Did you know that your Frenchie has three eyelids? They can help to protect your dog from dirt and debris, but these extra eyelids also make it more difficult to flush their eyes out when they get irritated. Since your dog is naturally lower to the ground, they spend a lot of time around dirt, dust, and more that can make it into their eyes.
This is why eye drops are so popular with pet parents, but narrowing down your choices can be challenging. We’ll outline the top five for you, tell you how to give a dog eye drops, and much more below.
How to Give a Dog Eye Drops
Before we jump into what you want to look for when you start shopping for your new eye drops, you have to know how to give them. This will make the process easier on both you and your Frenchie.
Start by cleaning any debris away from the outside of your dog’s eye. Hold the eye drop bottle with your thumb and index finger. You may want to rest this hand on the top of your dog’s head. Take your thumb on your other hand and gently pull down your dog’s lower eyelid. Support your dog’s head with your remaining fingers, and gently squeeze a few drops into your dog’s eye. They’ll blink and spread the drops of their eye.
Dog Eye Drop Application Tips
Even though it sounds relatively easy to give your dog their eye drops, it can be challenging. Most dogs don’t like things coming by their eyes, but we’re going to give you a few easy tips you can try to make your dog more comfortable with the process.
- Let your dog smell the bottle and get familiar with seeing it before you try to put them in.
- Praise and give your dog treats when they sit still and let you apply them.
- Don’t be nervous. If you’re nervous, it’ll make your dog nervous.
- You can pet your dog on the head and touch around their eyes to get them used to it before you do anything else.
- Talk to your dog before, during, and after you put the drops in.
- Try to straddle your dog from behind. Your knees should be on either side of your dog, and your dog should be sitting down. Take their head and gently tilt it back to see their eyes.
- Consider asking a family member or friend to help. It can be easier if someone holds the dog and someone else puts the drops in.
Eye Drops for Dogs – Buying Considerations
What is and isn’t important when you start looking at different eye drops? Since there are so many available, the following criteria will help you compare and narrow down your choices.
Solution Type
There are four main solution types or categories eye drops fall into, and you want to choose the best one based on your dog’s symptoms. The first is an ophthalmic solution that is sterile and will help with irritants. The second option is an antimicrobial solution that fights bacteria, and a viscoadaptive hyaluronan solution adds moisture to fight dry eyes. The final type is an lanosterol solution that could help prevent cataracts from getting worse.
FDA Regulations
The FDA tightly controls and regulates all drugs you give to your pet, and this includes eye drops. You do want to make sure that the company you pick adheres to FDA guidelines. This helps to ensure that you get a safe product to put in your dog’s eyes that won’t cause more harm than good.
Application Recommendations
How often do you want to apply the drops to your dog’s eyes? Some drops only recommend once or twice a week, and other drops allow you to apply them up to three times a day. Decide how often you’re going to be able to apply the drops and look for a formula based on this availability.
Manufacturer Location
Ideally, your eye drops will come from a facility that is somewhere in the United States. Having the manufacturer here will help ensure that they adhere to the FDA guidelines and don’t skimp on ingredients to save costs. It’s also easier to get in touch with customer service if they are in the United States instead of outsourced.
The Five Best Eye Drops for Your Frenchie – Reviews
1. Vetericyn Plus Antimicrobial Pet Eye Wash
These eye drops can help provide your Frenchie relief from common eye irritations or injuries. This is a saline-based solution that you can apply between three and four times a day to your dog’s eyes, and the solution is safe to use around your dog’s mouth, eyes, ears, and face.
These dog eye drops offer a pain-free solution to your dog’s eye issues. Every batch of these eye drops for dogs come regulated using strict guidelines set by the FDA. They use a state-of-the-art facility in the United States to help ensure you get a quality product each time you order.
Pros
- Can use it up to four times a day
- Soothes irritation
- Make in the United States to strict quality control guidelines
Cons
- Doesn’t come with an application dropper
- Can be messy to apply
- May have a stronger smell when you first open the bottle
CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS PRODUCT ON AMAZON
2. Nutri-Vet Dog Eye Rinse
Nurti-Vet’s eye drops come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee to help soothe redness and irritation from your dog’s eyes. When you use it regularly, you can potentially eliminate or reduce the appearance of tear stains from around your dog’s eyes.
You can safely use these eye drops once per day to flush out your dog’s eyes or reduce the irritation. The top of the bottle is a small applicator tip that gives you precision control over how much you put into your dog’s eyes. The boric acid content can help fight infections to keep your dog’s eyes healthy.
Pros
- Cleans out your dog’s eyes
- May help to reduce tear stains
- Can fight eye infections
Cons
- Takes a few consecutive days to work
- Doesn’t work on deep tear stains
- Applicator tip is very large
CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS EYE RINSE ON AMAZON
3. Dr. Goodpet Natural Vitamin C and Zinc Eye Drops
Different dog breeds will benefit from this completely natural formula. The formula is strong enough to help get rid of irritation and dry eye issues due to allergies. You’ll get a combination of zinc and vitamin C that help to boost this product’s effectiveness.
If you look at the top of the container, you’ll notice that it comes to a peak. This forms a dropper you can use to apply the product. The formula comes packaged in an amber bottle. The dark shade of the packaging prevents sunlight from leaking through. In turn, your drops stay as effective as the first application was to the last.
Pros
- Uses a single or double drop each day
- Has a natural and safe formula
- Uses zinc and vitamin E
Cons
- Can take a while to work
- Very thin consistency
- May be too strong for very sensitive eyes
CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS ON AMAZON
4. Miracle Care Eye Clear Sterile Eye Wash
These sterile eye drops come designed to have a non-stinging formula that shouldn’t add irritation to your dog’s already sore eyes. The drops will gently remove debris from your dog’s eyes while providing relief from dryness, redness, and itchiness. You get four ounces of the eye cleaning solution in every order
This formula works on dogs and cats, and the top of the bottle doubles as an applicator tip that makes it easy to get the drops into your dog’s eyes. It has a smooth and slightly thin formula that is easy to apply, and the drops come from a facility in the United States that uses strict quality control standards.
Pros
- Very easy to apply
- Made in the United States
- Has a very smooth formula
Cons
- May take a week to work
- Only comes in one smaller size
- Applicator tip is slightly larger than it needs to be
5. Cliny Universal Pet Eye Cleaner for Dogs
This product soothes eye irritation while helping to reduce the appearance of tear stains around your dog’s eyes. It has a natural formula that contains boric acid to help reduce inflammation, and you’ll also get taurine to activate eye restoration.
There are silver ions and panthenol in this product that help to soften your dog’s skin and heal wounds. Veterinarians developed these eye drops for dogs, and you should only apply it once or twice per week at the maximum. It’ll gently clean out your dog’s eyes and provide lubrication that protects the eyes.
Pros
- Protects and restores eyes using premium ingredients
- Only use once or twice a week
- Can help heal the eyes while reducing tear stains
Cons
- May be difficult to administer
- Glass eye dropper is larger
- Can take weeks to see any improvement
CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS DOG EYE CLEANER ON AMAZON
The Verdict
Our pick for the best dog eye drops is the Vetericyn Plus Antimicrobial Pet Eye Wash because the company makes it uses guidelines set by the FDA for safety. The saline-based solution can help with a host of eye problems like irritation, redness, itchiness, and more. Since it’s made in the United States, you can rest assured that you’re getting a quality product.
We liked that the dropper top had a slightly more narrow design that ensured we got precise measurements each time we applied it to our dog’s eyes. Finally, the cover screwed on tight between uses to keep the eye drops fresh and ready to use.
PS – On the topic of French Bulldog eye care, you may want to check out the best tear stain remover post here.
