Eye Drops

MyDogBitz

MyDogBitz

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I never thought to desensitize my dog to an eye dropper. He needs these drops to fix the scratch on his eye. He absolutely, positively hates the eye dropper and loses his shit the second he sees it. I've never actually seen him this pissed off at something. 🤷‍♂️

I'm hesitant to push the issue because of how adamant he is in his protest. I asked the vet for an alternative treatment like an eye wash or a gel, (something I can apply quickly) but his only idea was a sedative. I'm not giving my dog a sedative three times a day - plus I don't really think it would help without being over-the-top strong - the dogs motor is other worldly. 🙄😆

I don't have the time to teach him to accept the eye dropper because he needs his treatment now, but obviously this is something I need to work on.

I'm open to any and all ideas.
 
I've had success putting the dog into a sit, I go behind and put my knees on either side of their back on the ground (so I am either sitting on my knees or sitting on my toes with knees on either side). It basically looks like I am hugging my dog from behind. I use my knees and squeeze a bit to keep their lower body in place to avoid frantic movement. I put my arm along their chest and hold their muzzle up. I comfort the dog and give some treats (maybe even a spoon of peanut butter to keep them a little distracted while licking), then pull the drops out and go as quick as possible. Don't let him see the drops until the last moment, don't even let him see you go near wherever they are stored.

I found this picture online of basically the exact position.
1762609549790.png

This has worked for me, probably not the best way to do it but it's worked in a pinch.
 
Andre said:
I've had success putting the dog into a sit, I go behind and put my knees on either side of their back on the ground (so I am either sitting on my knees or sitting on my toes with knees on either side). It basically looks like I am hugging my dog from behind. I use my knees and squeeze a bit to keep their lower body in place to avoid frantic movement. I put my arm along their chest and hold their muzzle up. I comfort the dog and give some treats (maybe even a spoon of peanut butter to keep them a little distracted while licking), then pull the drops out and go as quick as possible. Don't let him see the drops until the last moment, don't even let him see you go near wherever they are stored.

I found this picture online of basically the exact position.
View attachment 289

This has worked for me, probably not the best way to do it but it's worked in a pinch.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Gives me something to think about.
 
“Otherworldly motor” might be the best description I’ve heard yet for a shepherd. No shame in a two-person operation for a few days, one distracts, one drops. And yeah, 100% agree, sedating three times a day sounds insane.
 
Andre said:
You still planning on telling us? I feel like I’m being teased right now. 😂
Click to expand...
Where do I start?

First of all, we had to flush his eye out at the vets office. Three vet techs wanted to surround him to do it. LOL. Yeah right, that's not going to work.

So, I told them I'll do it. I flushed his eye out TWICE. 😂 He absolutely hated it and was PISSED OFF. Can't say that I blame him.

Anyway, they prescribed US medicated eye drops. Instructions say 1 drop, 3 times a day. I was able to get one dose in the night we came home. He freaked out, got zoomies and barked at me for like 5 minutes straight.

Fast forward to the next morning. 4:30am. I woke up, went into the kitchen, got a cup of coffee and put the drops in my sweatshirt pocket. I went downstairs to let Bomber out of his kennel. When I let him out, he greeted me in his usual happy way. BUT he put his nose directly in my pocket where the drops were at and started running back and forth barking and growling, jumping around and basically losing his shit. 😂 I'm laughing but it wasn't that funny in the moment.

I waited him out until he calmed down. We went out for our morning walk. When we got back I had him go on his place box and I tried to dose him again, with his leash on. He KNEW I had the drops and started throwing himself around like a crocodile in a death roll. 🙄 Totally dramatic.

I only was able to dose him one more time but I could tell it was really really bothering him and it wasn't something I wanted to fight him over so I let it go. His eye looks fine FWIW.

Normally, I would just impose my will and force the issue but I could see that he had no idea WHY I was doing what I was doing and I did not want to risk damaging the relationship by going through this fight 3X a day. Thankfully his eye is fine.

I'm a bit pissed off with the vet. The staff was totally dismissive. Some little 100lb girl was trying to convince me that I could hold Bomber still with one hand and force the dropper on him with the other. LMFAO.

I asked for an alternative, like a gel or a wash, something I could apply a lot faster that didn't require as much accuracy and they just said NO. 🤷‍♂️

Anyway, he's fine now. Screenshot_20251117_202845.jpg
 
MyDogBitz said:
Where do I start?

First of all, we had to flush his eye out at the vets office. Three vet techs wanted to surround him to do it. LOL. Yeah right, that's not going to work.

So, I told them I'll do it. I flushed his eye out TWICE. 😂 He absolutely hated it and was PISSED OFF. Can't say that I blame him.

Anyway, they prescribed US medicated eye drops. Instructions say 1 drop, 3 times a day. I was able to get one dose in the night we came home. He freaked out, got zoomies and barked at me for like 5 minutes straight.

Fast forward to the next morning. 4:30am. I woke up, went into the kitchen, got a cup of coffee and put the drops in my sweatshirt pocket. I went downstairs to let Bomber out of his kennel. When I let him out, he greeted me in his usual happy way. BUT he put his nose directly in my pocket where the drops were at and started running back and forth barking and growling, jumping around and basically losing his shit. 😂 I'm laughing but it wasn't that funny in the moment.

I waited him out until he calmed down. We went out for our morning walk. When we got back I had him go on his place box and I tried to dose him again, with his leash on. He KNEW I had the drops and started throwing himself around like a crocodile in a death roll. 🙄 Totally dramatic.

I only was able to dose him one more time but I could tell it was really really bothering him and it wasn't something I wanted to fight him over so I let it go. His eye looks fine FWIW.

Normally, I would just impose my will and force the issue but I could see that he had no idea WHY I was doing what I was doing and I did not want to risk damaging the relationship by going through this fight 3X a day. Thankfully his eye is fine.

I'm a bit pissed off with the vet. The staff was totally dismissive. Some little 100lb girl was trying to convince me that I could hold Bomber still with one hand and force the dropper on him with the other. LMFAO.

I asked for an alternative, like a gel or a wash, something I could apply a lot faster that didn't require as much accuracy and they just said NO. 🤷‍♂️

Anyway, he's fine now. View attachment 374
Click to expand...

Oh man, him sniffing it then going crazy was funny to read. They have a whole bunch of energy to express their very opinionated thoughts LOL

Glad his eye is okay. He looks super happy in that photo.
 
MyDogBitz said:
Where do I start?

First of all, we had to flush his eye out at the vets office. Three vet techs wanted to surround him to do it. LOL. Yeah right, that's not going to work.

So, I told them I'll do it. I flushed his eye out TWICE. 😂 He absolutely hated it and was PISSED OFF. Can't say that I blame him.

Anyway, they prescribed US medicated eye drops. Instructions say 1 drop, 3 times a day. I was able to get one dose in the night we came home. He freaked out, got zoomies and barked at me for like 5 minutes straight.

Fast forward to the next morning. 4:30am. I woke up, went into the kitchen, got a cup of coffee and put the drops in my sweatshirt pocket. I went downstairs to let Bomber out of his kennel. When I let him out, he greeted me in his usual happy way. BUT he put his nose directly in my pocket where the drops were at and started running back and forth barking and growling, jumping around and basically losing his shit. 😂 I'm laughing but it wasn't that funny in the moment.

I waited him out until he calmed down. We went out for our morning walk. When we got back I had him go on his place box and I tried to dose him again, with his leash on. He KNEW I had the drops and started throwing himself around like a crocodile in a death roll. 🙄 Totally dramatic.

I only was able to dose him one more time but I could tell it was really really bothering him and it wasn't something I wanted to fight him over so I let it go. His eye looks fine FWIW.

Normally, I would just impose my will and force the issue but I could see that he had no idea WHY I was doing what I was doing and I did not want to risk damaging the relationship by going through this fight 3X a day. Thankfully his eye is fine.

I'm a bit pissed off with the vet. The staff was totally dismissive. Some little 100lb girl was trying to convince me that I could hold Bomber still with one hand and force the dropper on him with the other. LMFAO.

I asked for an alternative, like a gel or a wash, something I could apply a lot faster that didn't require as much accuracy and they just said NO. 🤷‍♂️

Anyway, he's fine now. View attachment 374
Click to expand...
Man, I felt every part of this. Big, confident dogs with strong opinions do not take kindly to anything around the eyes, especially when they don’t understand the “why.”

And honestly, you made the right call. There’s a huge difference between enforcing obedience and forcing something the dog perceives as painful or confusing. Three fights a day over something he thinks is an attack isn’t worth the hit to the relationship, especially when his eye is already clearing up.

This is one of those situations where handlers get judged by people who’ve never worked a dog with real power or intensity. They hear “just hold him still” and think it’s that simple. They’ve never experienced 90lbs of athleticism twisting like a gator because he doesn’t trust the moment.

You did the right thing by reading your dog. Not every battle is worth turning into a training session.

If you ever need to do this again, I’ve had good success conditioning it like I would with a muzzle:
  • treat -> touch near face
  • treat -> touch eyelid
  • treat -> fake dropper near eye
  • treat -> real drop
But even then, with a dog like Bomber, there will always be a bit of drama. Shepherds don’t do anything halfway. Glad he’s okay, and next time hopefully they give you a gel instead of expecting high-level precision on a fully awake working dog.
 
Malakai The Great said:
Man, I felt every part of this. Big, confident dogs with strong opinions do not take kindly to anything around the eyes, especially when they don’t understand the “why.”

And honestly, you made the right call. There’s a huge difference between enforcing obedience and forcing something the dog perceives as painful or confusing. Three fights a day over something he thinks is an attack isn’t worth the hit to the relationship, especially when his eye is already clearing up.

This is one of those situations where handlers get judged by people who’ve never worked a dog with real power or intensity. They hear “just hold him still” and think it’s that simple. They’ve never experienced 90lbs of athleticism twisting like a gator because he doesn’t trust the moment.

You did the right thing by reading your dog. Not every battle is worth turning into a training session.

If you ever need to do this again, I’ve had good success conditioning it like I would with a muzzle:
  • treat -> touch near face
  • treat -> touch eyelid
  • treat -> fake dropper near eye
  • treat -> real drop
But even then, with a dog like Bomber, there will always be a bit of drama. Shepherds don’t do anything halfway. Glad he’s okay, and next time hopefully they give you a gel instead of expecting high-level precision on a fully awake working dog.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words.

And I certainly feel like I let him down by not pre-conditioning the muzzle, the eye dropper and the muzzle grab. You know, you learn something new with every dog. If I ever have another big powerful dog, I'm going to tweak somethings when they are a puppy and one of those things is how much time I concentrate on handling. Admittedly, I started on Bomber very young and it went well but I got away from it too soon, and i didn't go back to it the way I knew I had to. It's something I need to address and will as the winter weather limits our outdoor time.
 
MyDogBitz said:
Thanks for the kind words.

And I certainly feel like I let him down by not pre-conditioning the muzzle, the eye dropper and the muzzle grab. You know, you learn something new with every dog. If I ever have another big powerful dog, I'm going to tweak somethings when they are a puppy and one of those things is how much time I concentrate on handling. Admittedly, I started on Bomber very young and it went well but I got away from it too soon, and i didn't go back to it the way I knew I had to. It's something I need to address and will as the winter weather limits our outdoor time.
Click to expand...
Don’t be hard on yourself. Every handler has that one area they realize they didn’t reinforce enough while the dog was young. It’s not failure, it’s just experience showing you where the next layer of work needs to happen.

Handling is one of those things that seems solid until the dog matures and forms real opinions. Totally normal, totally fixable. And honestly, winter is the perfect time to tune it up: slower pace, more controlled reps, nothing rushed.

You didn’t let Bomber down. You just found the next thing to tighten up, and the fact you’re already planning to address it is exactly why he’s turning into such a solid dog.
 
MyDogBitz said:
Thanks for the kind words.

And I certainly feel like I let him down by not pre-conditioning the muzzle, the eye dropper and the muzzle grab. You know, you learn something new with every dog. If I ever have another big powerful dog, I'm going to tweak somethings when they are a puppy and one of those things is how much time I concentrate on handling. Admittedly, I started on Bomber very young and it went well but I got away from it too soon, and i didn't go back to it the way I knew I had to. It's something I need to address and will as the winter weather limits our outdoor time.
Click to expand...
Like @Malakai The Great said, don't feel bad. You can't anticipate everything. I can grab my dog's muzzle any time I like. I do it several times a day kind of like a "joke". We have a trick, "middle" where she runs in between my legs and gives me constant eye contact.

That being said, if I tried to put an eye drop in her eye while grabbing her muzzle in the middle position... I have no idea how that would go. And even experienced trainers... it would be very easy to not even think about this scenario. I know I didn't think about it until I read this post.

Defs don't feel bad.
 
MyDogBitz said:
I never thought to desensitize my dog to an eye dropper. He needs these drops to fix the scratch on his eye. He absolutely, positively hates the eye dropper and loses his shit the second he sees it. I've never actually seen him this pissed off at something. 🤷‍♂️

I'm hesitant to push the issue because of how adamant he is in his protest. I asked the vet for an alternative treatment like an eye wash or a gel, (something I can apply quickly) but his only idea was a sedative. I'm not giving my dog a sedative three times a day - plus I don't really think it would help without being over-the-top strong - the dogs motor is other worldly. 🙄😆

I don't have the time to teach him to accept the eye dropper because he needs his treatment now, but obviously this is something I need to work on.

I'm open to any and all ideas.
Click to expand...
Just letting you know, I live in a place with military working dogs, and the doctor gave Murphy the same dose of Traznadone and Gabapentin that they give the working dogs to help with the paw issues we have. The medication STILL did not put her down. Not joking. So, tell the doctor good luck with that.

I can literally dose her for two days straight and the morning of the appointment and if the doctor gets weird with her, Murphy will be wide away and ready to BUCK.
 
murph said:
Just letting you know, I live in a place with military working dogs, and the doctor gave Murphy the same dose of Traznadone and Gabapentin that they give the working dogs to help with the paw issues we have. The medication STILL did not put her down. Not joking. So, tell the doctor good luck with that.

I can literally dose her for two days straight and the morning of the appointment and if the doctor gets weird with her, Murphy will be wide away and ready to BUCK.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's non starter for me.
 
murph said:
Like @Malakai The Great said, don't feel bad. You can't anticipate everything. I can grab my dog's muzzle any time I like. I do it several times a day kind of like a "joke". We have a trick, "middle" where she runs in between my legs and gives me constant eye contact.

That being said, if I tried to put an eye drop in her eye while grabbing her muzzle in the middle position... I have no idea how that would go. And even experienced trainers... it would be very easy to not even think about this scenario. I know I didn't think about it until I read this post.

Defs don't feel bad.
Click to expand...
Honestly, Im pretty confident the eye wash experience is what turned him off to the eye dropper. I'm certain if it was just a few eye drops it wouldn't have been anywhere near as difficult. He absolutely lost his shit when I had to flush his eye out. LOL. The reason why I say that is, I can clip his nails, clean his ears, inspect his body, check his mouth, wrap my hands around his muzzle, all with relatively little push back.
 
MyDogBitz said:
Honestly, Im pretty confident the eye wash experience is what turned him off to the eye dropper. I'm certain if it was just a few eye drops it wouldn't have been anywhere near as difficult. He absolutely lost his shit when I had to flush his eye out. LOL. The reason why I say that is, I can clip his nails, clean his ears, inspect his body, check his mouth, wrap my hands around his muzzle, all with relatively little push back.
Click to expand...
I think, because of my dog's age and temperament, I can do all of those things to her, but when the vet tries to do it, she's like wtf who are you. It's so confusing to me when they tell me the spaces and places she is not allowing them to touch her. I think though, vets should be more cognizant of what order they do these things in. Do the body assessments BEFORE the shots ffs.
 
murph said:
I think, because of my dog's age and temperament, I can do all of those things to her, but when the vet tries to do it, she's like wtf who are you. It's so confusing to me when they tell me the spaces and places she is not allowing them to touch her. I think though, vets should be more cognizant of what order they do these things in. Do the body assessments BEFORE the shots ffs.
Click to expand...
LOL. Yes, most definitely. I'm not really a fan of most vets. I feel like they've become salesmen over the years vs caregivers. JMO.
 
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