Why Is My Dog Tearing Up?
📝 Summary
Tearing comes from a blocked tear duct, conjunctivitis, a corneal ulcer, trauma, or a foreign body — each needing a different fix. In an intact male dog that's just been out among others, a fight-related eye injury is worth checking first.
1 Common Causes of Tearing
Blocked nasolacrimal duct: tears should drain into the nose; pollen or sloughed cells clog it, so tears spill from the corner.
Conjunctivitis: red, swollen conjunctiva, overflow, more discharge, squeezed-shut eye — bacterial or viral.
Keratitis: a corneal ulcer is a common, painful eye disease; besides swelling and discharge it brings a shut eye and lost appetite, and needs a fluorescein stain to confirm.
Trauma: a wound or blow inflames the eye.
Foreign body: something in the eye irritates it and drives conjunctivitis/keratitis — remove the object to fix the cause.
2 In This Case: A Fighting Injury
An intact male in season gets rough and fight-prone, marking territory to attract females. This dog, out among others, likely took a fight-related eye injury — examine closely and use an antibiotic eye drop to speed healing.
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