Whether your dog has tear stains or just “gunky” eye boogers, it’s important for every dog owner to learn how to clean dog’s eyes. This is a crucial part of caring for and grooming your dog. Dirt and debris near the eyes could lead to infection, which is very dangerous.

A dog’s eyes are just as sensitive as ours. You probably wipe gunk from your eyes multiple times per day. Cleaning your dog’s eyes daily will not only keep your pet looking his best, but it will keep him comfortable too.

When looking for eye care grooming products for the dog, it’s important that you find products that are safe for your pet. If the grooming supplies that you choose are made with harsh chemicals, dyes or fragrances, they could do more harm than good. This is especially important to remember when you’re selecting tear stain removers and other dog eye care supplies that will be used on a dog’s face.

Over-the-counter products are available to remove tear stains and clean your dog’s face. When it comes to cleaning dogs eyes, I recommend using a 100% safe saline solution and/or grooming wipes that are safe for the dog’s eyes.

How to Clean Dog’s Eyes

1. Trim a Dog’s Facial Hair First

Before you begin to learn how to clean a dog’s eyes, you may need to consider trimming the hair around his face. If your dog has long face hair, trimming it is a matter of hygiene and safety. It could cause eye irritation, pain and eye infections if left untrimmed.

Dog’s facial hair also makes it much easier for dust, dirt or debris to get into your his eyes. Untrimmed hair could also result in the development of tear stains. To trim the hair on the dog’s face, I recommend using scissors. Clippers move too fast, which could ultimately injure your pet.

I’ve made a video guide about trimming face hair, if you need a step-by-step guide.

2. Flush the Eyes

Cleaning the eyes themselves should be done with a natural dog eye wash like Cliny or saline solution like Burt’s Bees used to flush the eye (see above picture).

Ideally, you should have a second person with you to help restrain your dog and keep him calm. Even the most mellow dogs don’t like to have someone working near their eyes.

After the flush, you’ll need to wipe and clean around the dog’s eyes. Moisten a cotton ball with the same solution and wipe to clean away dirt and debris. This will also remove any cut hairs that have fallen near your dog eyes.

3. Dog Tear Stains

If your dog suffers from tear stains, they can be quite difficult to remove sometimes. As I mentioned, you can purchase commercial tear stain remover like Wrinkle Paste at your local pet store or make your own homemade tear stain remover.

Epiphora is the veterinary term for excessive tear production. It’s the most common cause of tear stains in dogs. One misconception about epiphora is that tear stains only occur in light colored breeds. That is not true, because many other breeds can also get tear stains around their eyes.

Learning how to clean dogs eyes isn’t difficult, but you do have to be very careful. If you have questions or would like to watch a professional do it first, ask a local dog groomer or your veterinarian for some tips and tricks on safe practices.

READ NEXT: My Dog Has Red Eyes – Here’s Why and What To Do

Best Supplies for Cleaning a Dog’s Eyes

There’s a number of dog eye care products available, and some of them are better, safer and more effective than others. A few of my favorite eye washes for dogs that are also beloved by other pet owners are recommended by veterinarians are these brands below.

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Did you know that cleaning your dog’s teeth regularly is one of the best ways to keep him healthy? Periodontal disease can lead to many other more serious health conditions. Learning how to clean dog’s teeth could add years to your pet’s life.

Why Clean Your Dog’s Teeth?

Most people just assume that all dog’s have bad breath. That’s actually a misconception. Plaque and tartar in the buildup fosters the growth of bacteria. This bacteria is what causes bad breath in dogs.

Bad breath isn’t the main problem associated with poor dental health. Keeping up with your dog’s oral hygiene can aid in his overall health and well-being, going as far as preventing heart problems. Neglecting your dog’s oral health could lead to conditions like:

• destruction to and loss of the gum tissue and bone around the teeth
• fistulas (holes leading from the oral cavity to the nasal passage)
• osteomyelitis (bone infection)
• weakened jaw bone
• bacteria entering the blood stream and having a negative effect on the dog’s heart, liver and kidneys

There are a number of easy ways to keep you dog’s mouth clean. These are all simple tasks that you can do at home, with the exception of professional dental cleanings.

How to Clean Dog’s Teeth

1. Brush Teeth

Brushing a dog’s teeth isn’t difficult once you get your pet used to it. It’s similar to brushing your own teeth. The quick steps to this process are:

(1) Get a dog-friendly toothpaste and toothbrush.

(2) Start by brushing one or two teeth at a time, whatever your dog will let you do. The front side of the back teeth and the canine teeth should be your first priority.

(4) Apply slight pressure and move the brush in small circles. Brushing at a 45° angle will allow the toothbrush to clean the gums and teeth properly.

(5) Dog toothpaste does not require rinsing like toothpaste for humans. Once you’ve brushed your pet’s teeth for about 2-3 minutes, you can let the dog lick the remaining toothpaste off his teeth.

If you need more information, I’ve created a video guide with specific instructions for brushing a dog’s teeth. It is recommended that you brush your pup’s teeth daily, but if you don’t have time for that, 3-5 times per week is ideal.

2. Water Additives & Dental Gels

Commercial water additives can be poured into your pet’s water bowl. These products are non-toxic and can be swallowed by your dog. When he drinks, the water additive helps to kill off bacteria and keep the teeth cleaner.

Similar to a pet-friendly toothpaste, dental gels for dogs need to be spread over your pup’s teeth. They’re much easier to use, though, because you simply spread it over the teeth and leave it alone – there’s no brushing involved. The gel works on its own to break up plaque and tartar buildup.

3. Dental Treats and Chews

Most pet owners give their dogs treats once in a while. If you do, choose dental treats which are designed to scrape the dog’s teeth and help prevent plaque and tartar. Likewise, dog dental chews are designed to be both an attractive toy and an effective product for improving dental health.

Dental chews massage a dog’s gums and scrape plaque from his teeth. Giving your dog a dental chew daily will increase salivation, which will decrease the amount of bacteria in his mouth. This may prevent oral diseases and reduce problems with tartar and plaque forming.

Dental treats and chews are designed to help the dog keep his teeth clean and gums healthy. The shape of some top rated dental dog chews provides in-depth and detailed cleaning as your pet gnaws on them, which is why many veterinarians often recommend them over regular treats. However, they should not be used in place of daily brushing.

4. Chew Toys

Most pet owners buy chew toys to keep their dog entertained. Chew toys aren’t just great for keeping your pooch busy, they also help keep your dog’s teeth and gums in optimum health.

Chewing on a toy acts like a toothbrush for your dog, scraping away harmful plaque and tartar that can lead to gum disease. Chew toys also scrape bacteria off the teeth and tongue. This helps to reduce bad breath and prevent periodontal disease.

5. Best Supplies for Cleaning Dog Teeth

Generally, all you need is toothbrush and toothpaste to clean a dog’s teeth. But for times when that’s not possible, several other canine oral hygiene supplies can be used. Below are some of the best products that I found most effective in the past.

6. Professional Teeth Cleaning for Dogs

Most veterinarians will recommend having your dog’s teeth professionally cleaned once a year. Your vet will probably want to do the first cleaning when your dog is 6-12 months old. If your dog is already an adult and has never had a professional teeth cleaning, that’s okay.

It’s never too late to start taking care of your dog’s teeth! Your vet will start by examining your dog’s mouth, if he’ll allow it. If not, they’ll do the oral exam once your dog is under anesthesia.

While your dog is sedated, the vet will take x-rays of his mouth to look for broken teeth, abscesses, infection, dead teeth and problems with the roots of the teeth. They will then clean the teeth by scraping away plaque and tartar. They’ll also clean under the gum line, where bacteria is known to build up.

The best way to ensue proper dental health for your pet is to learn how to clean dog’s teeth. Keeping up with your dog’s oral health can add years to his life. It’s a simple and budget-friendly way to care for your pet’s overall health and well-being.

READ NEXT: 11 Science-Based Dog Teeth Care Tips

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Expect the first few times to be difficult, but you (and your dog) will get better with practice. If you feel nervous about cutting a dog’s nails, know that the process is quick and easy once you’ve planned for every step of the way, and understand how to calm down your dog and have him enjoy the grooming process.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to do this. It’s important to consider the safety of cutting dog nails at home because you’re working with a sharp tool, and many dogs don’t like getting their nails trimmed. The goal is to prepare what to expect from the dog, keep your pet still, comfortable, stress-free and stable to prevent injury.

6 Safety Tips for Cutting Dog’s Nails

1. Pick the Right Dog Nail Cutting Tools

There are several tools for trimming a dog’s nails. Which works best for you depends on your budget, your dog’s behavior, breed, personality and your experience and ability at cutting dog’s nails. The best dog nail cutting and trimming tools include the below.

• Dog nail clippers – Make sure you get pet nail clippers that are designed for dogs specifically. You can’t cut your canine’s nails with clippers for people or even those for cats. All dog nail clippers come in different sizes, styles, and prices, and are great for dogs who don’t like the sounds of electric devices.

• Nail file pads – This item sits on the floor and dogs can use it themselves. It works like a scratching post for cats. They take more time at first, as you need to train your pet to use it. Once your pup gets the hang of it, these file pads will save time because you won’t need to clip the nails anymore, but most find them ineffective.

• Dog nail grinders (e.g. Dremel) – If you have ever had a professional manicure, you have probably seen these. They simply grind the nail down with a file that spins automatically. Make sure you use a safety grinder specifically for dogs. Grinders can make cutting dog’s nails easier and prevent the issue of cutting into the quick.

• Sensor clippers – This is a different variant of standard nail clippers for dogs, and the only difference is that they come with a “sensor”. This sensor is what helps you not to over-cut the nail and to prevent cutting into the quick.

• Blood clotting agent – No matter how careful you are, you may hit the quick at one time or another. This happens to every owner trying to cut dog’s nails now and again. Blood clotting agents made of styptic powder should always be close by.

The above make up the basic tools you need to have at home for cutting nails on dogs, and you’re usually set with just one dog nail clipper (whichever works best) and a styptic powder or other blood clotting agent.

Two more things to consider we move on.

Pick the right tool. Choosing the right type of dog nail clipper is important for several reasons. Here’s a guide and video on how to pick the right nail clippers, and what you must pay attention to. You’ll need to choose between three different types of dog nail clippers, make the selection based on your dog’s breed, size, personality as well as how comfortable each tool feels in your hand.

What if the paw bleeds? It’s possible that you may accidentally cut into your dog’s quick and cause his paw to bleed. This often happens with first time groomers. The important part is not to panic, and know exactly what to do to stop the bleeding. So if you’re afraid of cutting your dog’s nail quick and bleeding, watch/read this guide first.

With the above out of the way, you now have the right tools for the job. But before you start cutting dog’s nails, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with your pet’s paws.

2. Know the Anatomy of Your Dog’s Paws

You need to know how your dog’s paws and feet are designed if you want to learn about cutting dog’s nails safely. Some parts of dog’s feet are more sensitive or prone to injury, so it’s necessary to keep in mind what you can and cannot do.

Here’s a brief rundown of the four most important parts of the canine paw:

• Dew claws – These are smaller claws farther up on the dog’s leg. They do not touch the floor. Dogs have these because they are a throwback to ancient canine species. Many dog owners will just have these removed, but it is not necessary unless your pet becomes obsessed with chewing on them.

• The quick – If you are a nail biter, you already know what this is. You also know that if you cut the nail into the quick, it’s painful and it bleeds. You can see where the quick starts in a dogs nail by looking on the underneath of the nail. If the dog has dark colored nails, you cannot see the quick. It is recommended to cut the nail using several small clips to avoid hitting the quick.

• The nail – This is the dead tissue that you want to cut off. When you look at the underside of a dog’s nail, the dead part of the nail will have a lighter color. Where the quick starts, it will get darker. This is harder to see in a canine with dark nails, which is why you have to be especially careful with them (watch this).

• Pads – The pads of the dog’s foot are the soft fleshy part on the bottom of your dog’s feet. They are usually dark colored, but not always. Canines have one pad for each claw, and then a big one under the toe joints.

Understanding all of the four major parts of the dog’s paws and nails helps an owner to distinguish between the areas that are allowed to be groomed and those that are not.

3. Start Your Dog Young

Getting your dog involved with cutting nails early, just as with most other grooming tasks, will pay big dividends in the future. When you start with a puppy that’s more complacent and easy to handle, he will be used to the process of nail cutting and when he’s older, the task will be far less difficult.

Just like human kids, when young puppies grow and form, they will adjust and accept things you teach them and put them through as something that’s part of life. Grooming an older dog that hasn’t adjusted to being groomed will be much more difficult.

As Samantha, our grooming expert, explains in her guide, it’s best to start touching the dog in places where they would be groomed: play with the dog’s ears, nose and paws. This way the dog gets used to being touched there, and won’t be as anxious or as sensitive during grooming or nail cutting sessions.

4. Use a Regular or Dog Grooming Table

Most pet owners start cutting dog’s nails on the floor, which is generally fine but with some dogs may not be efficient enough. It’s particularly complicated with very anxious dogs and owners who are cutting dog nails for the first time.

You will need to stabilize yourself and your dog; this keeps both of you calmer and less anxious. If you can afford it, get a grooming table. There are some cheap and small ones designed specifically for home groomers. If not, you can use a your regular table at home; it will still make the task much easier than doing it on the floor.

By using a table for cutting a dogs nails you can simply stand behind him as he lays on his side. This is how professional dog groomers do it. Using a table makes it easier to get to the nail itself, but you can also lay over the dog using your body weight to keep him still during the process (be careful – this makes some dogs far more anxious).

5. Go for Walks on Specific Surface

You’ll be happy to find out that trimming your dog’s nails at home by yourself isn’t the only way to keep them trim. Going for regular walks on certain terrain can actually help the process, although it will not remove all of the dead nail on your dog.

Concrete and asphalt in particular help to keep most canine’s nails worn down and shorter. The more your dog walks on these types of surfaces, the less you will need to trim the nails with tools. However, dog nail grooming is still needed (just not as often).

6. Ask Your Vet or Local Groomer

Finally, if cutting dog’s nails is not your forte and you need more clarification, and watching YouTube videos isn’t enough, then you can always ask for help and a step-by-step demonstration.

Our vet had no problem letting us watch him cut dog’s nails when we brought him in. The veterinarian did it in a shape easy for us to maintain afterwards.

After that, when we started clipping our dog’s nails ourselves at home, we were more confident because we had some training from our vet.

The same applies to professional pet groomers. If you have one locally, they will usually be very helpful and happy in assisting you and showing you how to do something dog grooming related yourself. There are probably some who won’t due to potential loss of business, but it never hurts to ask.

READ NEXT: 48 Ways to Save Money on Dog Grooming

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Grooming your dog at home can save a lot of money, and your dog will definitely feel more comfortable. You probably know how to bathe and brush your Fido, but do you know how to wash a dog’s face properly? Keeping your pup’s face clean is an important part of his care and will aid in his overall health and well-being.

No one wants to pet a dog with a dirty, smelly coat. While washing your pet’s body is quite simple, things get more delicate when you need to wash your dog’s face. Getting soap in the dog’s eyes, nose or mouth could cause pain or make him sick. You need to be especially careful when cleaning the dog’s face.

How to Wash a Dog’s Face

1. Trimming Facial Hair

Before you begin to learn how to wash a dog’s face, you may need to consider trimming the hair around his eyes and muzzle. If your dog has long face hair, trimming it is a matter of hygiene and safety.

The hair on your dog’s face could irritate his eyes if left untrimmed. If allowed to grow long enough, hair could poke your dog’s eyeball, causing scratches or eye irritation, which can then lead to eye infections.

Dog’s facial hair also makes it much easier for dust, dirt or debris to get into your dog’s eyes. Finally, if you don’t trim face hair on your pet, it could result in the development of tear stains.

To trim hair on the dog’s face, I recommend using scissors. Clippers move too fast, which could ultimately injure your pet.

2. How to Wash Your Dog’s Face

Grooming wipes are my go-to tool for dog facial cleaning. The right wipes will cleanse and freshen the fur on your dog’s face without causing any irritation. If you don’t have grooming wipes on hand, you can also use a clean cloth and a little bit of dog shampoo.

To make a cleansing solution, add a couple of drops of dog shampoo to a small bowl of warm water. Mix the solution and use a clean cloth to wipe down your dog’s muzzle.

Wipe over and around the dog’s eyes with a dry cloth. Using a grooming wipe or a cloth saturated in the dog shampoo solution, wipe down the muzzle and the top of your dog’s head without getting too close to his eyes or nose. If you are using a dog shampoo solution, rinse it off by wiping the face/head down again with a cloth saturated in clean water.

You could also use waterless shampoo to wash your dog’s face. Apply the waterless shampoo to the face with a clean cloth. You won’t need to rinse, but you can wipe down the pet’s face and head with clean, dry cloth to remove any excess waterless shampoo if you need to.

3. Tear Stains

Epiphora is the veterinary term for excessive tear production. It’s the most common cause of tear stains in dogs. One misconception about epiphora is that tear stains only occur in light colored breeds. That is not true, because many other breeds can also get tear stains around their eyes.

If you dog suffers from tear stains, they can be quite difficult to remove. You can purchase commercial tear stain remover at your local pet store or make your own homemade tear stain remover. For recipes and information on how to clean these blemishes from your dog’s face, you can read my guide on removing dog tear stains.

Learning how to wash a dog’s face isn’t difficult, but you do have to be cautious. If you have questions or would like to watch a professional tackle the task, ask a professional dog groomer for some tips and tricks.

Best Grooming Wipes to Wash Dog’s Face and Tear Stains

The easiest way to wash a dog’s face is with pet grooming wipes. They contain ingredients that will effectively clean the dog’s face, remove dirt, debris and bacteria, yet not harm the dog in any way. Like baby wipes, they’re usually pre-soaked and very convenient to use. Below are some of my favorite grooming wipes for washing dog face and tear stains.

READ NEXT: How To Train A Dog To Enjoy Grooming and Stay Calm

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