Why Dogs Have Tears

It is early in the morning, and your dog - your precious companion - sits there, with wet spots surrounding her eyes. She looks at you with a desire and a calming presence. Was she, perhaps, sad? Was she in need? That may be something you are unaware of and in complete concurring thought over; because although humans and animals have a bond that is unbreakable, there is a difference in the way their bodies work. Tears have been known to be brought about during the best and worst of times; yet, as humans, tears represent something far different than those that come from our dogs. Through moments of trial and moments of joy, animals will act in specific ways to express themselves and although tears seem like they may represent an expression, they may be something a bit more intrusive. With the right knowledge, you can know how to take proper care of your animal when those tears drain from their eyes.

The physical structure of a dog’s body is different than that of a human’s body. The tear ducts of your dog drain the liquid that is being held inward towards the back of the throat and the nose, instead of down the cheeks of the dog’s face. Therefore, tears on the outside of the dog’s body, most likely, may result in something a bit more serious than that of emotional tears. It could be important to look further into the purpose of why your animal has tears in or around their eyes and may be causing them discomfort. There are a few common causes that your dog could be experiencing. Similar to the eyes of human beings, irritation of the eyes can be the simplest cause of wet spots and tears in your dog. The first type of irritation that seems to be a popular cause is that of allergies. Dogs are sensitive creatures and can be allergic to anything, from pollen to even certain foods that they eat. They may also have something lodged in their eye that is causing irritation; from the smallest piece of dirt to a piece of hair that has fallen in their eye. Yet, beyond the easy irritation that occurs there may also be an infection in your dog’s eye. A few types of infections that may cause tears to drain from your dog’s eyes will usually be of inflammation. From scratches on their eyes to a clogged tear duct, inflammation can occur from these simple irritations. It may be difficult to see the lengths of your animal’s inflammation or infection, but if your dog’s eyes are infected to a stronger degree, the tears your dog have may contain yellow mucus or a bit of discoloration. Whether their eye irritation is mild or severe, it is important to heal it.

Eye irritation and eye-watering is quite common in all breeds of dogs. However, it is not something that should be ignored in your animal. Tears may be an important indicator of your dog’s health, even though having them is not something that is desired for your dog’s wellbeing. Eye-watering, tears, and even discoloration of the tears that flow from your dog’s eyes will give you an indication of irritation and infection so you may better care and monitor your dog’s health and possibly take them in to see the veterinarian for a check-up. Tears flowing outward from the dog’s eyes is sometimes a sign that something is wrong. This visible proof of your dog’s eye irritation, inflammation, and possibly a more serious infection can be quite helpful for diagnosis, but it is not helpful to their wellbeing. The wet spots surrounding your dog’s eyes and tears can be irritating to the dog’s sight and it may also cause discoloration and dark spots around your pet’s eyes. If you find that your animal has tears flowing from their eyes, whether or not they have other symptoms, you should see a veterinary professional. They will let you know if it is just an indication of irritation or possible infection, so you may monitor their health better.

Something in your pet’s life may need to change, whether that is the simple removal of items that could be triggering allergies or if there is a further infection from a scratch on their cornea or a clogged tear duct. It is important to watch and monitor them and if things continuously get worse, take them in to see a veterinarian. Seeing a veterinarian can help give you the necessary check-ups needed for proper diagnosis of infection. Yet, epiphora, which is when tears flow from the eyes due to a clogged tear duct, is a common condition and animals can live with the condition.

We love our animals and they are there for us in every moment of triumph and in every moment of pain. Although we can get quite annoyed with the whimpering of our animals, we must cherish the noise because the noise they cry, is the noise of health, beyond the tears we see.