Dog Tear Stains: Causes, Treatment and Prevention
Tear stains are reddish-brown marks beneath a dog's eyes that can develop when tears repeatedly wet the fur. Tear stains dogs experience can vary in appearance and severity depending on the underlying cause. These tears contain iron-containing compounds called porphyrins, which can build up and cause persistent discolouration. Tear stains can have several causes, from facial anatomy and excessive tearing to environmental irritants. Understanding why they occur can help you choose the right approach to cleaning, treating and preventing them.
What Are Dog Tear Stains?
Tear stains on dogs appear as dark reddish-brown marks beneath the dog's eyes, most visible on light-coloured coats. Unlike human tears, which mostly evaporate, a dog’s facial hair traps moisture. This allows pigments, bacteria and yeast to build up around the eyes and contribute to stubborn tear stains. For many pet owners, this staining can be a frustrating part of caring for a dog with frequent tearing.
What is porphyrin in dogs?
Porphyrins are naturally occurring, iron-containing compounds produced during the breakdown of red blood cells and haemoglobin. They are primarily excreted through bile and stool, but are also found in tears, saliva and urine. When porphyrin-containing tears repeatedly sit on the fur around a dog’s eyes, they can cause the hair to develop reddish-brown tear stains. This can be particularly noticeable in a tear-stained dog with a light-coloured coat.
Why Does My Dog Have Tear Stains?
If you find yourself asking, ‘why does my dog have tear stains?’, the answer usually involves a combination of facial structure, external triggers and other individual factors.
What is epiphora in dogs?
Epiphora in dogs is the medical term for excessive tear production or abnormal tear overflow. Instead of draining naturally through the tear ducts into the nasal cavity, excessive tear fluid spills over the lower eyelid onto the dog's face. While epiphora creates the wet conditions that contribute to staining, the amount of tearing, facial anatomy and the porphyrin content of the tears can all influence how noticeable the staining becomes.
Facial Anatomy, Breed Structure and Blocked Ducts
Some dogs, particularly those with certain facial conformations, are more prone to tear overflow. Brachycephalic breeds can have anatomical features that affect tear drainage, while abnormalities of the nasolacrimal ducts can also contribute to excessive tearing. Additionally, congenital abnormalities, inflammation, infection or foreign material can interfere with normal tear drainage.
Teething, Allergies and Environmental Irritants
Environmental allergies caused by smoke, wind, heating, air conditioning or harsh bathing shampoos trigger watery eyes and eye discharge. In puppies, tear staining can also occur as their facial features develop, although persistent or sudden tearing should be assessed by a veterinarian.
Water Quality
Tap water can also play a role in dogs' tear staining. In many areas, tap water carries a high mineral content, and if a dog splashes while drinking from a wide bowl, that moisture and mineral residue can sit on the fur around the mouth and eyes. The damp environment this creates gives bacteria more opportunity to build up and contribute to brown tear stains, on top of whatever a dog's tear production is already doing.
Swapping to filtered water, ideally in a stainless steel or ceramic bowl rather than plastic, gives less mineral residue to drain onto the coat and can support the other steps you're taking to reduce tear staining.
Diet and Digestion
Diet plays a bigger role in tear staining than most pet owners realise. The pigment behind reddish-brown discolouration comes from porphyrins, which are produced when the body breaks down red blood cells and are partly excreted through saliva and urine as well as tears.
In fact, a dog's diet can influence overall digestive health and gut health, and how efficiently the body processes and clears these compounds.
- Some dogs are sensitive to particular ingredients, and food allergies can contribute to excessive tear production alongside other symptoms.
- Lower-quality dog food, particularly formulas high in fillers, artificial dyes or excess protein, can place extra load on digestion and often shows up as darker, more stubborn tear stains around the eyes.
Feeding a balanced, high-quality diet, and making dietary changes where sensitivities are identified, can support your dog's overall health and reduce tear staining as part of a broader approach to managing brown stains on light coloured coats.
Glow Groom™ provides internal support as part of your dog's daily routine, working alongside diet, regular grooming and good hygiene to help reduce tear staining and prevent tear stains from building back up around the eyes.
Puppy Tear Stains
Puppy tear stains typically appear while a dog's adult teeth are coming through, usually between 3 and 8 months of age, alongside increased tearing. As adult teeth emerge, changes and swelling around the mouth can temporarily affect the tear drainage system, leading to increased watering.
While mild tear staining can occur during teething, keeping the area around your puppy’s eyes clean and dry can help manage the staining. If tearing is excessive or accompanied by redness, swelling or other eye symptoms, speak with your veterinarian.
Treating Dog Tear Stains
Learning how to clean dog tear stains starts with knowing what actually works. Effectively treating tear stains in dogs requires a step-by-step approach that combines gentle external care with internal support:
- Deep Clean the Area: Gently wipe away crust and eye discharge with a clean towel or specialised eye wipes dampened with warm water. Avoid harsh chemicals or products not intended for use around a dog’s eyes. Speak with your veterinarian before using a new eye-cleaning product.
- Trim Facial Hair: Carefully trim the hair around the corners of the eyes to keep the area clean and dry, or ask a professional groomer to do this for you.
- Daily Hygiene Routine: Dab the area around your dog’s eyes dry after drinking or playing outdoors. Regularly check their ears, teeth and gums as part of their general grooming routine.
- Address the Root Cause: Use Glow Groom™ daily as part of your tear stain treatment for dogs to help reduce excessive eye discharge and bacteria associated with coat staining.
- Consult Your Vet: If your dog’s tear staining does not improve with regular cleaning and grooming, speak with your veterinarian before continuing with dog tear stain treatment to help identify the underlying cause.
When to See a Vet
Tear staining is often a cosmetic issue, but sudden or excessive tearing can sometimes indicate an underlying eye or tear duct problem. Contact your vet or a veterinary ophthalmologist immediately if you notice excessive squinting, cloudiness, eye swelling, rubbing or signs of corneal ulcers. Severe conditions like blocked tear ducts, infection or structural eyelid abnormalities require medical evaluation rather than grooming remedies.
Preventing Tear Stains
Learning how to prevent tear stains on dogs relies on consistent daily care:
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Breeds Prone to Tear Staining
Maltese Tear Stains
Due to their bright white coats, Maltese tear stains are among the most noticeable. Finding the best food for Maltese to prevent tear stains involves choosing limited-ingredient options paired with the best Maltese tear stain remover supplement to manage porphyrins internally.
French Bulldog Tear Stains
French Bulldogs can be prone to tear staining because their facial folds can trap moisture around the eyes. Keeping the folds clean and dry can help reduce moisture buildup and associated skin irritation.
How Glow Groom™ Removes Tear Staining on Dogs
We're often asked, how does Glow Groom™ work? Glow Groom™ is an internal supplement designed to support your dog’s daily tear-stain management routine. Used alongside gentle external cleaning and regular Grooming, it can help manage eye discharge and keep the area around your dog’s eyes clean. The dosage instructions are easy to follow and can easily be given inside one of your dog’s favourite treats.
Glow Groom™ also has information specifically for cat owners. If you're looking for information about tear stains in cats, visit our guide to tearing and tear stains in cats.
Tear Stains - Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get rid of tear stains in dogs?
Regular grooming can help manage tear staining. Gently clean the fur with a warm washcloth, keep the facial hair trimmed and feed a balanced, high-quality diet. Glow Groom™ can also be used as part of a daily tear-stain management routine.
What can remove dog tear stains?
Gentle wipes and other tear-stain removers can help clean debris and staining from the fur. Regular grooming and addressing factors that contribute to excessive tearing can help manage new staining. Long-term removal requires addressing internal porphyrin production through dietary changes and targeted supplements.
What do groomers use to get rid of tear stains?
Professional groomers clean surface residue using gentle facial cleansers, stain-removing powders and precision grooming shears to trim the hair around the eyes. For lasting results, groomers recommend pairing external care with internal supplements.
Are dog tear stains permanent?
In most dogs, tear stains are not permanent on the fur. As stained hair grows out and is trimmed away, the discolouration can gradually disappear.
What is the best tear stain remover for dogs in Australia?
For a natural approach to managing tear stains, combine regular grooming practices with Glow Groom™. Glow Groom™ is an internal tear-stain supplement that can be used alongside topical cleaning to support your dog’s daily tear-stain management routine.
What medication can I give my dog for tear stains?
Tear staining is often cosmetic and does not usually require medication. However, excessive tearing can sometimes be caused by an underlying eye or tear duct problem that requires veterinary treatment. Avoid over-the-counter products containing human medications or unprescribed antibiotics, as these can carry health risks. If you suspect an underlying eye infection or medical issue, consult your vet for proper diagnosis and treatment.
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