Is It Normal for My Dog to Have Dark Tear Stains?

Dog tear stains often occur in certain breeds of dog. A few dog breeds prone to tearing for example are the Maltese, Shih-Tzu, and Pekingese. These are by no means the only breeds to suffer, there are many others. These types of breeds can have excessive stains due to their bone structure. Another possible factor is its long fur that can cause irritations in his eye. This can also happen to puppies that are teething, and breeds that have white fur coats. Although tear staining is not something to be alarmed about, it is still best to know the possible causes for tear stains, in order to avoid it and keep your dog looking clean and healthy.

So What Could Cause This?

As I mentioned earlier, tear stains can be caused by genetics, which is common to certain types of dogs. Breeds that have a shallow eye socket are prone to excessive tear stains. Other reasons are puppies that are teething, or dogs that have long fur. If your dog's hair is long, it can irritate its eye and cause your dog to have tear stains that are reddish-brown in color. Your dog's diet can also be a major cause of his tear stains.

However, if your dog has excessive tear stains, and the tear that he emits have a foul odor, then it's possible that your dog is suffering from an eye infection. The reddish-brown emissions from your dog's eye can irritate the tear ducts and it may be infected as a result and cause more excessive tearing.

So What Should I Do?

There are a lot of things that you can do for your dog, and lots of home remedies available out there. If you're dog has long hair, always have your dog groomed, or at least trim the excess hair that can irritate his eyes. There are topical treatments that are available in the market that you can use and apply to your dog's face. Feed your dog a high quality dog food as well. Try adding a quality dog vitamin to his diet. The quality dog vitamins available will specifically state the treatment of tear stains and generally work really well.

Although there are also antibiotics out there, there are concerns regarding using it continuously, as it could develop a bacteria that is immune or resistant to it, that can be more dangerous to your dog.

If your dog happens to have a shallow eye socket, surgery could also be an option. Fixing the eyelid or eyelash problems can help restore the normal drainage of your dog's tears and help avoid the tears to overflow to its face.

As always, it helps to give your dog a regular bath. Proper hygiene by washing your dog's face will lessen any unsightly dog stains, and will also make your dog look cleaner and healthier.

Christina Graham has been a veterinarian surgery tech and/or dog groomer for over 15 years. And in those years has gained an invaluable knowledge regarding a dogs health and nutrition. That's why she created DogVitaminFacts.com to dispel any false myths and offer an honest helpful insight into the importance of good nutrition and a quality dog vitamin supplement for your dog. Go to DogVitaminFacts.com to learn even more.