It’s a silly question, but the majority of people adore puppies of all breeds. Perhaps you enjoy petting, cuddling, or watching puppies play in the grass.
Well, if you’ve ever spent any time with puppies, you know how adept they are at discovering the sights, smells, and tastes of their surroundings.
How to Take Care of your Puppy’s Eyes
Knowing when a puppy’s eyes first open will help you better understand how to take care of their eyes. The good news is that maintaining your puppy’s eyes in good condition doesn’t require much of your time. Your puppy’s eyes can be kept clean and soothed of irritation by using a moistened cloth to remove the crust every morning. You can also visually examine your dog’s eyes at this time to make sure they don’t exhibit any additional symptoms of a problem, such as redness or foreign objects in the eyes.
You might want to take your puppy to a groomer to have some of the hair cut off if it has a lot of hair around its eyes. Over time, irritation from eye hair and lashes can develop.
Medicated eye drops are commonly used to treat eye conditions in dogs, and you may be able to order them online through telemedicine for pets.
What If Your Puppy’s Eyes Are Still Closed?
While most puppies’ eyes open between the ages of 10 and 14 days, this period can vary depending on a number of factors. To open both eyes, some puppies might require a few extra days. After these 14 days, if your puppy’s eyes haven’t fully opened, you might want to call your veterinarian to make an appointment.
If your puppy is more than 14 days old and their eyes haven’t opened, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem. Some puppies might take an extra day or two to open their eyes, or they might open them one at a time. You should take your puppy to the vet if it has been more than 14 days and they haven’t opened their eyes to make sure they aren’t blind or suffering from another medical condition.
Why Aren’t a Puppy’s Eyes Fully Developed Before Birth?
Many animals are born with fully developed, open eyes. When do puppies open their eyes, and why don’t puppies fall into that category?
One benefit is that after giving birth, a mother dog can look after and protect her helpless puppies. So, while being watched over by their mother, the puppies can safely progress through this stage of development.
The gestation period of a dog is another factor that contributes to puppies being born blind. Most canine pregnancies last between 58 and 68 days. Despite the fact that this gestation period is brief, it provides enough time for the development of a puppy’s lungs, heart, kidneys, and other major organs.
However, a puppy’s vision does not fully develop until after the gestation period, which is not very long. Fortunately, a puppy’s vision and hearing development can both continue even after birth.
FAQ
When can you touch a newborn puppy?
Puppies start to move on their own when they are about three weeks old. At this point, you can start petting them and engaging with them more. If you notice a sick puppy, if its mother abandons it, or if the puppy is orphaned, you should not handle or pick it up.
How long does it take puppies to open their eyes and walk?
Physical changes occur after 14 days of age, opening up an entirely new world. They begin to see, hear and walk. They start to learn about being dogs and explore the world at the age of 21 days.
Can you hold puppies when their eyes are open?
Puppies should generally not be handled, carried, or played with until their eyes are open and they can stand unassisted. This is around three weeks of age.
When can puppies fully see?
By the time a puppy is 16 weeks old, his or her distance vision has fully developed. A puppy’s vision and ability to see distance continue to develop up until that point.