When Do Puppies Open Their Eyes?

When Do Puppies Open Their Eyes?

Author WDF Staff | Last updated: Jul 10 2023

16.08.2022.


Puppies are fragile creatures, and they aren't born with open eyes for their own protection. Dog eyes, in general, are very sensitive, which is no different from puppy eyes. All puppies will open their eyes in the first 10-14 days from birth.

Don't be surprised if your puppy opens one eye before the other. It is a normal thing; many puppies will open one eye before the other. If you have any questions or are concerned about your puppy's eyes and think something is wrong, we suggest you contact your vet and ask him for advice.

When do puppies open their eyes?

When the nerves in the puppy's eyes develop completely, you can expect your puppy to open its eyes. That usually happens within one or two weeks from birth. Don't be surprised if some puppies will open their eyes after three weeks. It is still a normal thing, and you shouldn't be worried.

If you were wondering why puppies don't have their eyes opened from the moment they are born, it's because their eyes are very sensitive, and bright light can harm them.

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How to know if something is wrong?

Two weeks have passed, and your puppy still hasn't opened their eyes. You should be alerted and watch for symptoms that can indicate that something is wrong. To start, you should call your vet and ask for help. Like we already said, some puppies can open their eyes in the third week, so maybe your puppy is one of them.

puppy sleeping

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However, if your puppy hasn't opened their eyes in the first two weeks, you should look for swelling or discharge around the eyes, which can indicate something is wrong. Cotant your vet and ask for help.

GOOD TO KNOW: If your puppy's eyes haven't opened within the first two weeks, your vet could manually open them. Please note that you should never try and do this by yourself.

Protect your puppy eyes

As you may already know, when puppies open their eyes, you can't expect them to see well and clearly. Their vision is blurry, and they don't like bright light. With that in mind, when your puppy opens their eyes, you should be very careful and protect his eyes.

Eye infections can certainly happen if you don't provide your puppy with proper care and protection. In this case, you will need vet help to remove the infection that is bothering your puppy.

World Dog Finder team

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