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Here’s a breakdown on How to Remove Dog Tear Stains Naturally, plus key takeaways:
What are Tear Stains?
- Tear stains are brownish marks below the eyes, common in certain breeds.
- They’re usually harmless, but excessive tearing can signal medical issues like infections or blocked tear ducts.
- Causes can include allergies, high mineral content in water, anatomical problems, and eye irritants.
How to Remove Tear Stains Naturally
- Thorough Cleaning: Bathe your dog regularly, especially their face, to remove dirt and tear residue.
- Trim Stained Hair: Carefully trim stained fur, especially in long-coated breeds.
- Regular Eye Cleaning: Wipe away eye gunk daily with a pet-safe wipe or a damp cloth. You can use a diluted peroxide solution (consult your vet for the right ratio).
- Address the Cause:
- Change water if it’s high in minerals.
- Treat eye infections or allergies as directed by your vet.
- Vet Check-Up: If stains persist despite home care, a vet visit is essential to rule out underlying conditions.
Key Takeaways
- Prevention is key! Keeping your dog’s eyes clean and addressing any health issues reduces stains.
- Be patient, as removing stains can take time.
- Don’t use harsh products or bleach, as these can irritate your dog’s eyes.
- Seek veterinary advice for persistent or excessive tear staining.
All You Need to Know About Tear Stains
Tear stains are a type of cosmetic issue which is caused due to the overflow of tears from the eyes of the dog.
The flow of tears is necessary for the proper health of the dog’s eye. This is because all the toxins generated in the pupil of the eye get released through the tears from the dog’s eye.
The flow of these tears through your dog’s eye leaves a stain because of the iron molecules which come through the breakdown of hemoglobin, and it can also be due to increased production or poor quality tears.
The scientific name of tear stains is epiphora, and it is suggested to all dog owners that they should go for a vet check-up if the canine has excessive tear stains. Yes, it is true that most of the time, tear stains are normal and can not cause any harm to the dog.
Still, in some rare cases, it can also signify some serious issues like a corneal ulcer, glaucoma, or infection. So to determine if there is any serious issue or not, the dog owner is suggested to have a vet check-up.
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What are the Different Factors Responsible for Tear Stains on Dogs?
The tear stains on your canine friend can be due to many reasons like the improper drainage of the tear duct system, porphyrins, and many others.
To give you an exact idea about the causes of tear stains in dogs, we are going to discuss some of the common reasons behind the stains of tears below.
Infections in the Eye
If a dog is suffering from a certain eye infection, it can cause excessive release of tears from the eye, leading to tearing stains or even bacterial infections in the eye due to the excess moisture.
High Content of Minerals in the Water
Suppose the water you are providing to your dog contains a high mineral content in it. In that case, the tears are more likely to get released from the eyes as the excess minerals of the body somehow need to get released for smooth regulation of the body movements.
Blocked Tear Ducts
The blocked tear ducts can be the main reason behind the dog’s tear stains. This is because when the nasolacrimal ducts of the eye get blocked, and due to this obstruction, the overflow of tears occurs, which leads to moisture and tear stains below the eye.
Anatomical Abnormalities
A dog suffering from anatomical abnormalities can also suffer from tear stains. As in some anatomical abnormalities,
for example, entropion, the eyelids usually get folded inwards the eye, which causes the rubbing of the eyelids with the eye resulting in severe irritation and itching to the eye and leading to the overflow of tears which in turn causes excessive tear stain on dogs.
Dust or Smoke
Sometimes the contamination of the dog’s eye with the excessive dust or smoke in the air can tear stains in dogs.
This is because when the dogs remain in a place where dust and smoke have pervaded all around, its eye can get severe discomfort from direct contact with the smoke leading to the excessive flow of tears from the eye, thus causing tear stains.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is one of the most serious issues related to the eye, which is also responsible for eye stains in dogs.
When a dog suffers from this eye disorder, the eye’s optic nerve gets damaged, and it also builds up the concentration of fluids inside the eye, causing excessive release of tears from the eye. The size of the pupil also differs from each other when a canine suffers from this eye disorder.
All the factors mentioned above are the most common causes behind the tear staining of dogs, So if a dog owner has some doubts regarding the causes behind the tear stain of dogs, then they can go through the factors mentioned above.
How to Remove Dog Tear Stains Naturally?
Removal of the tear stains is a very difficult process as the stains are on the dog’s fur. Following proper steps is necessary to avoid any further issues with the stains; if the dog owner goes for tips such as covering the stains with some human cosmetics or just bleaching them, it can cause severe itchiness in the eye.
So using natural methods or home remedies to remove those stains is preferred. The steps that a dog owner can follow to remove the dog’s tear stains naturally are discussed below.
A Poper Cleansing of the Canine
The first step that you can follow in the process of removing the dog tear stain naturally is to provide a proper cleansing treatment to the dog.
A deep cleansing can be done at home by using the shampoo as per your dog’s skin sensitivity and brushing the coat properly, and you can also go for a professional cleaning treatment of your dog by taking your dog to a doggie spa.
This is necessary because it will clean all the dirt particles trapped in the dog’s fur, thus making it easy for the owner to remove the stains.
Trim the Stained Hairs
Trimming the hairs below the eyes where the stains are formed due to the excessive tears flow is a very good option.
These techniques work best in breeds like terriers and Maltese as their furs are snow-white in color and a bit longer, so trimming the fur of these dogs doesn’t have much effect on the physical appearance of the canine.
Trimming removes the stain from the dog’s fur and eliminates the chances of further irritation to the dog due to the presence of bacteria on the stain.
Adopt a Proper Cleaning Schedule for the Gunk
Cleaning the gunk of the dog’s eye daily is very necessary after you have removed the stains of the dog. This will prevent the tears from getting trapped on one side, thus reducing the stains of tears.
The use of a pet-safe wipe or a wet cloth to clean the gunk off the eyes from the corners is suggested for proper removal of the gunk. Most dog owners prefer a very effective home remedy in which they mix a tablespoon of peroxide with an 8-ounce glass of water.
Dab a pad of cotton, then apply it over the area below the eye, then rinse it off, this remedy gives them the best result while clearing the junk of the eyes, so it is suggested.
Eliminate the Causes of Tear Stains of Your Dog
If you have detected the proper reason behind your dog’s tear stains, then eliminating the reason can help you in removing the roots of the tear stains. For example, suppose your dog has stains due to an eye infection.
In that case, having proper treatment from the veterinarian will reduce the formation of stains over the fur. By following some simple steps, you will be able to remove those stains as the stains will not be excessive in nature.
Or if the stain is due to high content of minerals in the water, like if you are providing tap water which contains a high amount of iron, then it can cause the brown color stain below the dog’s eye, so replacing it with well water can be helpful.
A Vet Check-Up
Suppose you have followed all the steps mentioned above and still are not able to remove the brown color stains from your dog’s face. In that case,
it might be a sign that your dog is suffering from some serious issues with the eye, which needs to be treated as soon as possible to avoid the situation from getting worse.
All the above-discussed methods are based on the experiments done by the cynologists over the practice of cleaning dog tear stains by the vets and per the preference of the dog owners. So if a dog owner is looking for steps regarding removing dog tear stains, they can completely rely upon the above-discussed steps.
So here we are done with the entire article and have discussed all the informative things in the article that can clear all your doubts regarding how to remove dog tear stains naturally.
We hope that the article has put your search to an end. Thanks for staying till the end with us and reading the whole article.
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