Heart-melting puppy look

Did you know that when doggies and their PAWrents look into each other’s eyes, a wave of oxytocin (= hormone that creates the bond between mother and child after birth) is released in the brains of both. Studies have shown that the typical puppy look, which can melt any dog owner's heart, is a trait that developed during domestication so that dogs could communicate more easily with people. As PAWrent, every time we look into the eyes of our dear woofer, we should make it a good habit to check that everything is fine, and that the eyes look healthy.

Watch out for eye problems

Because unfortunately, dogs are quite prone to eye problems. Due to their infinite curiosity, urge to explore, etc., the chances of an injury or infection to the eye are indeed high. The dog's eye is very similar in structure to that of humans, except for a few points, including the presence of a third eyelid in dogs. Eye problems should always be dealt with urgently.

Although all dogs can get eye problems, they are more common in certain breeds simply because of breed characteristics such as naturally bulging eyes, a flattened face or too much hair around the eyes. Also, eye problems in dogs with white or light-coloured coats are often noticed more quickly because of the discoloration of the coat around the eyes.

Scratching their eyes or excessive blinking

Eye problems can result from allergies, the presence of a foreign object such as grass seed in the eye, bacterial or viral infections, etc. Possible indications of an eye problem in your faithful four-legged friends include sudden scratching of the eye, rubbing the head against everything, excessive blinking of the eye, holding the eye closed and/or discharge coming out of the eye.