The cause of most tear or face stains is bacteria growth in areas that are constantly wet. Also, while small dogs are growing and teething, their skull bones can often shift and their gums can get inflamed causing their small tear ducts to move and get misaligned. This misalignment of the tear ducts will not allow the tears to reach the eyeballs, triggering the production of extra tears and more moisture and thus tear stains.<\/p>\n

On dogs with flat faces, tears may not be the only problem. Water from the bowl or saliva from playing with an overly wet plush toy can cause humidity to collect in between the folds and create a bacteria-friendly environment.<\/p>\n

The first step of stain removal is to identify the source and nip it in the bud. Your approach can be external, internal, or a combination of both. There are plenty of pet store products, but none of them will work if you don’t take care of the root of the problem first.<\/p>\n

Externally, always try to keep the eye area clean by using solutions and eye wipes specifically designed for tear stains. The use of powders near the eye area will help from a cosmetic point of view but it could irritate the eyes, making your dog produce extra tears. Some pet products have a small amount of antibiotics, so be sure to consult with your vet before you start treating your dog with these products.<\/p>\n

Clean your dog’s eyes with lint-free cotton balls, cotton pads, wipes, or paper towels. Never scrub while the coat is dry, which can make matters worse by scratching and irritating the area. If your dog has been playing in the sand or in a very dusty area, flush his eyes with an eyewash solution before you wipe. A plastic flea comb can help you safely comb out sand from the eye area.<\/p>\n

It doesn’t take much sand or debris to clog the tear ducts and make your dog very uncomfortable. This often triggers them to scratch their faces by rubbing them on the carpet, grass, or\u2014even worse\u2014the street, exposing them to serious eye injuries.
\nAn internal approach, which requires changing the PH of the saliva and tears, has proven very successful. This can be achieved by supplementing the dog’s food or water with an alkaline agent such as calcium, potassium, or organic apple vinegar, which will help to stop the growth of bacteria.<\/p>\n

Regardless of whether you saw any shampoo drip into the eyes or not, it is a good safety measure to rinse the eyes with a plain eyewash solution. If necessary, follow up with a second shampooing, which will leave the coat squeaky clean, making it easier to trim. This is especially helpful for dogs with extremely oily coats and dogs that get very dirty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"