A few days ago I saw a meme about dogs with tear stains around their eyes. I’ll post it for you, censored of course! Well, when I saw it I thought that the tear stains aren’t the dog’s fault. However, then I remembered, they are not the owner’s fault either. Many people don’t even know how to get rid of tear stains on dogs.
So, that’s when I made a decision. I might not have a little white dog, but that won’t stop me from doing what I do best. Research!
I decided to try and find how on Earth you get rid of those damn tear stains. And in addition to that, I might even help out some human or canine friends.
How to get rid of tear stains on dogs
All jokes aside, those red tear stains aren’t only nasty to look at. If they are not removed they can turn into a real mess. And also a huge issue for your dog.
To learn how to remove those tear stains, we need to need to learn what causes them!
Tear stains are obviously caused by, well, tears. But the question is why are your dog’s eyes teary?
What causes tear stains
There can be many reasons for that. For example, irritation, ingrown eyelashes, or just a random hair poking into your dog’s eye.
Other reasons why your dog’s eyes might be teary include:
- Shallow eye sockets – If your dog’s eye socket isn’t deep enough, then the tears spill onto the fur around the eyes.
- Inward-turned eyelids – Also called entropion is a condition that leads to excessive tearing or even in some cases blockage of the puncta.
Generally speaking, tear stains can occur on any dog, no matter the colour or breed of the canine. However, many experts believe that some breeds are more predisposed to is. For example, Maltese and Shih Tzus are more likely to get those red tear stains around their eyes.
This is because they are so-called Brachycephalic or short-snouted dogs. Simply put, the structure of their heads and eyes makes them more prone to tears and tear stains.
Removing tear stains
Removing tear stains isn’t that difficult really. But tears and tear stains can mean many things, even serious illness. Because of this, I would highly suggest you take your dog to the veterinarian! It would be great if your vet did an exam, to be sure everything is okay with your dog.
Now, with that being said, this is how you can remove tear stains the natural way!
Firstly, you have to clean the area around your dog’s eyes. This is the case especially if you’ve already tried cleaning the tear stains. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to give your dog a full bath either.
Secondly, dogs that have long fur around the eyes usually end up having more prominent tear stains. This is because the long fur can irritate their eyes, which then leads to tears and tear stains. It’s best that you keep your dog’s eye fur to a minimum. Either learn how to properly cut that hair, or take your dog to the groomer regularly.
Thirdly, removing already existing tear stains. There are many ways in which you can remove already existing tear stains. However, I am going to talk about three that seem the most effective.
White vinegar/apple cider vinegar and water mix
Adding a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar into your dog’s water every day. This helps with bad breath and increases the acidity of your dog’s body pH. This will remove the tear stains and also prevent bacteria or yeast infections from recurring.
Hydrogen Peroxide and water mix
Simply soak a cotton pad in a water-diluted hydrogen peroxide mix and apply it to the stained area. For this, you will mix one part hydrogen peroxide with ten parts water. But please be very careful and make sure that nothing gets into your dog’s eye.
Milk of Magnesia
Combine equal parts of milk of magnesia and hydrogen peroxide and a little bit of cornstarch. You will get a nice paste. Apply the paste onto the stained area and let it sit for four hours. It would be good that you put a cone on your dog, so they can’t rub the paste off.