How Do I Clean My Yorkie’s Eyes? (Solved & Explained!)

The most efficient and effective way you can clean a Yorkie’s eyes is to use a product specifically made for dogs’ tear-stains, or a sterile saline solution and apply about 1 tablespoon to a soft cloth. Hold the saturated cloth to the inner corner of the dog’s eyes for 15 to 30 seconds and then gently wipe in a downward stroke around and away from the eyes. 

In this article, we will get to the root cause of the dreaded crusty eye, how to clean it, and why wiping your Yorkie’s eyes daily is going to be your best bet to a (mostly) crust-free life. Read on to find out more!

What causes a Yorkie to get crusty eyes?

There could be numerous reasons your precious little ball of fur has eyes that would be more comfortable in a horror movie:

• Hair getting in your dog’s eyes can be irritating.
• Allergies can make a dog’s eyes water.
• An eyelash or dust in the eye can cause irritation.
• A scratch on the surface of the eye would make their eyes water.
• An infection could be causing discharge to form in the eyes.

A small amount of crustiness daily is fairly normal for this breed of dog.

My Yorkie’s hair seems to be bothering her eyes.

Yorkies have a long, silky coat that is beautiful but their long hair may be one of the reasons for the eye crust as the hairs can get in their eyes and cause irritation.

Trimming your Yorkie’s “bangs” often can help. Try to make it to the groomer every 2 to 4 weeks.

Or, you could trim the bangs yourself if you are comfortable doing that.

But I trim my Yorkie often and the gunk is still there.

It could be something else irritating your dog’s eyes.

Allergies aren’t just for humans! Dogs can get them too and that could be the cause of watery eyes that can turn into a funky buildup in the eyes.

A vet will be able to tell if the irritation is an allergy or just normal buildup.

I’ve ruled out allergies, what else could be causing this?

If you’ve ever had an eyelash in your eye, you know how annoying and painful it can be. You can simply pluck the offensive hair out of your eye.

Our little dog friends lack the fingers needed to do this so they have to suffer from a watery, irritated eye until their human figures out what’s bothering them.

It could be an eyelash, or it could be something else. Examine your dog’s eyes closely to make sure there isn’t something in there causing their watering eyes.

Could it be something serious?

It could be.

Rule out infection by assessing whether the discharge is clear, green, yellow, or white. Any color other than clear should be checked by your vet.

This could be conjunctivitis or another kind of infection. An infection should be diagnosed and treated by your veterinarian

Don’t take this lightly as infections left untreated could lead to your Yorkie being in pain, or even blindness.

What if my Yorkie doesn’t like having their eyes cleaned?

They may not like it, that’s true.

But Yorkies are little cuddle bugs and love affection from their humans, so it shouldn’t be a problem to go from petting and giving love to your Yorkie to gently wiping their eyes.

The key is to be gentle and go slow if they are a little skittish when it comes to having their eyes cleaned. Treats might kelp move the process along as well.

Should I just let the vet clean their eyes?

I would have to say that it’s a bad idea to rely on the vet for such a simple task that you could do yourself.

First, this is something you should be doing daily, or every other day even. Would you go to the vet everyday? No, of course not.

It may seem intimidating at first, especially if you and your Yorkie haven’t fully bonded yet.

Or, maybe you’re grossed out by it (it is a little gross!), but it will get easier over time.

Remember, your Yorkie is counting on you to care for them.

When should I clean my Yorkie’s eyes?

Again, you should clean your Yorkies’s eyes daily to keep the gunky eyes at bay.

As for the time of day, that’s up to you and your tiny friend. I suggest during cuddle time as I mentioned above but you should do it anytime you feel is best.

Can I wipe my dog’s eyes with baby wipes?

No, it is not recommended to use baby wipes for dogs’ eyes. They often contain perfumes that can be harmful to them and could burn the already irritated area.

Your best bet would be the products made specifically for use in the eye area such as sterile saline solution or tear-stain cleaner. These are proven to be gentle and safe for pets and you don’t want to gamble with your pet’s safety.

What else can I use to clean their eyes?

If you don’t have the products mentioned above it’s perfectly fine to use a warm, wet, washcloth. Water can sting the eyes and a washcloth can be rough as well so extra care should be taken when using this method.

Do not get it in the eyes; just around them.

It’s still recommended to use a sterile saline solution because it’s sterile and will be safer to use around the eyes.

How can I prevent it?

You can’t completely prevent eye boogers, unfortunately, they’re a fact of life for pets and humans alike. They can, however, be contained.

How can I contain the eye boogers?

Wipe your furbaby’s eyes daily and the crust won’t have a chance to build up; it will be much easier to remove as well.

Surely you also wake up with crusty eyes in the morning. You simply clean them by washing your face in the shower,

That daily maintenance is a must for your and your dog too!