Caution: Not All Dog Tears Need Eye Drops!

If your dog frequently sheds tears without apparent cause, accompanied by symptoms like frequent blinking, squinting, scratching at their eyes, excessive eye boogers, or red, swollen eyes, it's time to take notice. These signs suggest your furry friend might be experiencing eye health issues. But what could be causing a puppy to cry tears? And what medication can help? Don't worry; today, let's delve into these questions together.

Understanding the Common Causes of a Puppy's Excessive Tears

1. Foreign Body Irritation: Dust, sand, hair, and even strong odors, bathwater, or volatile chemicals can enter the eyes and cause irritation, leading to redness and tears.

2. Eye Infections: Bacterial or viral infections can lead to conjunctivitis or keratitis, resulting in excessive tearing, redness, and increased discharge.

3. Entropion: Some puppies may develop inverted eyelids, due to trauma, injury, or congenital factors, causing the eyelashes to rub against the eye, leading to persistent tearing.

4. Dacryocystitis: Obstruction of the nasolacrimal ducts can prevent tears from draining properly, causing excess tears to overflow from the eye sockets.

5. Allergic Reactions: Some puppies may be allergic to certain foods, environmental allergens like pollen, or chemicals, which can trigger redness and tearing.

6. Genetic Factors: Certain small dog breeds, such as Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and Teddy Bears, may genetically predispose them to excessive tearing.

What Medication Can Help with a Puppy's Excessive Tears?

If you notice your puppy frequently shedding tears, it's important to assess if they also exhibit symptoms like redness, increased discharge, or frequent eye scratching. If these symptoms are present, it's advisable to take your dog to a veterinarian promptly.

In cases where veterinary care isn't immediately available, here's what you can do:

Eye Irrigation: Use sterile saline solution to rinse your puppy's eyes, removing any discharge or foreign particles.

Eye Drops: Administer Baytril (sulfamethoxazoletrimethoprim) eye drops to alleviate eye inflammation.

Elizabethan Collar: Use an Elizabethan collar to prevent your dog from scratching their eyes.

If your puppy is simply tearing up without other symptoms, it might be due to factors like a salty diet, entropion, dacryocystitis, or foreign body irritation. Here's how to handle these cases:

Eye Irrigation: Rinse your puppy's eyes with sterile saline to clear away any discharge or foreign objects.

Antibiotic Eye Drops: Use antibiotic eye drops to prevent infection.

Hair Trimming: Regularly trim the hair around your puppy's eyes to avoid irritation.

Environmental Control: Keep the environment clean to avoid dust, hair, smoke, and other irritants.

Diet Adjustment: Feed your dog a diet low in salt.

Cleaning Tear Stains: If your puppy has developed tear stains, use a solution of 20% saline and 80% boric acid to wipe them away 23 times daily.

Eye and Nasolacrimal Massage: Gently massage your puppy's eye area and nasolacrimal ducts 35 times a week to prevent blockages.

If these measures do not improve your puppy's tearing, it's crucial to consult a veterinarian or take your pet to a veterinary clinic for a thorough examination and appropriate treatment.