog’s head.  Then, holding a pair of straight edged scissors from one side of the dog’s face, trim the hair in a straight line from above the one eye, across the nose and continue across to above the eye farthest away from you.    Brush the fur out again to check if there is a straight line.  If the line is a bit crooked, trim the fur back until you are happy that it is straight and as short as you want it to be.  If you want to make the dog look cute, you can leave a little bit of length which is not enough to get in the way of the dog’s eyesight but makes the dog look like it has an eyebrow.


Chewy.com has a great range of eye care products to help keep your dog’s eyes clear from tear build-up and stains. Find out more here!

Trimming the Fur From the  Corners of the Eyes

Trimming the fur out of each eye corner can be a little more tricky and definitely requires more steadiness and care.  The fur along the nose bridge can grow quite long, so it is best to regularly trim it back before it gets matted or gets a lot of tear build up.  If left and allowed to build up, hard lumps of this gunk may form right in the corner and can be very difficult to remove.  The lumps can then cause a lot of skin irritation and soreness and redness to the eye corner which is apparent when they are finally removed .  You will need to have steady hand to hold the scissors plus a free hand to hold the dog’s head steady while you cut with the scissors.   A blunt tipped scissor will make it a little safer for the dog, however a thinning scissor leaves a natural look and no straight obvious scissoring lines.

Hold the scissors flat against the skin with the tip as close to the corner of the eye as possible and slowly and gently ease them together to cut the fur.  If you take it slowly you will be able to feel whether you are cutting into the skin and thus be able to stop before this happens.  Hold the scissors flat against the skin at the side of the nose, where the nose and eye meet and trim as close to the skin as possible without cutting into it or the eye.  Once you have scissored in that corner area slowly move the scissors, keeping them flat against the skin, to trim the fur between the eyes and also along the bridge of the nose.  This is where the thinning shears are great – they will allow you to scissor short but there will be no straight scissoring line where you’ve done, it will all blend in and the dog will not look as though he has been scissored.  These thinning scissors are also great for trimming around the rest of the face.

Eye Clear cleansing pads, 90ct

Eye Clear cleansing pads
from: CherryBrook

Soft, safe and gentle. This formula washes eyes, cleans stains, treats infections and breaks down debris. For dogs, cats, birds and horses.

If there is a lump of gunk caused through excess tear build-up in the corners of the eyes then this may be a little more difficult.   Try and get the scissors under the lump and slicing away at the fur being careful not to cut the skin.  You may need to scissor slowly and gently if there is a large solid lump.

The other alternative for dogs with excess tear build-up is to use a warm, wet cloth to soften the lump.  Depending on the severity and the hardness of the lump, will determine how quickly this will take to wipe it away.  By squeezing the water and massaging, the build-up will eventually soften and you will be able to wipe it away.  This will make the scissoring a lot easier.

Hertzko Pet Grooming Scissors Set With Safety Round Tip by Includes Serrated Blade Scissors for Facial Hair Trimming + Regular Shears for Body Fur Trimming – Suitable for Dogs, Cats, and RabbitsNO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT POKING YOUR PET’S SKIN ANYMORE!
– The Hertzko grooming scissors were designed with a SAFETY ROUND TIP which lets you trim SAFELY around your pet’s ear, nose, face, and paw.
GROOMING SET INCLUDES 2 PAIRS OF SCISSORS – a longer scissors with smooth blades for trimming body fur and a smaller scissors with micro-serrated blades for close work on your pet’s face and paws.
What is your risk? Nothing. If our Scissors are not everything that we say it is, and you’re not completely satisfied with it within 30 days of purchase; we will refund every penny of your money, straight away.
Get the Hertzko Grooming Scissors!  You will not regret investing in high quality products!
At Hertzko, Our products are protected by copyright and trademark laws under the U.S. and international law. All rights reserved.
We stand behind our products with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee !

ALTERNATIVELY A SCISSOR SET WILL INCLUDE ALL YOUR SCISSORING REQUIREMENTS

AUGYMER Pet Grooming Scissors Kit, Rounded Tips 5 PCS Curved Pet Grooming Scissors for Cats Dogs Stainless Steel Scissor for Body Face Ear Nose Paw
The pet grooming scissors kit are made from the 9CR13 high carbon stainless steel.
Patented round tips design and hand fit design. Help you build any pet modelling. Better protect your beloved pet and hands.
Fine collocation large scissors for trimming hair at the torso, smaller scissors with micro-serrated blades for closer trimming around the eyes, muzzle and paws. When you groom the pet, it will not hurt the pet’s skin, hair, eyes and other vulnerable parts
High quality muffler pad makes the pet grooming scissor more silent and durable, also your pet will not be as scared as electric clippers.
Compared to the electric pet clippers, these pet grooming scissors do not make a sound, plus handle smaller details (like ears, claws, neck) to help you do whatever you want without hurting your pet.

Tear Stains

Tear stains are reddish/brownish marks found on the inside corner and just below the eyes. These are most often found on animals with light-colored fur as this makes them more visible.  Tear stains are caused by an overflow of tears which then react with normal bacteria found on the skin to produce the darkened color.  Red Yeast is a common culprit in producing tear stains, as this organism, like most fungi, thrives in the warm and damp environment just below your pet’s eyes.  If your dog does having weeping eyes then it is likely that he will develop red/brown tear stains in the corners of the eyes.  Some dogs have light stains while others can be quite dark and thick.  Even regular cleaning of the eyes may not stop the staining from occurring.  There are several products on the market which help to minimize or prevent staining from occurring.  Check out these products below to help reduce and prevent staining!

Eye Envy NR Tear Stain Remover Kit from Chewy.com

Treat your dog’s recurring tear stains with the all-in-one Eye Envy NR Tear Stain Remover Kit for Dogs. This tear stain removal starter kit contains the popular Eye Envy solution, dry application pads and a jar of application powder. Eye Envy is all-natural and provides a great alternative to ingested tear stain removers. The two-step process involves cleaning the stained area with the solution and then applying the powder, which repels tears and helps prevent bacterial growth that causes tear stains.  

Key Benefits – Two-step tear stain removal kit; Non-irritating and safe for puppies; Removes tear stains and discoloration; Requires no refrigeration until opened; Once NR solution is poured into the pad jar, it must be refrigerated; No bleach, steroids or preservatives.
What’s Included- 2 oz bottle of solution, 1/2 oz jar of application powder, a jar of dry non-woven application pads.