Tears

Question
We have a female 7 month old standard poodle whose eyes have run since we got her at 8 weeks. We clean them at least three times a day. When does that stop or does it not on some. Two other questions. We see one small retained tooth next to a molar. Does that absolutely have to be removed? Also she has always had a weak bladder. It started out as dribbling that has gotten better, she is on Proin, but still has trouble on excitement. Also when she is full from drinking alot after exercise. She has been slow to housetrain because of numerous uti's. To be honest we don't even know if she is fully housetrained because we run her outside so much. Is this just an immature state?  We have had lab and labradoodle pups in the past with non of these problems.   Thanks for any incite as to these problems.

Answer
Hello Claudia,
Runny eyes in Poodles can be caused by a number of things.  Genetics can cause dogs eyes to run, allergies can also cause the eyes to get weepy, and hair that grows close to the eyes can irritate the eyes and cause them to run.  
Keeping the hair shaved right up under the eyes can help, and applying some Vaseline under the eye will cause the tears to drop off the face rather than stay under the eye.  You can also try giving a Beneadryl daily for about 2 weeks to see if this helps her.  She may have some allergies that are bothering her.  Dogs can get allergies just like people to the same things as people can be allergic to.  I would give it at night as it tends to make dogs calm or sleepy.

As for the baby tooth, if it hasn't come out yet and isn't loose, then you should think about having it removed.  It can create a space for food and debris to collect and can cause infection or a cavity.  

As for her weak bladder, I would try to get her on a schedule of going out every 3 hours or so and see if this helps her some.  She may grow out of it, but getting her on a schedule will help.  
You may also think about teaching her to alert you to when she needs to go out.  Hang a bell off the door that she uses to go outside.  When you take her out, have her touch the bell with her nose before she goes out to potty.  Praise her when she touches the bell, then take or let her out.  As she gets used to using the bell when she goes out, she should start ringing it to alert you that she has to go out.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim