Tear stains have been a thorn in dog owners’ sides for a long time. I’ve had multiple friends with dogs ask if their appearance is an issue or something capable of preventing it. It’s hard to blame them, considering they seem inconvenient and unhealthy for our furry friends.
So today, I’ll discuss all about how to remove dog tear stains. But I must start this discussion by defining them and looking at what causes this issue. It’ll provide an excellent starting point for treating and managing them if it’s a recurring problem.
What Are Dog Tear Stains?
The first thing to know is dog tear stains are reddish-brown patches under your dog’s eyes. In most cases, these stains will originate from the eye’s corner or extend down their muzzle. It’s not an issue that won’t go unnoticed by a dog owner.
Under normal circumstances, your dog’s tear will drain through its nasolacrimal duct. These tears will then empty into the nose. But this process becomes problematic when there’s an overproduction of tearing.
In these situations, the duct will start getting blocked. Your dog’s tears get backed up, flow from their eyes, and create excessive tearing. Over time, the residue will settle into your dog’s fur around the eyes, which results in reddish/brown patches.
Primary Causes of Dog Tear Stains
The formation of these tear stains isn’t too difficult to understand; they’re created by excessive tearing (epiphora) from your dog’s eyes. However, it becomes a little more complicated to find the underlying cause of this excessive tearing.
These underlying causes are quite varied but can be put into three primary groups: medical-related problems, genetics, or environmental causes:
1. Medical-Related Conditions
Nobody wants to hear about any medical condition affecting their dog. However, it’s vital to figure out if there’s a health-related issue causing the excessive tearing. It could be the first step in preventing a more severe problem. So here are a few medical possibilities:
- Ingrown eyelashes
- Food allergies
- Ear infections
- Glaucoma
- Entropion
- Eye infections
- Abnormal lacrimal ducts
- Foreign bodies in the eye
- Teething in puppies
Given these medical causes, I’ll always suggest talking to a vet when tear stains appear. It’s the only way to ensure there isn’t anything overly problematic about them.
2. Genetics
Certain dog breeds are more prone to excessive tearing than others. So it’s possible it’s your dog’s genetics that are causing the tear stain problem. These breeds often share specific traits like short noses, large eyes, white fur, flat faces, or congenital tear duct abnormalities:
- Maltese
- Cocker Spaniels
- Boxers
- Shih Tzus
- Cairn Terriers
- Japanese Spitz
- Poodles
- Pekingese
- Dachshunds
- Chihuahua
- Bulldogs
- Lhasa Apsos
- Pugs
- Boston Terriers
- Schnauzers
- West Highland White Terriers
- Labrador Retrievers
- Golden Retrievers
Sadly, there isn’t much of an end-all solution to this cause. But there are ways to keep the tear stains from getting too severe. I’ll discuss a few management and prevention tactics in a later section.
3. Environmental Causes
Several things within your dog’s environment could be causing their tear stains. Here’s a quick list of some potential triggers:
- Plastic bowls are a common culprit because they can be a breeding ground for bacteria. It’ll then lead to eye infections, resulting in excessive tearing.
- Commercial dog foods with grains and fillers can trigger allergies. Anyone with allergy issues can tell you about the substantial tearing. It’s no different for your pup.
- Medications may list excessive tearing as a side effect. If you think it’s causing your dog’s tear stains, talk with your vet about a potential solution.
- Tap water isn’t the safest for your fur baby. It can contain minerals (iron), which contact with sunlight and result in discoloration of the fur below the eyes.
Of course, these examples are only a few of the environmental causes. But don’t be discouraged; it’s often easy to pinpoint what’s making the tear stains appear. For instance, if it’s a new issue, what have you introduced into your dog’s life recently?
5 Steps to Remove and Prevent Dog Tear Stains
Removing dog tear stains is more involved than most people assume. In fact, there are various myths out there about how to do it effectively. Before getting into the actual steps, let’s take a minute to dispel a few of them.
Dog owners should never use eye makeup or human creams to remove these stains. If you do, it’ll bring forth more issues and health concerns that aren’t worth it. Plus, all these products would do is cover the stains rather than remove them entirely.
Another myth about tear stains is that you can remove them with soap and water. I wish it was true, considering it’d make our lives much simpler. Sadly, this method isn’t an effective one and ends up with your dog getting soap in their eyes; it’s not an ideal situation for anyone.
So do yourself a favor and use the following 5-step process. It’ll teach you how to remove tear stains safely and prevent them from coming back.
1. Clean the Tear Stain Areas
Owners shouldn’t do a single thing before cleaning the tear-stain areas. You must ensure the stains are clean and free of any problematic substances. If you have the money, I’d suggest taking them to a groomer or doggie spa to get it done professionally.
After all, these places have tools and resources for this particular practice. I feel much more comfortable leaving it in their hands than trusting myself. Of course, you may have more confidence in your ability to do it correctly, but still, a professional is the best option.
Another issue is your dog won’t enjoy the process. So it’s best to have an entire staff devoted to keeping the canine calm during the process. In simpler terms, you shouldn’t expect this cleaning to be anything less than a multiple-person job.
If you can’t afford a professional, pick up a pet-safe tear-stain facial cleaner. Follow the provided directions on the product to a tee. In most cases, it’ll be a simple lather in the shampoo and let it sit for a period before removing it.
2. Trim the Fur Around Their Eyes and Mouth
Many breeds will have long hair around their eyes and mouth. As you can imagine, this situation makes them more susceptible to acquiring tear stains. So if owners let this fur get too long, it can cause eye irritation and excessive tearing.
Given this information, it’s a must to trim the fur around these areas when needed. It’s another task I’d leave to professionals unless you have prior experience. If you do it, use a set of pet-specific clippers with a guard.
Honestly, don’t use scissors under any circumstances. These trimmers are much too susceptible to accidents, especially compared to pet-specific clippers. But again, leave this step to the professionals or vets if possible.
3. Create a Daily Maintenance Routine
A daily grooming routine is your primary weapon against dog tear stains. For example, if you’re wiping their eyes and bathing them regularly, you can make this problem disappear. Here’s a quick look at my daily routine. which has had great success at reducing tear stains:
- Obtain a pet-safe saline flush that’s meant for tear stains. Follow the directions to a tee and use it whenever your dog’s eyes look overly wet. I’ve found it often occurs during the mornings after a good night’s sleep.
- Take a pet-safe wipe and remove any noticeable substances from your dog’s eye corners. Use the same type of wipe to treat areas around their mouth, eyes, and nose. Both activities should done in the morning.
- Keep the wipes on hand and remove any substances that get into the tear-stain areas whenever they present themselves. Constant maintenance of the area should keep excessive tearing from happening.
Overall, constant maintenance should keep the tearing staining at bay. But this maintenance routine may only manage the problem. You’ll want to keep trying to figure out the underlying cause behind the excessive tearing.
The next steps will tackle figuring out the underlying cause. If the constant maintenance hasn’t stopped the issue or become ineffective, proceed to steps 4 and 5.
4. Identify and Remove Any Environmental Causes
Identifying and removing problematic objects in your household is the next step. In other words, it’s time to figure out if there are any environmental causes behind the excessive tearing. You’d be surprised by how much impact the introduction of certain items can have on a canine.
Some common culprits include a dog’s daily food and bowls. These items can have a significant impact on your dog’s tear stains. A lousy diet will come with digestive problems, which manifest through their tear ducts.
In doing so, it causes byproducts to lead through both their tears and saliva. It’s extremely gross and results in excessive tearing, creating noticeable tear stains; it’s not a situation any owner wants to experience.
Meanwhile, food and water bowls can pass iron/lead onto your dog’s face. These substances are in tap that’s often placed in these dishes. So your dog contacts them whenever eating their food or drinking water, causing rust-colored stains to form.
You can prevent this issue from occurring by cleaning bowls regularly. I’d suggest giving them a good scrub after every use. It’ll do wonders to reduce leftover residue and bacteria.
5. Schedule a Vet Visit if the Problem Persists
If removing the environmental objects didn’t work, it’s time to consult with a vet. The issue causing your dog’s excessive tearing is probably a medical issue. So there’s nothing left to do besides bring in an expert to figure out what’s happening.
Of course, this visit becomes even more essential when your dog appears in pain. Some conditions with excessive tearing as a symptom can cause severe discomfort. Therefore, there’s no point in waiting to get the correct treatment if the other steps don’t solve the problem.
Truthfully, I suggest bringing them for a consultation even if they did work. You don’t want the tearing to come back, especially if the steps only managed the issue rather than solving it. So if you can afford it, don’t hesitate to bring them to a vet.
Conclusion
The process of removing dog tear stains isn’t too tricky. You start by cleaning the areas with a pet-safe facial cleaner/using a professional doggie spa. Once they’re clean, the entire process becomes a matter of prevention.
Owners must develop a daily maintenance routine and find the underlying cause. It’s the only way to manage/prevent these tear stains from becoming an ongoing problem. Remember, there’s no shame in relying on a vet with these issues.
If you have more questions about dog tear stains, please post them in our comment section. I’ll do my best to answer each one as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!
