Should you look a Beagle in the eyes

How to identify a Pure-bred Beagle?

Seeing the bond between my dog and me, my neighbor decided to get one beagle, too and started searching for a healthy beagle puppy. A few days back, she came to my door looking all confused and asked me, How the heck should I identify a pure-bred beagle puppy?

By its tail, you can quickly identify whether the beagle is purebred. A purebred beagle will always have white color on the tip of their tail. It could be the entire tail or a few white hairs at the tip. So if you see a beagle without any white in its tail, it is most probably a mixed breed. Another way to identify a purebred is by its paws. All four legs of a purebred beagle are white.

Physical Indicators to identify a Purebred Beagle Puppy

To recognize a pure puppy, the following identifications should be noted carefully:

Tail:As I mentioned above, the easiest way to identify a purebred beagle is by their white tail. Purebred beagles will always have a little while on their tail.

Paws:All the four paws of a pure beagle are white.

Ears: Beagle breed has large fluffy ears that usually end below their face as compared to the other breeds.

Legs:Legs of beagles are usually small compared to their bodies.

White Streak:Mostly, all beagles have a white streak on their heads. Although few mixed-bred beagles also have a white streak on their heads.

Color: Beagles come in different colors, with the two most common being tricolor, which is a combination of black, white, and brown. Again, a few beagle mix breeds also have tricolors. You can read this to learn more about Beagle Colors. By the way, here are some of the rarest beagle colors.

You can watch this video for better understanding:

Behavioral Indicators to identify a Purebred Beagle Puppy

Howling/barking: Beagles are known to be very vocal about their feelings. A pure-bred beagle would make a variety of different sounds to express himself. They howl when they are bored. They bark when they are scared or in pain. They wine when they want your attention. You will start noticing these sounds slowly and gradually after they are two months old.

Sniff: Beagles have excellent noses and love to sniff things. They would smell every new thing they see. Fun fact: Beagles have more scent receptors than most dog breeds.

Training:Beagles are challenging to train, not because they are stupid, but because they are too intelligent to get trained.

Few other ways to identify a purebred beagle puppy

You can always consult a veterinarian. If you need to be 100% sure that your beagle is of pure breed, then you can test his DNA. Results will accurately tell you what bloodline your dog comes from and whether he is a pure or a mixed beagle.

NOTE: While getting your puppy, make sure the breeder hands you over the Kennel Club Registration Certificate and a diet sheet.

How to identify if the Beagle puppy is healthy?

While getting a puppy, it is necessary to check some of the general health considerations. In this way, you can welcome a healthy puppy to your family.

Find out the puppys age.

Every beagle puppy should be kept with their mother and siblings for at least eight weeks. The puppy must learn social behaviors from his parents. It is recommended that the puppy is allowed to be in contact with his littermates and parents for the first 13 weeks.

So try not to separate a puppy from his littermates and get one which is at least eight weeks old.

Puppys hygiene

Check how clean the breeder has kept the puppy. Puppies have low immunity and are more likely to catch an infection. It is essential to keep the puppy clean. There are a few indicators you can look for when you meet a new puppy:

Bright Eyes: The beagle puppys eyes should be clear and bright. A little redness is fine.

Clean Ears:A Beagles ear should be clean from the inside without any redness or scratches. Dirty ears may cause ear infections or even ear mites. If the puppy is constantly scratching his ears, then its a no-go. Another way to identify a puppys ear infection is by smelling his ears.

If you notice a foul odor coming from the puppys ears, then he definitely has an ear infection. Ask the breeder to show the pup to a vet immediately.

Clear Nose: A running nose is a sign of illness. The puppy should not sneeze extensively. Coughing is not a good sign, either.

Examine the puppys coat.

The beagle puppy should have a clean and shiny coating on his body. Bald spots or irritated, red areas on his coat/body are indicators of skin problems or allergies.

Little mud on his body is okay, but if the puppys coat is dirty, stinky, and rough, then he could have worms. So be aware. As soon as you recognize something similar to the pup, let the breeder know about this asap.

You can smoothly part out the puppys fur and take a look at his skin. The skin of the beagle puppy should be clean and smooth as well. Take your time and look for fleas under his coat.

Check his muscles

Examine the pups body and check the muscle definition of his legs. Make sure the puppy has a healthy body and is not thin. Look for his stomach and make sure his belly is not shrunken inside.

Examine the puppys potty.

If possible, have a look at the puppys potty. The puppys stool should be firm. Watery or loose stool is a sign of severe health problems.

If the puppy licks his genital region a lot, then it is an indicator of urinary tract infection.

Notice the puppys energy level.

Mostly, healthy beagle puppies are comparatively more active. You can observe the energy level of the puppy and see how he interacts with you.

Watch his energy level.In addition to the physical symptoms, you should evaluate the overall energy level of the puppy. Watch his interaction with other puppies and see how he interacts with you.

This doesnt mean that calm puppies are not healthy. When I went to the breeder to get a beagle, I had two options; one was quiet and not that interactive, and the other one was very playful and active. I, of course, made the active one a part of my family. A week later, a friend of mine went to the same breeder and got the other calm litter. Its been four years, mine and his both the litters are perfectly healthy.

Get the Vet records of the puppy

Make sure you ask for the past vet records and vaccination certificate of that puppy. If the breeder refuses or cannot give you the records, think twice before getting a puppy from that breeder.

Why is it necessary to learn about the puppys health before getting one?

Raising an unhealthy puppy is very difficult. Sickness during the initial period can leave long-lasting health problems for your beagle puppy. Long-term and continual health problems need constant care. This may also affect the entire family.

Raising an unhealthy pup can get really expensive for you. The overall cost, including the vet and other supply of the first year of a healthy beagle puppy, could go anywhere from $500 to $2000. And for an unhealthy puppy, it may double or even triple the amount. So it is necessary to do proper research about the puppys health before getting one.

Red Eyes And Beagles What You Need To Know

One of the best things about adopting a dog that no one ever seems to mention, or tell you about before you let your new best friend into your life, is the opportunity that it gives you to see the world as your dog sees it.

Spending time with your dog, and seeing the world as he sees it, gives you a chance to recharge your batteries, relax and enjoy life with a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Owning a dog really does make you a better person in more ways than most of us will ever be able to fully understand or appreciate.

But being given a chance to see how wonderful the world can be through a beagles eyes is one of the greatest and guiltiest pleasures that weve ever had. Their boundless enthusiasm for life, eternal optimism, and unfailing can-do spirit make the beagle unique amongst his canine brethren, as hes almost always happy.

Everything is an adventure to a beagle, and every moment is a chance to bounce from one thing to the next without pausing to catch his breath and being able to share that with him changes the way that you view life, the universe, and the whole ball of wax that ties it all together, forever. But when that vision and that picture of the world that your beagle sees isnt quite as clear as it used to be, it can be more than a little worrying.

For the most part, beagles are hardy dogs, who arent hampered by inherent health problems, but just as every other dog does, they have their own peculiar, breed-specific Achilles heels. As well as being susceptible to ear infections, beagles are also prone to eye problems, so if your boys eyes start to look like theyre bloodshot and suddenly become red when they were once white, it can be incredibly frightening.

And because weve been there with our beagle and we know just how scary it can be, were going to explain what might be causing his red and bloodshot eyes and tell you how you can treat your best friend and when its time to take him to the vet.

Red And Bloodshot Eyes

The first thing that we need to clear up is what your beagles eyes should look like. As beautiful as those big brown orbs are to stare into, the sclera (the part of the eye that isnt the pupil or the iris, or the back of the eye as most people want to call it) should always be white.

There shouldnt be any discoloration, regardless of what you might have been led to believe about beagles. If that part of your boys eye is bloodshot or red, then it could be caused by a number of different issues and could be symptomatic of a more serious problem.

So what makes your beagles eyes change from white to red, and why do they become bloodshot? Were glad you asked, and were happy to tell you why and what you can do to help your boy get better and get rid of his crimson ocular stains.

Cherry Eye

It isnt just beagles who can suffer from cherry eye, its a health issue that can affect any dog at any point in their life, and usually, the only way to correct a cherry eye is with surgery. If youre wondering what cherry eye is and whether or not its as worrying and troublesome as it sounds, then youre probably not going to like what we have to tell you. Yes, it really is something that you worry about if it manifests itself in your dog, and there are a couple of reasons why you should be concerned.

Beagles, like all dogs, have a hidden third eyelid that sits in the corner of their eye, and it contains the tear gland that dogs need in order to produce, you guessed it, tears. Cherry eye occurs when the tear gland in the third eyelid (or, to give it its scientific name, the nictitating membrane) emerges and becomes inflamed, red, and swollen. And the reason its called Cherry Eye? Thats because the tear gland, after it pops out and starts to become problematic, looks like a cherry. Its not very inventive, but it is an effective and surprisingly accurate description of the condition.

Unfortunately, Cherry Eye isnt one of those wait-and-see conditions that you might be tempted to try and wait out. If you see the cherry in the corner of your beagles eye, youll need to contact your vet immediately and arrange for your boy to be seen as soon as possible. Much as we dont want to add any gasoline to the Cherry Eye fire, there are only two ways for a vet to treat it.

Steroids The initial treatment that a lot of vets will suggest as a first step is steroid eye drops. Theyre designed to encourage your beagles tear gland to return to its normal position without causing too much undue or unnecessary stress or discomfort. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they dont, and if they dont, your vet will be forced to recommend that you try the only other alternative treatment available.

Surgery And the only other treatment thats available for Cherry Eye is surgery. Its a common, straightforward procedure that is guaranteed to successfully treat (although your boy might have to undergo it a couple of times to make sure that it works) and cure Cherry Eye. The surgery will also be followed by a course of antibiotic eye drops that minimize the chance of any bacterial infection and increase the speed at which your beagles eye(s)will heal.

While we mentioned earlier that Cherry Eye is a condition that can, and does affect, every dog, Beagle is one of the seven breeds (a list that also includes Bulldogs, Great Danes, Cocker Spaniel, and Bull Mastiffs) who are most likely to suffer from Cherry Eye. The most worrying thing about the condition is that it can happen unexpectedly, for no apparent reason, and can occur at any time during a dogs life. It wont be caused by anything that youve done or didnt do; its just one of those ill-fated things that can and do happen.

Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca

More commonly known as Dry Eye, Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca is a particularly painful and irritating condition in which the tear gland stops producing the moisture that the pupil and iris need in order to deal with the everyday debris that the eye encounters, and thanks to the film of moisture that coats it, usually deals with. Because it cant manage to successfully eliminate problematic irritants, they remain on the surface of the eye and are not only incredibly painful but can also scratch the cornea, which, over time, can lead to scarring and impaired vision.

Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca or KCS usually manifests, at first, as a red, angry irritation, which will probably make your beagle blink excessively as he attempts to try and stop it itching, and in the hope that he can kick start his tear gland and get it to stop his eyes hurting. After hes done that, he might try and keep his eyes closed for as long as he possibly can in order to stop them from hurting.

Both of those symptoms are cause for concern and more than enough reason to schedule a trip to the vet for your boy. Still, if theyre also accompanied by a watery, yellow mucus-like discharge that seems to come from the corner of your beagles eye, then you need to try to jump the line and get your boy to the vet as soon as possible. The only way that Dry Eye can effectively be treated is with medication.

The good news is that Dry Eye isnt life-threatening and that if your boy is treated quickly, it shouldnt impair his vision. The bad news is that there is no cure for KCS, and once your beagle starts treatment, hell be on a course of lifelong medication. The medication hell need, and youll need to treat him with, uses two sets of eye drops, which will have to be admitted every four to six hours and are designed to act as a tear film replacement and encourage tear production.

And, it wont hurt if you gently wipe your boys eyes with a warm damp cloth a couple of times a day either, in fact, hell probably be grateful if you do, as it will make you feel a lot better.

What Causes KCS?

Thats a question for the ages, as the condition is usually a primary effect of an auto-immune disease that actively attacks and destroys dogs tear film and is thought to be a genetically inherited condition.

While the genetic condition is the number one cause of KCS, it can also be a secondary effect of hyperthyroidism, canine distemper, and related viruses or middle ear infections associated with the nervous system. Just like Cherry Eye, KCS can appear out of nowhere and is impossible to treat effectively without veterinary intervention.

Is There A Surgical Cure For KCS?

There is a surgical cure for KCS, but as it involves rerouting the saliva gland, its a highly invasive procedure that isnt suitable for all beagles. But by all means, you should discuss the option with your vet to see if it could be beneficial for your boy.

Allergies And Bloodshot Eyes

Okay, weve discussed and explained the major causes of red eyes among beagles, so lets spend a little time talking about why your boy might have bloodshot eyes.

Now that the big guns are out of the way, we can focus on the more specific and likely cause of minor eye irritation. If your beagles eyes are bloodshot rather than red and are watering more than they usually do, in all likelihood, the cause of those red spirally lines in his pretty brown eyes is an allergy.

Thats right, just like us, dogs can suffer from allergies, and the two most common allergies that can cause bloodshot eyes in beagles are:

Pollen, Dust, And Hayfever As much as humans like to believe that were unique and special, we have a lot more in common with our animal neighbors than wed like to admit. One of these is hay fever, and your beagle might be just as prone to it as you are. Or, just like you, it could be a specific form of pollen that hes allergic to, or he might be allergic to house dust, and the symptoms of his allergies as well as sneezing might present themselves as bloodshot eyes.

Household Goods And were not the only species that can be allergic to the multitude of plastics and chemicals that are involved in the production of household goods, like bowls and soap powder. Beagles can also be allergic to some of the core components of twenty-first-century life. Keep an eye on your boy, and if his symptoms get worse while hes around a particular blanket or bowl, it should be fairly easy to identify what it is that hes allergic to and which household item is causing his allergies to flare up.

Helping Your Beagle To Manage His Symptoms

While weve already pointed out that the best thing you can do for your boy if he has a chronic condition like KCS is to wipe his eyes down with a warm, wet cloth a couple of times a day, this is also a surprisingly effective way to help him cope with the symptoms of his possible allergies.

If his eyes are bloodshot and sore, the relief that a wipe-down will bring him will be gratefully and warmly received and remembered.

Herbal Remedies Weve never really placed much faith in the power of holistic medicine and herbal remedies, but even skeptics like us have to admit that sometimes, they really do work. You can actually make your own eye drops at home using a herb called eyebright thats beagle safe and will help to ease any irritation or swelling that might be caused by allergies.

Its easy to do, too, just leave an ounce of the herb in a jar of warm water overnight, and by the time youve woken from your slumber, the eyebright will have infused with the water, and youll have your own homemade eye drops, and you can then use them to help your beagle get over his allergies. One or two drops in the morning and evening, using an eyedropper should provide all the relief that hell need.

Diet It might sound wacky and crazy, but sometimes, just changing your beagles diet can have a huge impact on their health and well-being. If he is prone to suffering from eye problems or allergies, increasing the level of Omega Three fatty acids and fish oils in his diet might help him to overcome the symptoms and reduce the occurrence of bloodshot eyes and the problems associated with them.

Holistic diets and the introduction of superfoods (yes, they do exist for dogs Solid Gold was the first brand to start producing specialty holistic diets for dogs, and theyre still one of the best at what they do) can also help your dog to stave off the symptoms of, and problems caused by, his allergies.

Seeing Clearly Other Beagle Eye Problems

While we wish that we could say that was it and that weve already covered all of the eye problems that might trouble your beagle throughout his long and happy life, there are a few other potential ocular disorders that you should be aware of, and these include:

Sleep Dust If theres one thing that beagles enjoy almost as much as running, playing, eating, and cuddling, its sleeping. When they wake up, though, the sleep dust that can gather in the corners of their eyes can be problematic for them. If you do notice an unusual amount of dust in your boys eyes, its always worth wiping them clean so that the collected dust doesnt become an issue throughout the rest of the day.

Ingrowing Eyelashes Something else that dogs have in common with humans is their susceptibility to ingrowing eyelashes. They can irritate and scratch the surface of your boys eyes and cause him a great deal of pain. But a quick trip to the vet should take care of the problem, and your dogs doctor will also be able to advise you on how to best avoid potential repeat occurrences.

Entropion A fairly common condition among beagle puppies, Entropion causes the eyelid to fold in and the hairs on it to rub against the cornea, which can cause a great level of discomfort and distress. However, almost all of the beagle puppies who do suffer from the condition outgrow it by the time theyre ready to leave their mother.

And Finally

It might seem like were trying to unduly panic and worry you about any possible eye conditions that your beagle might suffer from, but were not, and please dont think that we are. We just want to make sure that you have all the knowledge that youll need should one of these conditions ever rear its ugly, bloodshot head in your beagle.

After all, you know what they say, right? A little know-how can go a long way, and you now know everything that youll need to in order to help to keep your beagles eyes bright and shiny.