Massive eye drop frustration! Help!

Pippa has a little conjunctivitis and has eye drops from the vet. First fewt times were fine but she's now cottoned on and wriggles and growls and bites. We've always done loads of work with 'eyes/teeth/ears' etc for inspection and the vet was really impressed when she went. But I suppose that's different to having something shoved in your eye. It's so difficult to do now, this evenings ones were awful and Im not sure much went in and loads was wasted. We tried restraining and she just goes mental, and she's been so good recently with not snapping and being picked up with fuss I don't want to ruin it all. Im now trying to give her treats whilst waving the dropper near her eyes to try and get her used to that in the hope she'll cope with it better tomorrow morning when we have to do it all again. Any tips? Help!

Understandable dogs don't like people aiming things towards their eyeballs. Living alone with a dog my answer to anything I think might be too difficult to manage on my own when it comes to administering or doing stuff for the dog's own good - I employ the help of a pal or neighbour to hold on really tight to the dog while I do the dirty deed. Even if it means wrapping her tightly in a big towel first (she's a small dog but hellishly wriggly!) so that she cannot buck, kick, scratch or escape! I find the longer the performance goes on for the worse it gets every time otherwise. If your dog is BITING you should put a muzzle on it first.

*on a lighter note - this cannot be my nearest neighbour - he refuses to saying my dog loves him and she won't like him any more if he does lol!

Same battle this morning and no drops in eyes. Rang vets and going back this afternoon so they can try with a muzzle. I feel like the worst doggy mum ever that my dog won't let it happen without turning into a snarling biting beast. Even my husband seems to act like its my fault . We tried wrapping her in a towel but without a muzzle there's no point as she just screams and snarls as soon as the eye thing comes near. She's such a nice dog the rest of the time i feel like im turning her into a scared bitey dog by doing all this.

Don't blame yourself for your dog's natural self preservation instinct Jacsicle!

My next suggestion was going to be to appeal to the vet to do it for you even if it means going regularly. I realised this would cost you so hesitated to do so. You can then be the nice protector mummy while the vet is the bad guy!

Geez your OH is lucky he isn't mine!

And I DO understand. I had to administer the last worming pill to my minpin in the vet surgery because he refused to do so saying he could not be sure she wouldn't bite him! She hates pills and I had to wrestle her with one hand while shoving it in and clamping her mouth with the other as he wouldn't even hold her down!

And he charged me for the privilege. Not my vet - a UK vet I had to use before flying back. A vet that is scared of dogs just my luck.

Oh you poor thing. You really can't blame Pippa for trying to top some liquid being squirted in her eye. The vets will probably slip a muzzle her but even if you had one, putting it on her would also become an issue. The good thing is that conjunctivitis clears up very quickly with treatment, so maybe you could take her in to see the vet nurse a few times which would be a lot cheaper than seeing the vet.

My two disappear the second I get the monthly Advocate pipettes out, even if I hide it behind my back and then once I finally catch them you'd think I was sticking a knife in them, not putting a few drips on the back of their neck Fortunately they have never bitten though.

Good luck and I hope her eye heals very quickly.

Well when i say bite, she hasn't actually managed to bite us but she's had a good go! Just been to vets and the nurse had the same reaction from her. Managed to restrain her and get them in without a muzzle but Pip did have the nurse's thumb in her mouth at one point. Vet nurse says she didn't actually bite down so she's not being aggressive but 'trying her luck' and being a teenager. We're going to try again tomorrow hopefully feeling more confident but otherwise she's expected back at the vets tomorrow afternoon and they'll just do it once a day rather than us doing it twice a day. I agree with Jenny re the muzzle, that the muzzle then becomes an issue to get on and another struggle. Id rather avoid it if possible. However I think i will purchase one to have at home just in case of emergencies (eg. If she's injured and gets bitey etc).

Thanks for the comments though - i always lose confidence when these things happen.

I just conceal the bottle in my hand, make a fuss of the dog and come at them from behind so they never see the bottle. Once they realise what's happening it's already happened.

Glad you are getting somewhere if not ideal. Trouble I've never owned a dog that liked eardrops or wound tending or even pills. But I think it's fact that some dogs are easier than others. Bella the little Ayatollah min pin is the worst! Only time she ever bit me was when I approached with the scissors to cut her dressing off 3days after she was spayed. I've not pointed any scissors at her since!

Laughing at jenny.g and the flea treatment. EXACTLY the same here with Bella and the frontline pipette. I change where I keep them as she KNOWS the minute I head towards the box! She will vamoose as soon as I 'click' the top over. I will open one up and leave it propped on the side well in advance of administering it. Take her by surprise? She blerdy knows if I have it behind my back when I walk in the room! Good job she makes me laugh!

I got them in by myself this morning! After seeing the vet nurse get snarled at and 'bitten' and realising that Pippa wasn't actually biting down (however bad it sounded!) I felt more confident to try again. So this morning put up with the snarling and growling and snapping and ended up with a whole hand in her mouth but forcefully telling her 'no' and managed to get them in! And she wasn't properly biting after all. Don't feel anxious about it anymore which probably helps too.

Great news. Yes she will be picking up on your distress and anxiety. Nerves of steel and a determination to succeed is what is called for lol!