How to give your pet eye drops

This can be tricky, especially if your dog or cat isn’t keen on having eye drops or ointments. Getting the help of another person will help to keep your pet still.

Important: Always follow your vet's advice on how often you should give your pet treatment. This will vary depending on the cause of the eye infection.

Familiarise your pet with the bottle

Let them sniff the bottle
Reward them with a treat, so that they associate the bottle with something positive

Often, it’s the smell that worries them, so getting them used to that first is a good idea.

Claire Stallard - Behaviour and Training Development Manager at Blue Cross with white Staffordshire bull terrier — This advice has been approved by our Behaviour and Training Development Manager at Blue Cross

Using eye drops

If you are right-handed, use the finger and thumb of your left hand to hold the eyelid open
Hold the medication in your right hand and bring it towards the eye from the side
Put one drop into the eye, being careful not to touch the eye itself

Dogs and cats have strong eyelid muscles so you will need to be firm.