At some point you may have looked down at your dog and noticed watery eyes. It’s easy to assume that the dog is crying, but those tears are actually caused by something other than emotions.

We know that dogs can sense our emotions, and we know they are capable of grief, but can they cry real, emotional tears?

Dogs are compassionate and sensitive animals. When we’re happy, there they are to wag their tails and share the joy. When we’re feeling blue, there they are to offer a warm cuddle and share the sadness. They are our friends, through and through.

But, while humans can cry for emotional reasons, dogs cannot. So what exactly are they doing instead of being overcome with emotion?

Like humans, dogs have tear ducts to help keep their eyes functioning properly. However, a dog’s tear ducts drain the liquid back towards the throat and nose area instead of spilling out. So if a dog looks like he’s crying, there might be something wrong that you need to get checked out by a veterinarian.

Here are some common causes of tears in dogs:

Allergies

Just like with humans, allergies can cause a dog’s eyes to water. Dogs can be allergic to a number of things, including pollen, dust, dander, smoke, or food ingredients. A vet may have to run a few tests or put the dog on a special elimination diet to figure out the cause of the allergic reaction.

Blocked Tear Ducts

If a dog’s tear ducts get blocked, then tears may start flowing from your dog’s eyes. This eye discharge is called epiphora. You will know your dog has epiphora because the area around your dog’s eyes will be damp. If it’s been going on for a while, your dog may develop skin irritation or have brown or reddish fur around their eyes. Seek veterinary attention when you first notice symptoms.

Infection

If the dog’s tears are yellow, mucusy, or bloody instead of clear, it may be a sign that your dog has an eye infection. Other symptoms could be a swollen or irritated eye area. If your dog is displaying these signs, something may be seriously wrong, and you should go to a vet and get medical treatment.

Scratched Cornea

If your dog is an active dog, then he may be susceptible to a scratched cornea. Rough play with dogs or cats, running through thick brush, and projectiles in the area can be causes of a scratched cornea. Besides tearing, a dog may paw at his eye, blink a lot, or have an inflamed eye area. Take your dog to the vet if he shows any signs of having a scratched cornea.

Speck of Dirt

Sometimes, if your dog is tearing up, it just means he has a speck of dirt or an eyelash in his eye. If this is the case, the tears should stop soon. However, make sure to watch your dog for prolonged or more serious symptoms, and bring your dog to the vet if necessary.

Even though it might look like dogs cry tears, it’s usually just an indication that there is something wrong. Instead of handing your dog a tissue, make sure you watch her closely, and seek medical treatment, it may be something serious.

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Four common dog eye problems

Eye infections
How do dogs get eye infections? Sometimes they just get something in their eye that has bacteria. Other times they may come into contact with another dog that’s infected.

Signs of a canine eye infection include excessive crying and whining, light sensitivity, redness, and green or yellow discharge that crusts over their eyes. Breeds prone to eye infections include cocker spaniels, Maltese, Pekingese, poodles, pugs, and Shih-Tzus.

Cataracts
This largely genetic condition will make the lens of your dog’s eye appear increasingly white or cloudy, coinciding with a progressive deterioration in his vision and eventually blindness.

All dog breeds can develop cataracts, and it’s also possible to get them from disease, immune system problems, or injury. But some breeds are more susceptible than others. These include: American cocker spaniel, bichon frise, Boston terrier, Havanese, miniature schnauzer, miniature and standard poodle, silky terriers, and smooth fox terriers.

In-growing eyelids
Also known as entropion, with this condition, your dog’s eyelids will actually grow or roll inwards, rubbing up against the cornea and causing damage and discomfort.

Though it can occur in any dog, entropion is a leading health concern in breeds such as the Akita, American Staffordshire terrier, bloodhound, Chinese Shar-Pei, chow chow, English bulldog, English mastiff, Great Dane, Neapolitan mastiff, Rottweiler, spaniel, vizsla, and Weimaraner.

Third eyelid prolapse
This may sound strange, but every dog has a third eyelid. The gland of this eyelid protects the cornea by secreting tears. Sometimes, though, this gland can become swollen and exposed.

When that happens, you may see yellow mucus indicating the irritation. Brachycephalic or “flat-faced” breeds like the Pekingese, pug, and Shih-Tzu commonly have this problem.

How to take care of your dog’s eyes
While each of the problems above are likely to require veterinary consultation and specific treatments to solve the issue, there are still a number of general things you can do to keep your dog’s eyes healthy and to catch things early on.

Gaze into her eyes
Check your dog’s eyes regularly by taking her to a bright area and looking for crust, discharge, or tearing, and making sure that there’s white around the eyeball.

You should also watch out for cloudiness, unequal pupil sizes, a visible third eyelid, a change in eye color, closed eyes, or rubbing of the eyes. These are signs your dog needs to see the vet.

Check the lining
While you’re there, look at the inner lining of his eyelid by rolling the lid down. You want it to be pink, not white or red.

Clean them out
Keep her eyes free of gunk and crustiness by using a damp cotton ball and wiping outward from the corner of her eye, being careful not to scratch the cornea. Use dog eye wash if you see redness, which is common during dry winters.

Keep your dog clipped
Long hair can scratch and poke your dog’s eyes, so trim those bangs using round-tip scissors.

Close the windows
It might bring a smile to your face — and your dog’s — when they stick their head out the window while riding in the car, but wind and debris can actually cause serious eye problems.

Has your dog experienced eye problems? What course of treatment did you use and did it work?

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10 Most Common Dog Emergencies Seen in the Vet ER

Dog trauma

If your dog has sustained some form of trauma such as a fall, gunshot wound, getting hit by a car or is involved in a dog fight then immediate veterinary attention is needed. Even if your dog appears fine initially a check-up with your veterinarian is still necessary because sometimes injuries sustained from a traumatic event such as a ruptured lung, diaphragmatic hernia or internal bleeding will not manifest symptoms immediately. Wounds such as lacerations and bite wounds may be deeper than they appear and complications such as infection can result from delaying veterinary attention. Sometimes the traumatic event is not witnessed by the owner, if you find your dog limping, seemingly in pain or is just not acting right then it would be best to have her checked out.

Dog has difficulty breathing

Dyspnea is also known as difficulty breathing and can manifest as wheezing, choking, weak and raspy breathing or respiratory arrest. This can be caused by a foreign body in the throat, allergic reaction, heart disease or pulmonary disease. If there is a foreign body present it is important not to try and extract it yourself – doing so may lodge the object even deeper, completely obstructing the airway. Breathing problems almost always indicate major dog health problems so do not wait to take immediate action.

Dog neurological conditions

Neurological problems can manifest in your dog as disorientation, incoordination, severe lethargy, unresponsiveness, and coma. A normal healthy dog is bright, alert and responsive; any pronounced change in your dog’s mental status requires immediate veterinary attention. Lethargy and weakness can be seen with any serious illness and should never be ignored. Sometimes neurological disorders do not affect mentation (for instance loss of use of the hind limbs can sometimes be cause by a ruptured intervertebral disc). Again these are serious disorders that need prompt veterinary attention to achieve the most favorable outcome.

Dog seizures

Seizures are also considered a neurological condition but are so common in dogs it deserves its own category. Any dog that has never experienced a seizure before needs to be seen immediately. Signs associated with a seizure include uncontrollable shaking and tremors, loss of consciousness, paddling with the legs and possible loss of bowel or urinary control. The most common cause of seizures in dogs is epilepsy. If your dog is diagnosed as epileptic not every seizure will constitute an emergency. If your dog has multiple seizures within a 24-hour period or if a seizure lasts longer than a couple minutes then your epileptic dog may need immediate veterinary attention. Talk to your veterinarian more about how to manage epilepsy and what to watch for. Other causes of seizures include hypoglycemia in puppies, insulinoma in older dogs and toxicities in dogs of all ages.

Suspected or known toxic exposure

You found a chewed up rat bait while running some laundry down to the basement or you notice the bag of fertilizer in the garden shed has been ripped open. If you suspect your dog has gotten into something potentially toxic call the ASPCA animal poison control at (888) 426-4435 for immediate advice on what to do. A veterinary toxicologist may advise you to induce vomiting, seek immediate veterinary attention or simply monitor at home if the substance ingested turns out to be innocuous. Keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in the house at all times in case you are ever asked to induce vomiting.

Dog vomiting and dog diarrhea

Vomiting and diarrhea are common problems in dogs and while they can be signs of a serious dog health issues the majority of cases are simple gastric upset that typically resolves within 24 hours. If your dog is otherwise acting fine then rest the stomach by withholding food for 4 to 6 hours and make sure your dog has access to plenty of water so they can stay hydrated. If she develops additional clinical signs such as lethargy, weakness or seems to be in pain then immediate veterinary attention is indicated. Also if vomiting or diarrhea persists more than 24 hours OR you notice blood in the vomitus or the diarrheas then go see your veterinarian immediately. If your dog has a chronic medical problem such as diabetes and starts vomiting then it is not recommended to wait 24 hours and to seek veterinary attention as soon as possible.

Dog distended abdomen or abdominal pain

If you notice your dog’s abdomen is distended and she seems to be in pain and/or uncomfortable then a serious medical problem necessitating immediate veterinary care is likely. Abdominal distension may be accompanied by dry heaves, retching, weakness, collapse and difficulty breathing. Abdominal distension can be caused by air trapped in the stomach which can cause the stomach to twist over on itself. This condition is known as gastric dilatation-volvulus—or commonly “bloat” – and usually occurs in large breed dogs. This is life threatening if not treated and the sooner you go to the veterinarian the better your dog’s odds for a positive outcome will be. Other reasons for abdominal distension can be fluid distension (ascites) from heart disease and hemoabdomen from internal bleeding such as a ruptured spleen.

Dog ocular problems

Eye problems in dogs have a nasty tendency to deteriorate faster than problems in other areas. These problems can quickly escalate into loss of the eye and blindness if not treated especially glaucoma. Signs of ocular disease include redness of the eye, discharge, excessive tearing swelling, squinting and constant pawing at the eye. Even if it is just a foreign body in the eye or a superficial scratch on the cornea prompt veterinary treatment can prevent a minor problem from becoming a serious one.

Dog urinary problems

If you notice your dog is not producing any urine then go see your veterinarian as soon as possible. While much more common dog health problem in cats than dogs, urinary blockages do occur and are life-threatening. If you notice difficulty urinating or blood in the urine then see your veterinarian as soon as possible because it may indicate a urinary infection or urinary stones that can escalate to blockage if not treated.

Dog whelping emergencies

If your dog goes into labor and you notice that more than four hours pass without any puppies, strains for more than 30 minutes without results or more than two hours elapse between puppies then she may be experiencing dystocia. Call your veterinarian immediately for advice.

This list is by no means all inclusive of definite emergencies but is a compilation of the more common dog health emergencies seen. If there is something going on with your dog and you are not sure if it is an emergency or not, be aware that help is just a phone call away. Always have the number of your regular veterinarian, the ASPCA poison control and the number of your local 24-hour emergency clinic available. As a dog owner you know your dog best – if you suspect something is wrong do not hesitate to call. This one act can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. Never feel embarrassed about calling or being a worrywart because it is better to be safe than sorry.

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A few days ago, I got an eight-week-old, male teacup Chihuahua. The first day we noticed his eye was a little watery but thought nothing of it. We took him to the animal hospital the next day because this red thing was popping out of his eye!

The vet gave us ointment and pushed it back in, but it popped back two days later which the vet said it probably would do. She recommended having the cherry eye pinned or removed. Can you tell me about both of these options in a little more detail? I have heard that pinning does not always work and is expensive. Removing the cherry eye may potentially cause other eye problems in the future, as well as the need for lubricating the eye frequently. What do you recommend, and why?

Thank you for you help!
Amber Holmes

Dear Amber,

Cherry eye, or prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid, is quite common in small dogs. The prolapsed gland itself rarely causes discomfort or damage to the eye, so the repair is mostly cosmetic. Most people choose to repair it, because it can have a very unpleasant appearance. If the gland does not return to the normal place with steroid ointment, surgery is the only cure.

A large portion of the eyes tear production comes from the involved gland, so removal can cause a dry eye which can lead to damaged vision. If this does happen, it is controllable with medications, but it is preferable to prevent it. The most successful surgical approach is the technique which tucks the gland down into the conjunctiva. The only risk with this technique is the potential for a small piece of suture to rub the cornea (which is easily fixed by removing the offending suture), and I rarely have recurrences.

The technique which tacks the gland to the edge of the eye socket can have a high failure rate, so I don’t recommend it any more. Currently, due to the potential for long term problems, I only recommend removing the gland if it has had a failed tack and even then only if it is really bothering the eye. I have only had to remove the gland one time in nearly sixteen years of practice, and I have had excellent results with the tucking-in technique.

-Dr. Weaver

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