Tear stains are a common concern for some pet owners, but there are some easy and natural solutions for getting on top of these unsightly marks on your pet’s fur.
Why do dogs get tear stains?
What starts out as some naturally forming gunk around your dog’s eyes can quickly turn into big, brown tear stains if you don’t stay on top of good pet care and grooming habits.
These stains are more apparent on white-furred dogs as the pigment in their tears dyes the fur more easily. Tear stains also more commonly affect dogs breeds with shallow eye sockets, such as Pugs, Poodles, Malteses and Shih Tzus.
How to remove your dog’s tear stains
Here are a few grooming tips that will help you to remove tear stains from your dog’s eyes.
Use a tear stain remover
The first product on your shopping list should be a good dogs’ tear-stain remover. If used daily, you should be able to see improvement around your dog’s eyes in no time.
Simply rub the product on the affected area of your pet’s face and you should begin to see an improvement in the tear stains around your dog’s eyes within a few days.
Only use products specifically made for pets as human products may be toxic to your pet.
Try clippers to remove stubborn tear stains
If the area around your dog’s eyes is proving a little too stained, use clippers to cut off any excess brown fur. This technique works well for breeds like the Maltese, because not only is their fur snow-white, but it’s also a little longer and can be easily cut back to remove tear stains.
For safety reasons, it’s important to use clippers, not scissors, around your dog’s eyes. The professionals at your local Petbarn Grooming salon can help you with clipping stained fur in delicate areas if you are concerned about the risks of doing this yourself.
Regularly use eye wipes around your dog’s eyes
Good pet care involves cleaning the stains from around your dog’s eyes regularly. You can use pre-moistened wipes on a daily basis to get rid of the dust, dirt and gunk that contribute to the brown stains around their eyes.
Has the amount tear staining and eye discharge around your dog’s eyes suddenly increased? Visit your local vet
If the above advice doesn’t do the trick, or you’re concerned about the amount of gunk that is constantly building up around your dog’s eyes, visit your local Greencross Vets.
Just as your eyes tear up to flush out foreign objects, so do your dog’s. If your dog’s eyes are producing more tears and/or discharge than normal, your vet will perform a thorough examination to ascertain the root cause of the problem. It may be their diet, irritation or other allergies that are contributing to their excessive tear staining.
How to prevent tear stains in future
Tear staining is a natural process for dogs, so there’s only going to be so much that you can do to prevent tear stains from showing on your dog’s eyes. However, by following the advice already discussed you may be able to lessen the effects.
Make sure you are properly maintaining your pet’s cleanliness, using tear stain removers and monitoring any allergies or irritation that could be causing excessive eye discharge and tear stains.
Interested in more dog grooming advice? Browse our dog grooming articles. You can also read our article on how to how to clean your dog’s ears here.