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.