UPDATED: How to clean your Pugs Eyes and Nose Wrinkle

[Rosiepug]

This is an important part of Pug care and people new to pugs often struggle with this but it is very easy to do and you'll find your pug complies quite quickly.

Instructions for right-handed people. Left handers do the reverse.

Be confident but firm with your Pug.

Sit the puggy in your lap.

Right handed people put your left arm around the pug, hold him close to you and take his head in your left hand under the jaw.

With your left index finger or thumb, gently lift the nose roll and using an unscented baby wipe, clean under the roll from center just above the nose to left, continuing down the side of the muzzle and with a clean piece of baby wipe from center to right, and down the right side of the muzzle, continue until completely clean and any cheesy smell has gone.
If the nose roll is regularly quite dirty, you can use Johnson's Diamond Eyes, which is primarily a cleanser for around (but not in) the eyes, it also cleans and disinfects all furrows, folds and wrinkles, including the nose roll. I use this morning and evening.
Dry thoroughly by blotting with a kleenex afterwards.

Preventative Eye Care

Our Pugs rarely make sufficient natural tears. Hot dry weather as well as the wind and A/C exascerbate the problem.
Pugs who have a lot of grey matter or debris stuck to the cornea, are a giveaway to producing too little tears. A Schirmer test can be taken at the Vets to verify the amount of tears your pug produces but all pugs can benefit from the care below to help avoid Pigmentary Keratitis.
Schirmer Tear Test

Right handed people, sit puggy in your lap and put your left arm around the him, hold him close to you and keep him tucked in with your elbow, take his head in your left hand under the jaw.

1) With your right hand, take your Eye Cleanser and instill 2 drops in each eye.
Take a baby wipe and remove any matter which has been flushed out, wiping the eyes coming from behind and over the head!

2 (Optional but the best preventative medicine)
Take a physiological corneal protector, I'm using TWELVE and instill one or two drops twice daily.
This product contains vitamin B12 and is an essential factor for cell multiplication and repair.
It improves the adhesion of the tears on the cornea. The Hyaluronic Acid possesses lubricating and hydrating properties through it's abiity to bind with a very large number of water molecules.

3) Take a tube of Eyelube in your right hand and gently pull back the top eyelid slightly with your left hand, (keeping the pug firmly in place next to your body with your left elbow,) deposit a drop of lube.
Do the same with both eyes and wipe clean with a clean baby wipe.

In the evening before bed, my routine is exactly the same as the morning, except that I substitute Ocry-Gel Eyelube with Vitamin C Dulcis.
I clean the eyes as in step one and two, then smear a centimeter of Vitamin A Dulcis in each eye. This is a long lasting lubricant and would be especially important to anyone who has a pug that doesn't fully close its eyes while sleeping, which can lead to Dry Eye and Pigmentary Keratitis.

Treat and praise abondantly.

Please note
I recommend using Eyelube specifically for animals obtained from the Vet. I'm using Ocry-Gel which holds 500 times its weight in water.
Human Eyelube is not as effective because the molecules are not the size readily utilized by animals.
It is however better to use Human Eyelube, than no eyelube at all.

Do this routine every day and you'll never have another problem handling the face and if ever you need to use eye medication, you'll never have a fight on your hands.
Again these are precautionary measures against dry eye and a barrier against dust and debris that tends to settle on those big appealing puggy eyes.

Puppy owners start now it's so much easier to have a puppy comply.

[Stazz]

FANTASTIC !!!! Thank you sooo so much for this! It sounds easy enough hehe. I'll be trying this at home when I get back from work. This will really help and save $$$ in the end, as the groomers know Yoda and I by name now ! LOL.

[TruPugUR]

Thank you for sharing this information. The detailed explanation is great and gives me more confidence which in turn will make it a better experience for Trudy. I am grateful for all I learn from experienced pug owners here at PV.

[Piper]

I have not been here for a while and this is why I came - to make sure I was cleaning the wrinkle correctly. Piper's is so deep I swear to god we could grow crops in it!

[Lisalove]

What is eyelube exactly? Where can I get it?

[Rosiepug]

What is eyelube exactly? Where can I get it?

Eyelube is any brand of moisturising gel you can buy from the pharmacy. It comes under names like

Humigel or Lacrigel in France

Natural Tears, in USA and Canada and possibly the UK

Ask in any pharmacy for a gel that moisturises and lubricates the eyes. Specific products can be bought from the Vet too but they may be more expensive.

[shaynapug]

Genteal Gel Severe is recommended by a specialist here.

[Squeezable Beasties]

What is eyelube exactly? Where can I get it?

Our Pug's Ophthalmologist sells "Puralube" eye ointment (which apparently, though a Registered Servicemark, is made by at least two different manufactures, or at least labeled as such. PURALUBE Vet - Dechra ). It is White Petrolatum and light Mineral Oil.. It can also be purchased for around $4/tube (around 1/2 the price at the Dr., or of Genteel at our 'local' CVS or Walgreens) from any of a number of hopefully reputable online suppliers like AlliVet, Vet America, KVVet and Pet Edge. Dr.s Foster and Smith sells their own labeled brand.

A tube lasts us around one month, applied twice per day. We usually order 3 or 4 tubes at at time along with other meds and supplies.

While the Eye Doc. doesn't have a preference for Genteel, or Puralube, she does recommend an ointment type, since she says that it will remain effective longer than liquids/drops.

Thanks RosiePug, and other contributors, for the great addition to the PMH/POM (Pug Maintenance Handbook/Pug Operators Manual).

[ImmortalBeloved]

Mopsy hates to have her nose wrinkle cleaned. I try to be as gentle as I can when I do it but she doesn't care for it at all. She wiggles a bit but I get it done. I will try this!

[Pug Snuggle]

What a great explaination. Thank you! My pug hates to have her wrinkles cleaned. I blame the bad breeder she came from because the breeder didnt care about her or clean her wrinkles regularly. Im slowly getting her use to wrinkle cleaning and I totally agree that treats and praise afterwards work wonders. That and a gently soothing voice talking to her while I clean makes her realize that shes in good hands. :)