Why Your Dog Has Tear Staining and Eye Discharge
📝 Summary
Excess dog tearing or eye discharge comes from irritation, eye-structure problems (entropion, ectopic lashes, conjunctivitis, keratitis), drainage blockage (ectropion, blocked tear duct), or whole-body disease (distemper, hepatitis, toxoplasmosis). Persistent or colored discharge needs a vet.
1 Common causes
Irritation: foreign objects, harsh drugs, or smoke stimulate extra tearing. Eye-structure issues: entropion, ectopic eyelashes, inward or outward third-eyelid problems, conjunctivitis, keratitis, or iritis all raise tearing. Drainage blockage: ectropion, a sunken eye, congenital closed tear pores, or a blocked nasolacrimal duct prevent normal drainage and show as wetness. Whole-body disease: dogs with distemper, infectious hepatitis, or toxoplasmosis often get infected, inflamed conjunctiva with pus-like crust building around the eyes. And eye inflammation from entropion, misdirected lashes, conjunctivitis, orbital cellulitis, or neonatal ophthalmia also causes tearing and crusting.
2 What to do
Mild, one-off crust can be cleaned gently, but persistent tearing, colored or pus-like discharge, redness, or squinting should be seen by a vet. Structural problems such as entropion or a blocked duct need specific treatment rather than just drops.
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