How do I remove crust from the corners of my dog's eyes?

Dried crust sticks to the surrounding fur and can pull at the skin if wiped away while still hard, which is uncomfortable for your dog and can make future cleaning sessions harder if your dog starts anticipating discomfort. A warm compress held gently for 15 to 20 seconds loosens it considerably.

Once softened, wipe outward from the inner corner with a clean section of cloth, using light pressure rather than scrubbing. Most morning crust comes away easily at this point without needing to repeat the process more than once or twice.

Since crust often builds up overnight from normal tear production slowing during sleep, a quick morning check and wipe, taking under a minute, keeps it from accumulating into anything more stubborn or from matting into the surrounding fur.

Crust that feels unusually hard or seems to have built up over several days rather than overnight may need a slightly longer warm compress, closer to 30 to 40 seconds, before it softens enough to wipe away comfortably, and forcing it off before it has softened risks pulling at the skin.

For a dog with particularly long facial fur trapping crust against the skin, trimming that fur slightly shorter around the eyes, alongside regular wiping, reduces how much surface area is available for crust to cling to in the first place.

A second, lighter pass a few minutes later often lifts any remaining softened flecks that the first wipe did not fully catch.