This Video of a Mother Dog Crying When Reunited With Her Puppies Might be More Than Meets the Eye

This video features a rescued mother dog who is reunited with her puppies. The sight of a mother and her new babies is undoubtedly a sweet and precious one, however, when the pup starts to cry things get a little more concerning. Many have been quick to note that the dog is literally brought to tears with happiness, but perhaps there is a little more to the story.

When dogs are sad, their physiological reactions are different than the reactions we humans have when we are upset. Dogs don’t shed tears when they’re upset, however, they can start to cry if they are experiencing a health issue that is blocking their tear ducts that allows the tears to stay in the eyes.

Allergies can be a common cause of a tearful dog. The Daily Puppy also says that it could be anything from a speck of dirt in your furry friend’s eye to a scratched cornea that might be causing your dog to have an excess of tear production.

The dog in this video, however, is thought to be suffering from a condition called epiphora, which is a symptom which is commonly connected to other health disorders in dogs. Epiphora results from insufficient drainage in the eye, causing tears and film that collects over the eye to spill over.

If a dog in your life is showing this symptom, it’s not because they’re sad — there is an underlying issue that needs to be taken care of. Reach out to a local veterinarian, animal rescue shelter or your region’s SPCA chapter to help get your pup the treatment they need.