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My 4-week-old puppy's eyes wander. Is it strabismus or injury?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 29 days old | 1.5 lbs

I think my 4 week old puppy has divergent strabismus because his eyes wander in different directions. I think my roommates kid dropped him or something because his litter mates all have normal looking eyes, so I don't think it's inherited or genetic. I guess I'd like a professional opinion before I take him to the vet (appt set for him on Monday) and what expect when I take him in. Thank you.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 20th, 2018

Oh my goodness, Houdini is absolutely adorable! Actually divergent strabismus can be inherited, and it's certainly possible that only one puppy out of a litter gets it, as they all won't have exactly the same genetic code. It is possible that an injury could have caused it, but I would expect you would have seen other signs of a head injury if he was dropped. My best guess would be this is inherited, but I do think having him seen by a vet is a good idea. I hope this helps!

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