Hair in Your Dog’s Eyeball – How to Get it Out Safely

As hairy animals, it’s perfectly normal for hair to get into your dog’s eyeballs, especially if it comes after a grooming session. Here’s what you should do next if the hair seems to be causing irritation in the dog’s eyes.

1. Don’t do anything

The situation may sort itself out, especially if it’s just a single stray hair in the dog’s eyeball. Leave your dog alone if he or she doesn’t seem too bothered by it. The hair may eventually come out with the tears. Don’t let this go on for too long though. See the next steps if the hair doesn’t come out from the dog’s eyeball after a few hours.

2. Flush the dog’s eyeball

Move the pieces of hair to the corner of the dog’s eyeball by flushing them. We suggest using a simple saline solution that can be purchased from a veterinarian or pharmacy. You could also make your own by mixing a tiny bit of salt with warm distilled water (make sure the salt has dissolved and the solution has cooled down before applying it on your dog’s eyes).

3. Check with the vet

A visit to the vet might be necessary if the piece of hair is starting to create a lot of discomfort for your dog (e.g. eyes becoming swollen) and you aren’t having any success removing it. You should also check with the vet if the hair pieces are getting stuck in your dog’s eyeball more frequently. Hair loss around the eyes could be indicative of a health disorder. Fungal infections like ringworm, for example, could lead to hair loss around the dog’s eyes.