How to Look After Your Dog's Eyes, Clean Them and Remove Tear Stains

If you own a dog, there are high chances that you’ve noticed reddish-brown stains around the inner regions of their eyes. The common term for these stains is ‘tear stains’, which can be more evident in dogs with light-coloured fur. Below are insights on how you can clean dog tear stains using an eye cleaner and what causes them.

Tear stains can form due to the shape of the eye, health issues, puppy teething, environmental or food allergies, ear infection, blocked tear-ducts, and other factors. Therefore, if you see sudden aggressive staining on your dog, you should consider getting in touch with your vet or us to be certain there are no underlying health complications.

After confirmation of the dog’s health situation, below are a number of suggestions and tips on how to bring back the beauty that was once a white, furry face.

What the dog tear stains mean & eye cleaner to use

Even though it’s quite common to witness tear stains in your dog, they can actually be a sign of a much more complicated health issue or a side effect resulting from lifestyle changes. Either way, it’s advisable that you find out exactly why the eye tear stains are happening for the sake of your pet’s health. This will help you rule out any illnesses or suffering before giving your dog unnecessary treatment. You’ll also be able to prevent any future cases of dog tear stains.

Most cases of tear stains are a result of a health symptom referred to as epiphora, whereby tears are overproduced. Epiphora doesn’t occur on its own, and it’s often a sign of another condition affecting the dog. Normally, this occurs when the eyes fail to effectively drain excess tears. Check out the list below for other reasons why they may be happening:

- Eyelids facing inwards
- Shallow orbital cavities
- Excess hair around the eyes
- Interference of the tear drainage system

Breeds that are affected by dog tear stains

Even if almost all dogs can be affected by tear stains, some of the cases can go unnoticed, especially in dogs with darker furs. However, there are dogs that are at a higher risk of getting tear stains. This is due to their white fur, or as a result of breed characteristics such as shallow orbital cavities or too much fur around the eyes. Below are some of the dog breeds that are affected the most by tear stains:

- Pug
- Poodle
- Shih-Tzu
- Pekingese
- Maltese
- Boxer
- Lhasa Apso
- Bichon

What to do if your dog has tear stains & eye cleaner you can use

If your dog experiences tear stains more frequently than normal, it means that it’s producing more tears than normal, or the tears are not drained properly. Even though the stains can be removed by a simple grooming or diet change, it’s important to take precautions and eliminate any possibility of a medical issue. In case of any medical condition, you should get in touch with us for advice and proper treatment. This way, you’ll also be avoiding any future tear stains.

We've put together a few products that can help you to clean dog tear stains with ease:

 

Johnson's Diamond Eyes

Shop Johnson's Diamond Eyes

 

Optixcare Eye Clean Wipes

Shop Optixcare Eye Clean Wipes

 

Optixcare Eye Cleaner

Shop Optixcare Eye Cleaner

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how to take care of your dog!

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This blog post was written on behalf of Vet Pharmacy by Pharmacy Mentor.