Question from Eileen Murphy:
Hi, I have a bichon x poodle. She has been really poorly. She was born with a skin infection. She pulled through it and her fur is growing back on her face but since this she has been suffering with very watery eyes. Do I need to be taking her back to vets? She is healthy and very playful. I have no other worries from her.
Answer from vet Cat Henstridge
Excessively watery eyes are a common problem in both the Bichon Frisé and Poodle breeds, so it seems like your baby is following the trend!
However, it is important to have her checked over. Although dogs like her can have watery eyes as a ‘normal’ issue, it can also be caused by problems which are painful and need fixing. The most common of these is conjunctivitis. This is an inflammation of the sensitive tissue around the eyeball and is often triggered by infections, which in her case could have spread from her skin. Other issues include ingrowing eyelashes or ulcers on the cornea.
If nothing abnormal is diagnosed with the eyes themselves then she may have blocked tear ducts. Poodles are pre-disposed to this but it should be considered in any young dogs with very watery eyes. These are positioned at the lower inner corners of the eyes and drain away the tears. Often the opening hole doesn’t form properly and instead the tears fall onto the face. Once it has been diagnosed it is often easily rectified.
If everything is fine, in a dog like yours, with short noses and thick, curly coats, it is not uncommon for hairs to rub the eye. This causes a mild irritation leading to them watering more and also wicks the tears onto the face. Something simple like this can be improved by your groomer trimming the fur on the face nice and short and regularly wiping around the eyes.
Depending on how old she is, you may be making trips to the vets for puppy vaccinations anyway and she can be looked at then but I would advise you have her seen.
I hope this helps you!
Cat Henstridge BVSc MRCVS – Read more of her blogs at www.catthevet.com
If you have any worries about your pet, please make an appointment with your vet, or try our Symptom Guide.
Discussion
We found a puppy on the side of the road seems to be at least 4 weeks old, she’s developed pimple looking bumps with pus on her , what’s causing it ? And if I take her to the vet at such a young age being a rescue what are the chances of them taking her ?
She needs veterinary care full stop by the sound of things.
I have never heard of a vet forcibly taking an animal from a client which they have presented for treatment and for which they are willing and able to pay, so I have no reason to assume that they wouldn’t treat her!
The only complication would be if the original owners came forward, in which case she is their dog (assuming they did not deliberately abandon her, in which case the situation might be legally different) – however, I am not a lawyer and don’t know how your local legal system would address that.
My puppy that was said to be 8 weeks old has had a weeping eye and he doesn’t hold it open since we got him. He was also said to be husky and American bully mix. Is this normal? He seems like he can’t see out of his eye. He runs into things (walls, chairs, and whatever is in his way) all the time.
No, if he can’t see out AND it’s weeping all the time, definitely not normal – especially if he seems blind. It might well be a mild disorder that he will grow out of BUT without veterinary assessment and treatment there is a very high chance he will be blind for life. The earlier he can get appropriate veterinary care, the better the outcome is likely to be!
Thank you we went to the vet its only an allergy
Good to hear!
We have a 5 week old puppy mommy is a labrador retriever and daddy a golden yesterday she was fine today both her eyes are very watery looks like tears rolling is this normal what can i do
No, not normal, especially if it came on overnight: it’s probably either a scratch on the surface of the eye or an eye infection, so definitely time for a vet check.
I have a Labrador dog female of 2 years old her eyes are always little wet is it normal for her
To a great extent it depends how wet they are. A tiny bit of moisture (like in human eyes) is normal, if tit’s overflowing onto her skin, then no, it isn’t, and may suggest a blocked tear duct, eye inflammation or irritation.
I have a 6 months old chocolate lab/pit mix. No discharge, no smell, her eyes just get like dirt/sleepy in her eyes allot.
Some dogs do just get more than others, but if you think it’s a lot more than expected, it might be worth getting a vet check of her tear ducts, in case there’s a blockage.
I received my puppy on April 12th 2022, at the time he was 8 weeks old.
Since having him I have noticed his eyes are always wet, is this normal?
There is no colored discharge, it appears to just be clear watery fluid.
He is a tiny little guy as he is a mixed breed, he is Half Chihuahua/Shih Tzu.
He had a vet appt last week and they said he is very happy healthy and active. Am I over reacting? lol
Not necessarily; it’s not uncommon for small breed dogs like this (especially with Shih Tzu genetics) to have problems with unusually small tear ducts, meaning that the tears overflow.
Other possible issues include entropion (inward curved eyelids) – and that definitely needs veterinary attention, but I would have expected your vet to pick it up on examination.
I picked up a puppy so tiny he was the runt of a litter of 4 he is Jack Russell/chihuahua mix he has excessive eye watering he look very skinny but when we got home I gave him food water he drank water and immediately his stomach looked bloated almost as if he had over ate. He seems very timid and try’s to hide. So I just been holding him all day took him a warm bath he sleeps 10 minutes and gets up runs around seems playful for 5 minutes and starts trying to hide. I made him a appointment to see vet and get his shots on the 5th any suggestions on how to care for his eyes naturally?
It depends what’s going on. It’s best to get him checked over by the vet and see what’s going on; it could be entropion in which case he may just need nursing care until it sorts itself out, or he might need minor surgery. Alternatively, it could “just” be conjunctivitis which will clear up with regular gentle cleaning or if needed a course of drops – so best to see what’s going on first!
I had this issue with my puppy and it turned out to be a liver shunt – extremely serious so don’t wait – straight to the verts again I fear . I lost my little one and was completely devastated. Lynne
My puppy’s left eye is over watering
There are a number of possible causes, including blocked tear ducts, in-ward turned eyelids (entropion), and injury or infection to the eye. If it’s only one eye, it’s more likely to be an injury or an infection, and I would suggest a vet check: eyes are delicate!
My new puppy I am due to collect next week has watery eyes on the most recent picture the owner sent. She is a maltipoo, should I be worried? When I asked about it they said all puppies have watery eyes. Is this true or could this be a problem in the future or do you think its a once off occurrence?
It depends if they’re actually more watery than usual, or it’s just more visible than usual on the coat. I think there’s a high chance this could be due to entropion (inward eyelids) or extra eyelashes. In some cases, pups will grow out of it, but in many cases they need surgery. Without seeing the specific pup it’s impossible to say for sure.
Hi, I bought home my 8 weeks old puppy he is a crossbreed between a pug and a staff. He has watery eyes but he is perfectly fine in himself and not in any pain. Have I got anything to worry about or is it normal as he’s only young?
Thanks!
I would advise a check up as while this might just be irritation, it could also be a sign of entropion that will need monitoring and potentially treatment.
Hello, I just brought home an 8 weeks Shiba Ina female puppy. She has watery eyes and wondering if it’s a sign of any health issues or if it’s normal as it’s her first day home. Thank you!
Watery eyes are not uncommon in puppies, and have a wide range of different causes. It could be something really minor like dust, or more serious such as entropion (which can occur in any dog) or conjunctivitis (an eye infection).
I would advise you to get it checked out by your vet, as a watery eye may suggest some discomfort or even pain, and eyes are delicate!