Extra care should be taken when cleaning (and trimming) around the pet’s eyes. Scratches to the cornea can happen easily, especially in pets with eyes that bulge and have shallow eye sockets, such as pugs and Japanese Chins. For sensitive pets, the cornea can even be scratched by a stray hair that lands on the eye.
Eyes that are red, irritated, or oozing excessively should be referred to a veterinarian. However, pets with eyes that have shallow sockets normally produce tears that roll down the nose and create tear staining. Sometimes the tears are red, due to the presence of porphyrin in the tears. Porphyrin staining is common in some breeds. These cases do not need to be referred to a veterinarian. Get the help for a more experienced groomers if you are unsure what is normal for the pet you are grooming.
An eye cleaning product, such as Crystal Eye made by Four Paws, can be squeezed on a cotton ball, and used to gently wipe the corner of the eye before a bath if debris is minimal. To clean the eye area of a pet that has a lot of buildup, you may want to start with applying water to the area while the pet is in the tub. Let the area soak for a few minutes. A drop of Kennelwood conditioner can be placed in the crusty area and allowed to soak as well. Next, a plastic flea comb can be gently used in the area to clean off the debris from the eye. Kennelwood Hypoallergic or Puppy Shampoo can then be gently rubbed into the area with the fingers. No shampoo or facial scrub is safe to get in a pet’s eyes. If this does happen, reduce the water pressure, and rinse the eyes for 30 seconds. Rinsing of the eye area should always be done gently and thoroughly.