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Recently notice your dachshund’s eyes are watering more than usual? If this is something new for your pup you probably want to get to the bottom of why it’s happening. Is it normal? Or is there something going on I should be worried about?
Why Do My Dachshunds Eyes Water:
More often than not, a dachshund’s eyes will water because of allergies or something is caught in their eye. Less common reasons that are more severe are infection, blocked tear ducts or glaucoma. Eyes that water frequently will produce tear stains underneath your dachshunds eyes.
In this post you’ll discover whether a dachshund having watery eyes is normal, what the major causes for their eyes to water are as well as the best tips to stop it from continuing.
(Tip #1 is the most important)
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
Is It Normal For My Dachshund To Have Watery Eyes?
No, it’s not normal for your dachshund to have watery eyes.
Watery eyes are a result of something bothering them or blockage of their tear ducts (which we’ll get into later).
If you find your dachshunds’ eyes water frequently, it’s a good idea to take them to the vet and have them looked at for possible causes.
4 Most Common Causes For a Dachshunds Eyes To Water
1) Allergies
Just like people, your dachshund could be experiencing allergies which are irritating their eyes and making them water.
However, since there’s no real way for you to know for sure (unless you’re a veterinarian yourself) it’s allergies, it’s important to have a professional look at them.
Allergies aren’t a serious problem and your dachshund can live with them.
But, eye watering could be the result of something more serious and it’s better to know for sure what the cause is.
This ensures you get them the treatment they need and it doesn’t progress into anything if by chance it’s not allergies.
2) Infection
If alongside their watery eyes you also notice yellow or green discharge, your dachshund could possibly have an eye infection.
This will almost always be paired with redness of the eye as well as them showing general discomfort with their eye.
If you notice any of these signs in addition to their eyes being watery it’s important to take them to the vet right away.
3) Blocked Tear Ducts
Normally, tears will drain through tear ducts and empty out through your dachshund’s nose.
But when their tear ducts are blocked because of inflammation, medications, trauma, and in rare cases tumors, tears will build up which make their eyes look watery.
The only ways to fix the blockage are to flush out the tear ducts or have whatever is causing the blockage surgically removed.
You may notice tear stains below and around their eyes if they have blocked tear ducts.
If you notice it frequently, even after wiping the stains away, it’s a good idea to take them to the vet to have them take a look.
4) Something Is In Their Eye
Just like when you get something in your eye and it starts to water, so will your dachshund’s eye.
When something gets in your dog’s eye, it will begin to water in an attempt to get whatever is in their eye out.
Their eyes will produce more liquid to help get rid of the thing that’s bothering them.
The more liquid there is, the more likely it will be able to flush out the irritant and your pup will be able to move on with their day.
However, in some cases your pup may need your help getting whatever is caught in their eye out.
If they continue to seem bothered and are pawing at their eye in an attempt to get out whatever debris is caught in their eye, do your best to give them a hand flushing out their eye(s) with tepid water.
There are also dog-specific eyewashes to help with this type of situation.
If after you try to help you don’t notice any foreign object in their eye or their situation doesn’t get any better, it’s best to take them to the vet.
Less Common: Glaucoma
Not as common, but more serious if it’s the reason for your dachshunds’ eyes watering is glaucoma.
Glaucoma happens when there’s increased pressure in your dog’s eye which prevents normal drainage of the fluid surrounding their eye.
This is why their eye(s) appear watery.
While it’s not as common as the other reasons, it’s still a possible reason. This is why it’s important to have a vet take a look at them to determine the true cause for their watery eyes.
Top Tips On How To Get Rid Of Watery Eyes & Tear Stains
1) Figure Out The Cause
The most important thing is to figure out what the problem is and work at solving it.
The suggestions we’ve put here are not solutions. They are ways to help remove the discoloration that’s happening around your pups eyes due to them watering.
Figuring out what is behind your dachshund’s watery eyes is the only way to completely get rid of tear stains.
That’s why if you’re noticing your dog’s eyes are constantly watery you should take them to see the vet.
They’ll be able to get a good idea as to what is causing their eyes to water as well as prescribe a solution.
Once you’ve found out what is truly causing your dachshunds eyes to water, you can use the other suggestions below to help remove the tear stains as your pup heals.
2) Facial Wipes
Facial wipes are a great way to help remove the discoloration below their cute little eyes.
This won’t help make their watery eye situation better. But, it will help keep the tear stains away while you’re helping their eyes stop watering.
Using a wet or moist wipe and gently rubbing underneath their eyes can help clear up any tear marks before they become stains.
3) If Allergies – Limit Exposure
If you find out that the reason behind your dachshunds’ eyes being watery is allergies, the best thing you can do is limit their exposure to the allergen.
In order to do this, it’s important to pay close attention to your dog’s eyes as you go throughout the day.
Do their eyes get watery after they eat? Is there more of a reaction after certain places on your walks? Or are their eyes noticeably more watery after being around certain items in your house?
While it’s not encouraged for you to self-diagnose what the problem is with your pup..
Paying close attention before going to the vet can help give them valuable information that makes their diagnoses easier/more accurate.
Once you have a good idea of what they’re allergic to, do your best to limit their exposure to it.
That could be getting new hypoallergenic dog food. Taking a new route for your walks. Or getting rid of a certain fabric that’s really bothering them.
4) Trim The Hair
Of course the most important thing is to figure out why your dachshund’s eyes are watering in the first place.
Once you’ve found that out and are working to fix the issue, whether it’s eye drops or medicine, they may need some touching up under their eyes from the stains.
A potentially easy way to do this is to trim the fur around and underneath their eyes.
I say potentially because some dogs will put up more of a fuss when trying to do this.
Also, if you have a smooth, short-haired dachshund, there’s likely not any fur underneath their eyes which means nothing to trim. In this case, facial wipes are your best bet.
But if you have a longer haired dachshund, odds are they have some length underneath and around their eyes.
This means if you can get your pup to sit still, you can safely trim the fur below their eyes to get rid of the tear stains.
As the medicine or eye drops work their magic to stop your pups eyes from watering, eventually there will be no tear stained fur to trim.
Final Thoughts
Your dachshunds’ eyes water for a variety of reasons. It could be allergies, an infection, something is caught in their eye, tear duct blockage or even glaucoma.
While allergies are likely the most common reasons for their eyes to be watering, you won’t know for certain it’s allergies without having them looked at by a professional.
If their eyes are watering frequently and it’s not a one day occurrence, it’s best to take them to the vet.
Other posts you might find interesting:
5 Reasons Why Your Dachshund Has Bad Breath + 3 Tips
Why Is My Dachshund Getting So Fat? Top 6 Reasons + Tips
17 Surprising Reasons Why Dachshunds Lick So Much + Tips
8 Surprising Reasons Why Dachshunds Sleep So Much
Citations:
5 Types of Dog Eye Discharge (and What They Mean)
