How To Whiten Your Dog’s Tear Stains

All dogs, no matter what color they are, have brown spots under their eyes, or in the case of white dogs, a reddish hue, under the lacrimal sac. As hard as we try to clean this area daily, these stains can hardly disappear. But is there any solution to eliminate them? Is it possible to whiten the tear stains in dogs?

What creates brown tear stains in dogs

In the case of white dogs and especially small breeds, these tear stains are much more visible than in large or darker colored dogs. But before we start talking about them you should know something: it’s nothing serious.

Knowing this, we can tell you that what causes these reddish or brown spots are tears. Tears contain minerals, such as iron and magnesium, which, when they come into contact with the air, oxidize very easily.

Added to this is the fact that, when wetting the animal’s fur in this area, due to tears, fungi and bacteria settle in it and favor the darkening that the mineral oxide had already created.

It is always important to ensure that the dog is in perfect health and does not tear more than necessary. Having more tears than usual can be a sign of an allergy, that this duct is blocked, and it can even be a sign of an infection in the eye region.

This is usually accompanied by reddened eyes, but even if they are not reddened, excessive tears may be warning of an eye problem. Observe your dog and take him to the vet if he notices anything unusual.

How to Eliminate Your Dog’s Tear Stains

Now let’s talk about how to eliminate these nasty stains, or at least disguise them as much as possible, since in either case, complete disappearance may be impossible.

One of the best methods to whiten your dog’s blemishes is to attack the root of the problem. So follow these tips that can be very useful:

• Clearing the nasolacrimal duct. If you take your dog to the vet, he will be able to clean the nasolacrimal duct, as obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct is common, especially in dogs with a flat nose. In these dogs, the tear duct clogs very easily due to genetics.
• Remove any obstacles from your pet’s eyes. Remelas, fur or anything else that disturbs your eyes. Cut the surrounding hairs and always keep the area clean to avoid unnecessary tears.
• Assess if he has no allergies. There are foods with additives, corn or soy that are allergic to many dogs, so testing your pet to find out if this is the case will be necessary to rule out any such problems.
• High protein diet. We are not saying that your dog should gorge himself on proteins, but rather that they should be very present in his diet. Homemade food with liver can be a good option for reducing the oxide your tears create.

• Bottled water. If that’s not a huge expense and you can afford it, give your dog bottled water. It has been refined and contains fewer health-damaging compounds and will therefore reduce the oxide portions in your tears.
• Apple vinegar. Put a spoonful of this product in the animal’s water, something that it will not notice, this can, in a short time, improve the appearance of the stains.
• Hygienic Dishes. The most hygienic and recommended are stainless steel ones, as they do not house bacteria or fungi, which will favor your dog’s health.

And as a home remedy we propose you to clean the stain daily, twice a day, with gauze soaked in warm water and sea salt, or in saline or contact lens fluid.