Unsightly Dog Tear Stains: Causes and a Helpful Remedy

There are different causes for dog tear stains and various remedies depending on the cause. It is important to note that tear stains can be the result of a more serious problem, and in many cases simply removing the tear stain will not prevent future stains from occurring without ongoing treatment. The following are the 5 most common causes:

Excess tearing

Excessive tearing (or epiphora) is usually a response to an environmental irritant and may be a sign that your dog has allergies. The discoloration is actually caused by the growth of bacteria and yeast.

blocked tear ducts

This is going to sound strange, but a dog’s tears normally trickle down the nose. When the tear ducts are blocked, the tears overflow, resulting in the same discoloration.

Dentition

Here’s another cause most pet owners don’t realize. Teething is an uncomfortable process for dogs and all of the changes that occur in the mouth put pressure on the tear ducts and cause them to overflow, as in number two, which brings us back to the discoloration described in number one.

parasites

Fleas use a dog’s tears as a watering hole. If the fleas are not treated, the feces left by the fleas will accumulate around the dog’s eyes and block the tear ducts, leading to overflow and discoloration. Make sure this is not what is causing your dog’s tear stains.

Genetics

The following is a list of dog breeds that are predisposed to tear staining from Vetinfo.com:

*akita

*American Bulldog

*American Eskimo Dog

* Bichon Frize

* Brussels Griffon

*Cairn Terrier

* chihuahuas

* Chinese Crested

* Cocker,

* corgi

*Dashshund

* English Toy Spaniel

*French Bulldog

* golden retriever

* havanese

*Japanese chin

* King Charles Cavalier Spaniel

* Lhasa Apso

* maltese

* maltipoos

* Miniature Schnauzer

* Butterfly

* pekingese

* Pomeranian

* Saint Bernard

*Sharpei

* Shih Tzu

*Western Highland White Terrier.

Fortunately, there are some solutions for dog tear stains, including products that can help remove and/or prevent more. One of these products is Angel’s Eyes. Angel’s Eyes works to prevent further tear stains; You may start to see results in three to five weeks depending on your dog’s coat growth rate. You will need to continue to trim the spotted coat and a new, spot free coat will grow out. Angel’s Eyes will also help remove stains around the mouth from licking.

If your dog is listed as the fifth cause (genetic), you may have to deal with tear stain removal throughout your dog’s life. Try a few different products and find out what works best for your dog. As always, it’s important to take your dog to your local vet for regular checkups. If tear stains are a problem, you’ll want to make sure your dog isn’t infested with fleas or ear mites, in which case another form of treatment would also be recommended.