A dog's eyes are watery: the main causes, ways to eliminate tearing + prevention of eye diseases

Video “Why do a dog’s eyes water”

In this video, an expert will talk about the main reasons why dogs can have watery eyes.

Breed Predisposition

Some dogs cry because they belong to a particular breed. This primarily applies to pets with long hair and large eye slits, which cause stretching of the skin folds. In this case, do not panic and carry out treatment. Preventative daily cleaning is sufficient. These breeds include Saint Bernards, Shar-Peis, Bullmastiffs, Basset Hounds, Bulldogs, Bloodhounds and many other breeds.

Diseases associated with tearing

Sometimes not only tears flow from the eyes of animals, but also pus. What to do in this case? Be sure to seek help from a specialist. He will examine the pet and make the correct diagnosis. Most often, discharge such as tears and pus may indicate conjunctivitis or the presence of worms.

Separately, it is worth making the following list of ailments that are accompanied by excessive production of tears:

entropion of the eyelid;
inflammation of the lacrimal compartments;
traumatic blows;
keratitis;
blepharitis;
glaucoma;
keratoconjunctivitis.

Dangerous allergens

If your pet doesn't have any of the conditions listed above and you're wondering why his eyes are running, get him tested for allergies. Sometimes tearfulness is a response to intolerance to household chemicals and certain products.

Your pet may develop an allergic reaction if you frequently use deodorants, air fresheners, or perfumes. The eyelids of dogs, especially puppies, are sensitive to such substances, so try to use away from your pet. You can also ventilate the room immediately after using allergens.

Your dog may have watery eyes due to allergies.

You should not include preservatives and sweets in your pet's diet, as they can provoke an allergic reaction. When purchasing animal feed, pay attention to the composition and manufacturer. Often, the desire of owners to pamper their pets with delicious food ends in the development of diabetes and allergies.

Specialists will prescribe a long course of treatment for an unpleasant reaction of the body. You will have to purchase antihistamines and special drops to eliminate eyelid discomfort.

Traumatic injuries

Another cause of tearing is pain after injury. These include scratches, blows, etc. The more serious the injury, the stronger the inflammation and pain.

Possible causes of lameness

In case of lameness, the cause is determined. There are a number of factors that cause lameness in puppies; the reasons are separately noted:

injury, muscle strain;
chronic diseases;
broken claw;
a cut;
cracked dry pads;
burn;
getting a foreign object between your fingers.

The injury is caused by an unsuccessful jump during a game or a sprained ligament. A dislocated joint or broken bone will require you to see a doctor. Muscle overstrain occurs after too long walks or intense running, for example, behind a bicycle. Do not overexert small pets with too intense exercise.

Long-term lameness on the front legs should be of great concern to the owner of the animal. The phenomenon often becomes evidence of serious chronic diseases such as joint dysplasia and developing arthritis. Pathologies require immediate treatment. The development of diseases threatens the dog with complete health problems.

Ways to eliminate tearing

In order to eliminate an unpleasant symptom, first of all you must know what triggered its occurrence. If you take your dog to the veterinarian, you will have to answer questions about what medications you have used recently, what you are feeding the animal, what illnesses the pet has suffered, etc. But if the tears are the result of an injury, you should know how to help the animal .

First aid

If your puppy's eyes are leaking, carefully examine your pet's corneas and eyelids to determine whether the tears are pure or purulent. In some cases, foreign bodies can be found in the eyes, redness can be seen, as well as other symptoms.

Very often dogs do not allow themselves to be examined - they will break out and bite. In order not to cause discomfort to the animal and to conduct an examination, sit it on a flat surface (table or floor). Hold your eyelids and gently open them. It is very important at this moment to speak kind words to your pet so that he is not afraid.

It is ideal if during the examination one person holds the dog and the other opens his eyes. This way, you will have two hands free and the procedure will be painless for your pet.

You need to examine the eyelids carefully, without pressing on the eyeball. If you go to the veterinarian, write down all the details of the home examination. This information will help the specialist make a correct diagnosis.

If dust or other foreign bodies get into your animal's eyes, you can remove them yourself. In some cases, dogs leak fluid due to dry air in the room. In this case, it is enough to drop special drops with a moisturizing effect into the animal’s eyes. If this method does not help for a long time, contact a specialist for advice.

If your eyes become dry, apply moisturizing drops to them.

Necessary medications and drugs

Every pet owner should have first aid medications to help treat their animals. As for peephole products, your first aid kit must include a solution for preventative cleaning. Sodium chloride can be used. This drug has a mild composition, so it does not cause damage.

As for the drops, you can purchase a product with a soothing and moisturizing effect. Usually such remedies also eliminate swelling. If your animal has allergies, be sure to buy antihistamines. Carefully study the instructions for use of the tablets. The most effective of them is Cetirizine. This remedy should be given to the dog once a day. In some cases, the dose is increased to one and a half or two tablets, but this should not be done without the advice of a veterinarian.

Eye ointment is another must-have item for any dog owner's first aid kit. The advantage of this product is that it contains an antibiotic. The ointment should be used several times a day if, in addition to tears, the dog secretes pus. Before using the ointment, do not forget to rinse your pet's eyes.

The medicine cabinet should also contain medicinal herbs, such as chamomile. It can be used for therapeutic and preventive purposes, depending on the symptoms and factors that provoked the disease. You need to brew the herb and let it brew under the lid for half an hour. After this, wait until the liquid cools down and use it. The solution is used to wipe dogs' eyes.

Lacrimation of allergic origin

If your puppy's eyes begin to water suddenly in the spring, or watery eyes appear after the puppy goes outside, it makes sense to suspect an allergic reaction. Of course, it is better to contact a veterinarian immediately, but if this is not possible, you can help your puppy yourself:

Pets of small breeds are given ¼ tablets of diphenhydramine, large puppies are allowed to be given up to ½ tablets.
Suprastin can be administered in the same doses.

If no noticeable improvement is observed after about an hour and a half from the delivery of the tablet, then your watery eyes are probably not caused by an allergy. Feeding your puppy antihistamines is harmful and useless; you need to call a veterinarian.

Dog eye care rules

In order to save your pet from an unpleasant illness, you need to use the products wisely. For example, if mucus appears, use only medications intended for this purpose. Also, do not wash your eyes with alcohol-based preparations or peroxide. Change cotton pads before washing your eyes. If you treat both eyes with one disc, you can transfer the infection from one eye to the other.

Do not press on your eyelids under any circumstances. Move the cotton pad clockwise, gently swiping from the outside of the eye to the nose. Do not forget that it is better to prevent a problem than to get rid of it later. Therefore, examine the animal every day and use preventive methods.

It is necessary to accustom your dog to hygiene procedures from puppyhood, so as not to provoke stress.

Prevention of eye diseases

In order to prevent the occurrence of unpleasant symptoms, pay special attention to hygiene procedures with the eyelids of your pets. At the veterinary pharmacy you can purchase special products that will relieve the animal of secretions.

When washing your pet, make sure that the shampoo does not get on the mucous membranes, otherwise an allergy may occur. The same goes for chemicals you apply to your dog's fur to get rid of fleas and ticks.

If your dog has long hair, you should take him to the groomer as often as possible or trim him at home. Long hair in the area of the bridge of the nose gets into the eyes, thereby causing discharge. If you do not want or for some reason cannot cut your pet's hair, secure the fur with rubber bands.

You can prevent this unpleasant disease with a balanced diet. If you listen to the advice of experts and create an appropriate diet for your animal, you can prevent many problems. Also, bring your dog to see a specialist more often to prevent the occurrence of serious illnesses.

As you can see, there are many reasons why your eyes become watery. But if the problem arose as a result of an injury, you should not delay going to the veterinarian. Only a specialist can prescribe the necessary treatment, as well as examine the dog for negative consequences in the future.

How to treat

What to do if the cause of your dog's lacrimation is related to a disease? If this is a general disease of an infectious nature, then the tears will stop flowing as soon as the underlying disease is cured.

For inflammatory eye diseases - conjunctivitis, uevitis, keratitis, complex treatment is prescribed, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial drugs, which are applied to the eye in the form of drops or ointments. If necessary, veterinarians recommend additional medications in tablets or injections.

The most popular drugs used to treat conjunctivitis, keratitis, and blepharitis in dogs are veterinary drops - “Tsiprovet”, “Bars”. They contain antibiotics that are active against gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms and also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Glaucoma in dogs has practically no treatment, only drugs are prescribed that lower intraocular pressure and alleviate the animal’s condition.

For lacrimation associated with pathologies of the lacrimal system, surgical intervention is most often necessary. During the operation, the patency of narrowed, overgrown or blocked areas is restored, after which tear drainage begins to occur normally.

Watery eyes in a dog suffering from allergies due to poor diet or exposure to external factors will return to normal after the animal’s contact with the allergen stops. Additionally, the doctor may prescribe antihistamines.

To preventively moisturize the surface of a dog’s eye in a dry room, you can use “Diamond Eye” or “Optimmune” drops.