Dog Tear Stains: Causes, How to Clean Them and When to See the Vet

Those reddish-brown streaks under your dog's eyes are tear stains. They're most visible on white and light-colored dogs like the Maltese, Bichon Frise, Shih Tzu and Poodle, and they're usually a cosmetic problem, not a painful one. The good news: with a daily 30-second face routine, a short face trim and dry fur, most tear stains get much lighter over a few weeks. Here's what causes them, how to clean them safely at home, which home remedies to skip, and when it's time to call the vet.

What causes tear stains in dogs?

All dogs make tears. Tear stains happen when tears spill onto the face instead of draining through the tear ducts, and the fur stays wet. Tears and saliva contain porphyrins, iron-containing pigments that tint the fur reddish-brown. On a white coat you see it right away; on darker coats it's still there, just hidden. When the fur stays damp, yeast can grow too, which turns the stain a darker rusty brown and gives it a musty smell.

Common reasons a dog's eyes overflow:

• Face shape. Flat-faced and small breeds often have shallow eye sockets or tear ducts that don't drain well, like the Shih Tzu, Pug, French Bulldog and Cavalier.
• Hair around the eyes. Long face hair touches the eye, irritates it and acts like a wick that pulls tears down the face. This is the most common cause we see on Maltese, Bichons, Poodles, Havanese, Maltipoos and Cavapoos.
• Irritation and allergies. Pollen, dust, smoke and shampoo in the eyes all make dogs tear up more. In South Florida, year-round pollen and humidity make this common.
• Eyelid or eyelash problems and blocked tear ducts. Eyelids that roll inward, extra eyelashes or a narrow tear duct need a vet to diagnose.
• Teething. Many puppies get tear stains while their adult teeth come in, and some grow out of it. See your puppy's first grooming.

How to get rid of tear stains at home

1. Wipe every day. Once or twice a day, gently wipe under each eye with a soft cloth or cotton pad dampened with warm water, or an eye wipe made for dogs. Wipe away from the eye, and use a clean side for each eye.
2. Comb out the crust. Dried tears form crusty "eye boogers" that hold moisture against the skin. Soften them with the damp cloth, then lift them out with a fine metal comb or a flea comb, combing away from the eye.
3. Dry the area. This is the step most people skip. Pat the fur under the eyes dry after wiping, after meals and after baths. Dry fur stains less and doesn't grow yeast.
4. Keep the face hair short. Hair that pokes into the eyes keeps them watering. A groomer can trim the hair around the eyes and the bridge of the nose safely; please don't use scissors near your dog's eyes at home.
5. Keep the face clean overall. Wipe the beard and mouth area after meals too, since saliva stains the same way. Clean the water and food bowls daily.
6. Be patient. You'll usually see new growth come in lighter within a few weeks. The stained hair itself rarely bleaches back to white; it grows out and gets trimmed off at the next groom.

Pawradise shop: Stainless steel comb set (the small comb lifts eye crust)

Tear stain home remedies: what's safe and what isn't

• Skip hydrogen peroxide, bleach, lemon juice, baking soda paste and human makeup remover near the eyes. They can burn the eye and irritate the skin, and they don't fix the cause.
• Apple cider vinegar and coconut oil are popular online, but there's little evidence they work, and vinegar stings if it gets in the eye. Ask your vet before adding anything to food or water.
• Be careful with tear stain supplements and powders. Some products sold for tear stains have contained antibiotics. Don't give any supplement for tear stains without talking to your vet first.
• Whitening shampoos are fine on the body but keep them away from the eyes. For the face, a tearless dog shampoo is the safer choice.
• Bowls and water: some owners switch to stainless steel or ceramic bowls and filtered water. It's harmless and easy to try, but the evidence is mostly anecdotal.

When tear stains mean a vet visit

Tear stains on their own are usually cosmetic. See your veterinarian if you notice red or swollen eyes, squinting, your dog pawing or rubbing at an eye, yellow or green discharge, a cloudy eye, staining on only one side that appears suddenly, or a strong smell that comes back right after cleaning. These can be signs of an infection, an eyelid or eyelash problem, a blocked tear duct or allergies that need treatment.

How groomers help with tear stains

A professional groom can't change how your dog's eyes drain, but it removes the two things that make stains worse: hair that wicks tears onto the face and stained hair that's already there. At Pawradise we gently clean the eye area, trim the hair around the eyes and the bridge of the nose, and dry the face fully. For dogs who stain a lot, a Tidy Up between full grooms (bath plus a light trim of the face, paws and sanitary area) keeps the eye area short, and it makes the daily wipe much easier. Most small, light-colored dogs do well with a full groom every 4 to 6 weeks.

Dog tear stain FAQ

This guide is general grooming information, not veterinary advice. For red, swollen or painful eyes, discharge or squinting, see your veterinarian. More Pawfile guides.