🤬Eyedrops; how???😫

annesixty one of my horses scratched his eye quite badly and had to have eye drops in three times a day. He was a big fit competition horse who really played up at the vets when they examined him so I was dreading having to do it. Much to my surprise he was a complete gentleman about it, despite me having to stand on a box. It's as if he knew I was trying to help him.

Don’t know if it will help at all but the advice to humans who have problems keeping their eye open, is to aim for the corner of the eye and, with luck, the drop will roll down into the eye when it opens. Would this work with dogs?

I can of course tell where you live with the expression “mard arse”
I grew up with that and once heard it used by a midwife to another midwife about a woman in labour.

I had this problem with my cat recently when she had a scratch in her eye.
Cats are much easier as they are smaller but yours isn’t a big dog.
I wrapped her very tightly in a towel and once she realised ( she is a very intelligent cat, of course!!) she would let me administer the drop.
Only one eye in this case.
Good luck.

Thanks too Foxie
Most of the time I’ve actually just been dropping it onto her closed eye, and hoping that some will make its way into her eye.
Because of course there is no way of keeping her eye open. It would be easier if it was a spray.
She wriggles about so much it’s a worry that I’m going to poke her in the eye with the blooming thing!

Thank you Caleo
I’ll give it a break, and then try exactly that.
Fortunately she’s also taken antibiotics which are working really well.
The thing that actually did work was this.
I put a chew stick in my mouth, and when she looked up at the chew stick, I managed to drop in the drop. Bulls eye!
Unfortunately that trick doesn’t seem to work now.
She’s not actually that bothered, she’s being a huge drama queen
(or as they say around here ‘a mard arse’)

My border terrier is extremely suspicious of any attempts to do "things" with him eg remove ticks from his face. He is very fond of cheese croutons though and the bought ones are hard enough to keep his teeth busy and encourage him to keep still. I haven't had to put anything in his eyes but with him, he's better if he's not restrained/held tightly, and I'd approach with my hand from behind his head. I think you'll probably find help on a vet site. If he's very uncooperative you may have to resort to wrapping him a towel but I'd hate to do that unless I've tried everything else I can think of. Good luck.

Start by giving him a treat or a cuddle in the presence of the scary eye drop bottle. Let him smell it then take it away.

When comfortable with the bottle, drop a drop on any part of his face while giving him the treat.

When he is not scared of the drop on his face, aim it more closely at his eye. Every stage slow but sure.

Good luck!