A blocked tear duct in dogs means tears can no longer drain from the inner corner of the eye into the nose, so they run down the face instead. In Australia, one of the first things to rule out is a grass seed lodged in the drainage system, especially when a single eye has had a sticky discharge since spring. It is seldom an emergency, but a registered vet needs to find the cause, because a trapped seed, a closed opening and a tooth problem are each treated differently.
This page is the Australian edition of our main guide to blocked tear ducts in dogs. It covers grass seed season, the signs worth acting on, how vets test the duct, how to reach a specialist if you live far from a capital city, and what you can do safely at home.
Grass seed season: the Australian angle
Ask any Australian vet about spring and summer and grass seeds will come up quickly. Barley grass, spear grass and foxtail-type awns are shaped like tiny arrowheads: they move forward easily and resist being pulled back. They turn up in ears, paws and armpits, and they can slip behind the eyelids. From there, a fragment can work its way into the puncta, the pinhole drainage openings at the inner corner, and lodge in the lacrimal sac.
The research backs this up. In a Leipzig University case series, 14 dogs with one-sided dacryocystitis (infection of the lacrimal sac) had been treated unsuccessfully for one to eight months. Plant foreign bodies were found in every dog, and the discharge resolved in all of them once the material was removed (Steinmetz et al., 2022). That is the pattern to watch for: one eye, a discharge that keeps coming back, and a dog that runs through paddocks, bush tracks or long verges.
Heat, dust, wind and strong UV do not block the duct themselves, but they irritate eyes and increase tearing, which can make a partly narrowed duct overflow more obviously in summer. Check your dog's eyes, ears and paws after every walk through dry grass.
How tear drainage works
Tears wash across the eye and drain through the upper and lower puncta, along two short canaliculi into the lacrimal sac, then down the nasolacrimal duct, which runs through bone to an opening inside the nostril (Hamor, Merck Veterinary Manual). A narrowing or plug anywhere on that route makes tears back up and spill over the lower lid. That overflow is called epiphora.
Signs, likely causes and what to do
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow-green discharge from one eye that returns after each course of drops | Dacryocystitis, often a grass seed | Vet within a few days; mention recent grassy walks and ask about a flush |
| One eye constantly wet, clear tears, dog comfortable | Narrowed duct or a punctum that is covered or never opened | Routine vet appointment |
| Tender swelling just below the inner corner | Infected lacrimal sac or upper tooth-root abscess | Vet within 24 hours |
| Squinting, pawing, eye held shut or cloudy | Seed under the lid, corneal ulcer, glaucoma or uveitis | Same-day vet or emergency clinic |
| Both eyes watering, itchy face and feet | Allergy or lids rolling inward | Routine vet visit; rule out infection |
One-sided signs point towards drainage; both eyes watering usually points elsewhere. For help judging urgency, see our list of warning signs of a dog eye infection.
Other causes of a blocked tear duct in dogs
Puppies with a closed punctum
Some puppies are born with a lower punctum that never opened. Merck describes imperforate puncta as an infrequent but recognised cause of tearing in young dogs, corrected by opening the membrane and holding it open with a temporary tube while it heals. Cocker Spaniels, Poodles and Golden Retrievers are among the breeds mentioned.
Flat faces and lid shape
In Pugs, French Bulldogs, Shih Tzus and similar breeds, a tight lower lid can roll in at the inner corner and cover the punctum, while facial hair wicks tears onto the skin. It behaves like a blockage without being one. These breeds often have other lid problems too, covered in our guides to entropion in dogs and cherry eye in dogs.
Teeth, nasal disease and injury
The duct runs close to the upper tooth roots. Merck notes that dacryocystitis can be confused with infection of the upper carnassial tooth, and a published case describes obstruction caused by a tooth growing inside the nasal cavity (Voelter-Ratson et al., 2015). Nasal tumours, facial fractures and chronic rhinitis can also compress the duct, so older dogs with new one-sided tearing need a thorough work-up.
How vets diagnose it
- Fluorescein passage test. An orange dye is dropped into the eye. If it reaches the nostril within a few minutes, the duct is at least partly open. No dye does not prove a blockage, because some normal dogs drain towards the back of the throat.
- Nasolacrimal flush. Using a fine cannula in the punctum, the vet pushes sterile saline gently through the duct. Resistance, or pus coming back out of the other punctum, confirms the problem. Merck describes flushing as the standard first step, and it is often done under sedation.
- Imaging. If flushing fails or signs return, contrast radiographs or CT (dacryocystography) show where the duct is blocked and why.
Treatment, specialists and distance
- Flushing plus prescription drops, sometimes guided by a culture of the flushed material.
- Seed or foreign-body removal. In a 2024 series of 28 dogs, fine forceps passed through the upper punctum retrieved material in many cases without an incision. It was not successful every time, but the authors suggest it can be attempted before more invasive surgery (Jimenez-Ramos et al., 2024).
- Opening an imperforate punctum, then a temporary stent.
- Temporary silicone tubing to keep a scarred duct open while it heals.
- A new drainage route (conjunctivorhinostomy) if the duct is permanently damaged.
- Treating the root cause: dental work, lid surgery or management of nasal disease.
Managing a blocked tear duct in dogs across Australia's distances takes some planning. Your local practice can usually do the dye test and a routine flush. Veterinary ophthalmology specialists and CT scanners are concentrated in the capital cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, so regional and rural owners may face a long drive. Ask your vet whether a referral can be arranged so tests are done in a single visit, and ask for a written estimate before sedation or imaging. If you are taking out pet insurance, remember that policies usually have waiting periods and exclude pre-existing conditions: have the eye examined early and make sure the findings are recorded. The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is a useful starting point for general pet health information.
Common mistakes Australian owners make
- Treating a seed like an infection. Repeated antibiotic drops cannot shift plant material. If discharge returns each time drops stop, ask for a flush.
- Not mentioning the walk. Tell your vet about paddocks, dry grass or beach dunes.
- Using human eye drops. Redness-relief drops often contain decongestants that can harm dogs and are not registered for dogs by the APVMA.
- Waiting for the waiting period. Signs that appear before cover starts can be excluded later.
Safe home care
You cannot unblock a duct at home, and trying can push debris deeper. Pressing on the corner or probing the punctum risks injuring the lid. What you can do is protect the skin, which stays wet all day and becomes a home for bacteria and yeast.
- Wipe the inner corner once or twice daily with a fresh cotton pad, nose outwards.
- Dry the fold under the eye completely after cleaning.
- Keep hair at the inner corner trimmed short, ideally by a groomer.
- Avoid peroxide, bleach and alcohol anywhere near the eye.
Daily eye hygiene that respects a sore eye
For that routine clean we developed our gentle daily dog eye drops, made for eyes already irritated by constant tearing. Here are the facts next to a typical cosmetic tear-stain cleaner:
| Feature | Typical cosmetic tear-stain cleaner | Pure Majesty Pets eye drops |
|---|---|---|
| pH | Often not stated | 7.0–7.2, matched to natural tears |
| Grade and filtration | Cosmetic | Ophthalmic-grade, 10-micron sterile-filtered |
| Moisturising active | Usually none | Sodium hyaluronate 0.05% |
| Soothing ingredients | Rarely listed with amounts | Aloe vera 8%, chamomile 2%, pro-vitamin B5 |
| Stain control | Peroxide or bleach in some products | Sodium phytate 0.15%, a gentle mineral chelator |
| Alcohol, fragrance, bleach, peroxide | Common | None |
To be plain about the limits: these are non-medicated hygiene drops. They will not unblock a tear duct, remove a grass seed or treat an infection, and they do not replace anything your vet prescribes. They are the comfortable daily clean alongside treatment, and for dogs whose tearing is permanent, the step that keeps staining and sore skin under control. Made in Canada, with free worldwide shipping to Australia, including regional addresses. Add a bottle to your dog's routine now, browse our dog eye care essentials, or read our tear stain remover guide if staining is the main concern.
Frequently asked questions
Can a grass seed block a dog's tear duct?
Yes. Plant material can enter the drainage openings and lodge in the lacrimal sac, causing a one-sided discharge that keeps returning. Removal by a vet usually resolves it.
Can a blocked tear duct in dogs clear up on its own?
Mild blockages from debris sometimes clear once an infection settles, but congenital problems, grass seeds and scarring do not. If tearing lasts more than two weeks, have your vet check the duct.
Can I flush my dog's tear duct at home?
No. Flushing needs a sterile cannula placed in the punctum, usually under sedation. At home, limit care to cleaning the eye surface and keeping the skin underneath dry.
Will pet insurance in Australia cover a blocked tear duct?
It depends on your policy. Most policies have waiting periods and exclude pre-existing conditions, so read the policy wording and have the eye assessed and documented as early as possible.
Scientific References
- Steinmetz A, Jara Dohmann GW, Blobner CC. Dacryocystitis in dogs caused by foreign bodies — Diagnosis and therapy in 14 cases. Veterinary Ophthalmology. 2022;25(2):180-185. PMID 34984785
- Jimenez-Ramos L, Ripolles-Garcia A, Caro-Suarez M, et al. Nasolacrimal sac foreign body extraction using vitreoretinal forceps in 28 dogs. Veterinary Ophthalmology. 2024;27(6):510-521. PMID 38414137
- Voelter-Ratson K, et al. Dacryocystitis following a nasolacrimal duct obstruction caused by an ectopic intranasal tooth in a dog. Veterinary Ophthalmology. 2015. PMID 25312093
- Hamor RE. Nasolacrimal and Lacrimal Apparatus in Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual. 2023. merckvetmanual.com
Veterinary disclaimer: This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment. A suspected blocked tear duct should be examined by a registered veterinarian in Australia. Pure Majesty Pets eye drops are a non-medicated hygiene product, not a veterinary medicine registered by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA); they do not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Free worldwide shipping.