When do puppies open their eyes and what does it depend on?

All newly born creatures are extremely defenseless and vulnerable, including newborn puppies. They, like other baby animals, need special care, warmth and affection, as they are born blind and deaf. Let's figure out from what moment their eyes open and why this happens over time.

It is worth saying that newborn puppies immediately begin to distinguish smells and feel warmth, but hearing and vision erupt a little later, and this period is called "awakening". In the same litter, puppies may not go through the awakening stage at the same time. In addition, it is influenced by the period of labor. If the puppies are premature, then the awakening stage may come a couple of days later than the average, and vice versa, the post-term puppies cope with opening their eyes and hearing faster than the established norms.

Opening of the eyes occurs after the complete formation of the eyelid and takes from one to several days. As a rule, both eyes open together, but it also happens that the difference is one or two days. First, a small gap is formed and gradually the entire eye opens. With initial insight, puppies can see indistinct silhouettes, distinguish shadow from light, see indistinct images. With hearing, everything is the same - at first, they can only distinguish a fairly loud sound.

Dogs can fully enjoy the variety of sounds and images after 20 days of life. The first 20 days is an important period in the development of the puppy, it is on these days that the physical and mental abilities of the dog are formed.Development for each puppy occurs individually, but if we take the average indicators, puppies begin to open their eyes 10-15 days old, and different breeds have their own terms. For example:

• German Shepherd - 13-15 days hearing and sight;
• chihuahua - 10-13 days of sight, 9-10 days of hearing;
• Toy Terrier - 14-15 days of sight, 7-8 days of hearing;
• husky - 14 day vision, 17-18 day hearing.

It is considered normal if the eyes are fully open during the period of 20 days of life, and this will not be a developmental delay or pathology. If the eyes did not open completely or did not open at all, you can try to wipe with a cotton swab dipped in warm boiled water. Use clean hands only to avoid infection.

Another good remedy is chamomile decoction - brew the finished bag in boiling water for 30 minutes. Or pour a teaspoon of the collection with a glass of water, simmer for 10 minutes. In both cases, let the broth cool to a temperature that is 2-3 degrees higher than the body, and wipe your eyes with cotton swabs. Each eye needs its own tampon, you should not use the same one.

Closed eyelids are a kind of protection from an aggressive environment in the first days of life. In one litter, as a rule, many puppies are born at once, and all of them are premature. The mother dog is simply not able to carry this burden, and the birth occurs a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Therefore, the formation of babies often occurs already in external conditions.

The fact is that the puppy's eyelids are not yet formed after birth. The muscles responsible for blinking are too weak to control the blinking process. Thus, the cornea of ​​the eye is not able to moisturize in time, and the ingress of dust, dirt on the still unformed eye can deprive the puppy of sight forever. As well as excessively bright light. This is the main reason that the eyelids open later than the puppy is born.

There are times when the puppy does not want to open his eyes due to pain, since the eyelids are so stuck together that it is very difficult to open them. You should not immediately run to the veterinarian, you can independently wipe your eyes with a furacilin solution and observe. If the eyes began to open a little, albeit badly, you should continue rubbing and carefully monitor the condition of the pet.

Do not need a doctor and if the eyelids are sticky due to dust, it is enough to wipe with water or non-burning antiseptics 6-8 times a day... In addition, a caring mom can help her eyes open naturally by licking her babies and thereby removing unnecessary secretions.

If, after the 20-day period, the eyelids still have not opened, you should contact your veterinarian. Cases when the eyes do not open can be different, and the reasons are most often the following:

• purulent discharge (inflammation of the conjunctiva);
• accretion of eyelids;
• dirt and debris trapped in the eye slit;
• microbes (infectious diseases).

With such symptoms, you should immediately contact the veterinarian. In some cases, even an operation is required, so it is recommended not to waste time and take urgent measures.

It also happens that puppies open their eyes too early, when the eyelid has not yet formed. This can threaten to get infected, clogged eyes, dry out the lacrimal canals. There is a risk of a disease such as dry eye.

More dangerous is twist of the century. Most often, this ailment occurs in breeds with folds on the muzzle:

• mastiff;
• Shar Pei;
• bloodhound;
• pug;
• English bulldog;
• bassed;
• mastino.

This ailment in newborn puppies is rare, more often it can be found in dogs at an older age, up to the elderly. This pathology looks as follows: due to folds on the face, the eyelid is bent inward, thereby irritating the mucous membrane of the eye.

Further, an ulcer develops, which deforms and destroys the internal organs of the eye. While this is not a threat to your pet's life, it does pose serious problems. If left untreated, this condition can lead to loss or blindness.

There is a twist of the century for several reasons:

• damage to the cornea as a result of unsuccessful childbirth;
• congenital abnormalities with a reduced size of the eyeball, which affects the support for the eyelids, as a result of which volvulus occurs;
• congenital eye diseases.

For how puppies open their eyes, see the next video.