[Daysleeper]

I think it should be a sport considering the patience, strategy, strength and endurance it involves!

So here's my issue. I'm a long time dog owner, but I've never had a dog smaller than 35 lbs. We just adopted a 3 mo. old Chiweenie from the shelter to save it from being PTS. No one wanted him because he's at least partially blind in one eye due to a suspected injury. It's cloudy and was very angry and swollen. The vet gave us eye drops to put in every 4-6 hours to cure a secondary infection but I'm finding it next to impossible to do! My husband's out of town for 2 weeks, so I have to do this alone and have no idea how to go about doing it so that neither of us walk away traumatized. He's only 6 lbs and I'm afraid I'll hurt him. He's so fast it's like trying to wrestle greased lightening! I tried sneaking the drops up to his eye on the blind side..but he can see out of it well enough to know that it's there.

Any tips on how to subdue or restrain him..or some kind of strategy?? I have to do this until his appt w/ a veterinary eye specialist next week. It's going to be a long week. =(

 

[lil_fuzzy]

Put him on your lap, left arm around his body and holding his face with your left hand. With your right hand you administer the eye drops while holding his head completely still with your left hand. He's only a small dog, so you should be heaps stronger than him. You won't break him

Also, don't let him down until he has calmed somewhat. If you let him down while he is struggling he will think that it was him struggling that got him put down, which means he will struggle even more next time. And give him loads of yummy treats afterwards.

 

[Holmes]

What lil_fuzzy said. If he wiggles away from your lap, try kneeling on your knees,cross your feet so he can't scoot out backwards. Hold his head with nose up with one hand and drop medication into front corner of eye.

I would practice this here and there throughout the day when I did NOT have to put the drops in. Find one reward phrase and use the same one every time he makes any move towards cooperation and relaxation. Whenever you use your reward phrase, such as "Good Boy!", make sure you give him a yummy treat,and after he allows you to administer medicine, treat and spend a lttle time praising him and giving him special rubs and scratches.

Taking baby steps towards actually putting the medicine in his eyes will have him cooperating in no time.

 

[spotted nikes]

Also, while restraining him as mentioned above, use your thumb to pull down on the skin below the eye, which makes the lower eyelid gape, and apply the drop inside the lower eyelid, rather than trying to drop it on his eyeball.