Preventing Tear Staining in Dogs
You may notice your dog often at some point in their lives develop what is known as ‘tear staining’, a red brownish stain that is found under their eyes, muzzles and between their toes. They are usually the result of the dog producing too many tears or having an inability for the tears to drain away normally.
In this blog post, I will explain the causes of tears staining, how to treat them, and how to prevent them.
Tara Murphy, Professional Groomer
Tara started working in Petmania in 2008 and has had many achievements along the way. She completed her City and Guilds Professional Dog Grooming exams and achieved a Diploma. Not too long after, she entered a IPDGA competition where she placed 4th in the Open Clipped Class. She is also a qualified Canine First Responder Instructor and delivers this class to groomers within Petmania. After working as a groomer for 7 years, she started the Petmania Grooming Academy in Petmania Kilkenny in 2015. Today she is an integral part of the Petmania Grooming Team.
What Causes Tear Stains?
There are a number of potential reasons for dogs’ eyes to water excessively, some of which you should seek medical advice from your local vet, especially if they are start appearing out of the blue.
Some possible causes are…
- Ear and eye infection
- Glaucoma-a build-up of pressure in the eye
- Conjunctivitis-inflammation in the eye’s lining
- Entropion-irritation caused by eyelids rolling in and leading to the eyelashes rubbing against the eye.
- Large tear glands
- Smaller tear duct openings
- Blocked tear ducts
- Scarring
- Hair around the eyes
- Shallow eye sockets – particularly in breeds with short muzzles such as Pugs, French Bulldogs or Pekingese
- Allergies-seasonal, environmental or dietary related
- Stress & anxiety
- Teething-teething puppies produce more tear stains
How To Reduce Tear Stains
Confirm with your vet that there are no serious medical issues causing the tear stains on your dog. Once you have spoken to them, follow the below tips on how to reduce tear staining:
- Grooming & Cleanliness
Day to day hygiene maintenance is key to reducing your dog’s tear stains. Long hair around your dog’s eyes is likely rub the surface of the eye and cause irritation, so make sure to ask your groomer to keep hair around your dog’s eyes and nose trimmed short. I recommend using a wash cloth dampened with warm water or an eye cleaning solution to wipe the area, as it’s important to prevent the build-up of moisture in that area and keep the fur clean and dry.
- Diet
A high-quality and grain-free diet is regarded as the best dog food for tear stains. Common allergens like grains often irritate a dog’s digestive system, and such reactions can cause excessive tear production. Providing your pooch with a nutritional diet that avoids common irritants such as artificial additives will help to minimise the risks of irritation and excessive tears. A good quality, balanced diet can help enhance their overall health and fortify their immune system, thus preventing future infections and irritations which can intensify the problem of tear stains.
3. Water
Changing your dog’s drinking water from tap water to filtered bottle water can help reduce the risk of tear staining. This will reduce the high mineral content present in tap water, which can help diminish staining.
I encourage you to try out these tips for how to reduce the risk of tear stains on dogs, but remember, many lighter-coloured dogs are prone to display the effects of tear stains more than other breeds. If you believe this is a part of a larger issue, I would suggest to schedule a visit with your veterinarian. If you have questions at all regarding grooming or keeping your dog clean, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our dog groomers today.
Can Grooming Help With Tear Staining?
Regular grooming and proper hygiene can help reduce tear staining on your dog. Our Signature Beauty Package is the perfect treatment to help keep your dog’s coat looking fresh. One of our most popular treatments, our Signature Beauty Package it is especially popular with curly coated dog breeds and those with lighter coats that are prone to tear staining.
Face trims and facials can also be booked in at any stage during the grooming process for any treatment-facials are an excellent way of keeping your dog’s skin clean, healthy and looking good. Talk to one of our groomers today to discuss your options.
