Home Eye Problems Eye Wash

How to Clean Your Dog's Eyes (Eye Wash)

By the Dog Health Handbook team · Updated · Fact-checked against current veterinary references (see sources)

Key takeaways

  • Plain sterile saline eye wash is the safest rinse for a dog's eyes.
  • Soften crusts with a warm, damp cloth before wiping them away.
  • Don't use soap, hydrogen peroxide, essential oils or contact lens solution.
  • For a chemical splash, flush for at least 15 to 20 minutes, then go to a vet.
  • Cleaning doesn't treat infection; a red, squinting eye needs a vet.

Table of Contents

Research What to use Step by step Flushing the eye What not to use Gnats and flies When to see a vet FAQ Sources

Dog Eye Quicklinks

Eye Problems Red Eyes Watery Eyes Dry Eye Swollen Eyes Eye Injuries Eye Infections Eye Discharge Conjunctivitis Eye Drops Eye Wash Eye Tumors Eye Surgery

Gentle cleaning keeps discharge and germs from building up around your dog's eyes.1 Plain sterile saline eye wash, sold over the counter, is the safest rinse. A warm, damp cloth softens crusts so they wipe away easily.1,2,3 Cleaning rinses the eye, but it doesn't treat infection, so a red, squinting or swollen eye still needs your vet.3,4

If a chemical gets in your dog's eye:

  • Flush right away with lukewarm water or saline for at least 15 to 20 minutes.5,6
  • Then go to your vet or an emergency clinic, even if the eye looks better. Alkalis such as cement, plaster, and oven and drain cleaners cause the worst burns.6
  • Don't press on the eye or try to pull out anything stuck in it.7,8

What the Research Says

  • Homemade saline gets contaminated. In a CDC study of a contact lens eye infection in people, all 11 samples of homemade salt solution grew bacteria and fungi, against 1 of 59 commercial saline samples.9
  • Some chemical burns need liters of water. A 2025 US military guideline for working dogs calls for at least 2 liters to flush a chemical out of an eye. Some injuries need up to 10 liters.7
  • A new eye parasite has reached the Northeast. From 2021 to 2022, 11 dogs in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Nevada were found with eyeworms spread by flies that feed on eye fluid. Fly repellents don't stop these flies.10,11

What to Use

  • Sterile saline eye wash: for rinsing the eye itself. Its effect lasts only 2 to 3 hours. Follow the label on how long to keep it once opened, and don't let the tip touch anything.3,1
  • A clean washcloth, gauze or soft paper towel, wet with warm water, to soften and wipe away crusts.1
  • Eye-cleaning wipes made for pets and recommended by your vet.2,1
  • Lukewarm tap water if you have nothing else, especially for a quick flush.5,8,4

Don't mix your own salt solution to put in the eye. If you're out of saline, freshly boiled and cooled water is fine for wiping around the eyes.2,9

How to Clean Your Dog's Eyes, Step by Step

  1. Wash your hands. Your fingers won't harm the eye, but your dog's paws and nails can.1
  2. Hold a warm, wet cloth over crusts for 5 to 15 minutes to soften them.1
  3. Wipe from the inner corner out toward the ear, using a fresh cloth or cotton ball for each eye. Don't try to hold the eye open.2
  4. Rinse the eye with saline if there's discharge or debris on the surface.1,3
  5. Pat the fur dry, and keep long hair around the eyes trimmed with blunt-nose scissors.2,12

Your vet may suggest warm compresses 2 to 4 times a day for crusty or sore eyelids.1,13 If your dog also has eye medicine, rinse 10 to 15 minutes before it, not right before, or the rinse washes the medicine away.1 For brown or red staining under the eyes, see watery eyes and tear stains.

Flushing Out Dirt or Something in the Eye

Dust, sand and loose bits of plant can often be flushed out with sterile eye wash or lukewarm tap water, squirted gently from a bottle or syringe without a needle.8 See a vet urgently if:8,7

  • Your dog is still squinting or pawing after flushing
  • Something won't flush out, or is stuck in the eye
  • The eye looks cloudy, bloody or injured

Put a cone on your dog to stop rubbing until they're seen.8,4 See eye injuries in dogs for first aid.

What Not to Put in Your Dog's Eyes

  • Soap, shampoo, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. These irritate and can damage the eye.2,12
  • Essential oils and homemade remedies. They can irritate, damage or even poison the eye.2
  • Contact lens solution. It contains enzymes that harm the eye's surface.1
  • Redness-relief eye drops, which are dangerous if your dog licks or swallows them.14,15
  • Cotton swabs or rough cloths near the eye.2
  • Leftover or human medicine.4

We found no veterinary research on tea bags, chamomile, vinegar or boric acid washes in dogs' eyes, so we don't recommend them. Plain saline does the job safely.2,3

Gnats and Flies Around the Eyes

Some small flies feed on the fluid around dogs' eyes.11 We found no veterinary source that recommends a repellent that's safe to use near the eyes. Keep discharge wiped away and the hair around the eyes trimmed, and don't put sprays or essential oils near the eyes.2

In parts of the Northeast, small fruit flies that feed on eye fluid spread an eyeworm called Thelazia callipaeda. Repellents don't work against these flies.10,11 If your dog has watery, itchy or red eyes in summer, ask your vet to look for worms. Treatment is removing them plus an antiparasitic drug, and preventive antiparasitic treatment can help in fly season.11,10

When Cleaning Isn't Enough

See your vet if you notice:2,4

  • Thick, smelly, yellow or green discharge
  • Redness, swelling or squinting
  • Lots of blinking, rubbing or pawing
  • Irritation that lasts more than a day or two, or gets worse

Eye infections and allergic conjunctivitis should be seen within about 24 hours.4 See eye discharge in dogs and eye drops for dogs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use saline solution on my dog's eyes?

Yes. Plain sterile saline eye wash is the standard rinse. Don't use contact lens solution.

What can I flush my dog's eye with?

Sterile saline, or lukewarm tap water if that's all you have.

Can I make homemade eye wash for my dog?

It's better not to. Homemade salt solutions are easily contaminated. Buy sterile saline instead.

Is it safe to use soap near my dog's eyes?

No. Soap, shampoo and hydrogen peroxide irritate the eyes. Use plain water or saline.

How do I get rid of crusty eye gunk?

Hold a warm, wet cloth on it for 5 to 15 minutes, then wipe it away gently from the inner corner outward.

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Sources and further reading

This article was rewritten and fact-checked on October 27, 2026 against current veterinary references and specialist guidelines:

  1. American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. How to clean your pet's eyes.
  2. Johnstone G. How to clean your dog's eyes. American Kennel Club, June 2026.
  3. Hamilton A. Sterile eye wash. VCA Animal Hospitals, July 2025.
  4. Gibeault S. Dog eye infections. American Kennel Club, April 2026.
  5. ASPCApro. Vet tech corner: ocular decontamination. ASPCA, 2015, updated February 2024.
  6. Bradley C. Chemical injuries in corneas. Vet Times, July 2018.
  7. Baxter R, Fox K, Edwards T, Oh A. K9 clinical practice guideline: ocular injuries (K9 CPG 15). Joint Trauma System, US Department of Defense, December 2025.
  8. Lort Smith Animal Hospital. Foreign body in the eye in dogs, updated March 2025.
  9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Acanthamoeba keratitis in soft-contact-lens wearers. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1987.
  10. Manoj RRS, Brown CE, Wilcox R, White H, Young R, Otranto D, Lejeune M. Emergence of thelaziosis caused by Thelazia callipaeda in dogs and cats, United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2024.
  11. Otranto D. Eyeworm disease in small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual, updated August 2026.
  12. Barnes C, Llera R, Ward E. Eye discharge (epiphora) in dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals, August 2023.
  13. Weir M, Hunter T, Yuill C. Blepharitis in dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals, February 2023.
  14. Pet Poison Helpline. Imidazoline decongestants, May 2026.
  15. Fatcheric E. Eye drops for dogs. Whole Dog Journal, March 2023.

About this article

Last updated : rewritten using the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, the AKC, ASPCApro, the Merck Veterinary Manual, the CDC and studies published 1987 to 2024.

This page is for general information and is not a substitute for an exam by your veterinarian.