Have you ever seen a dog with red or brown marks under their eyes? Maybe you thought it looked like “goop”? This is actually called tear staining and can be caused by a number of underlying conditions.

Causes of tear staining:

First of all, canine tear stains can actually be the result of an ear infection.  To prevent ear infections, clean out your dog’s ears regularly with a cleansing solution, and if you suspect an ear infection has already set in, pay the vet a visit; as ear infections subside, tear stains should too.  Another underlying cause could be allergies.  Dogs can suffer reactions to environmental factors, such as food or particles in the air, just like humans.  If you notice that your dog’s tear stains get worse in certain situations, you should have their allergies checked out.  Blocked tear ducts are another culprit for tear stains.  They are uncommon; however they require the assistance of a veterinarian to be cured.  Other factors that may contribute to canine tear stains are bacteria growth (red yeast) and water; sometimes water contains minerals that may contribute to the discoloration.

Dog breeds more susceptible to tear staining:

Certain dog breeds are more susceptible to tear stains, especially ones with light colored fur.  These breeds include: English bulldogs, Chihuahuas, Maltese, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Poodles, French Bulldogs, Shih Tzus, Cockapoos, Bichon Frise, Lhasa Apsos, Havanese, Cocker Spaniels and King Charles Cavaliers.  If you have one of these dogs, you may have to provide extra care in order to keep their tear stains under control. 

Unfortunately canine tear stains can cause a number of problems for outside of the unattractive look:

•    Tear stains can cause irritation to the eyes when hair comes in contact with them.
•    Dogs with tear stains are also susceptible to eye infections; symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs include eye redness, discharge, squinting, pawing at the eyes and other signs of.
•    Tear stains can also cause facial yeast infections that can spread to the ears and paws.

All of these issues can affect an animal’s quality of life and should be watched for closely. 

The good news for canine tear stain sufferers:

There are several tear staining remedies that can help improve your dog’s condition.  One tear stain remedy is called Angel’s Eyes. Angel’s Eyes works from the inside out to help prevent tear staining by tying up circulating porphyrins compounds that react with light to produce a reddish brown stain to the fur.  The active ingredients in Angel’s eyes helps to prevent your dog from developing red yeast and other bacterial infections that can be caused by tear stains. 

To prevent complications, it is important to keep on top of your dog’s tear stains.  Try to give them daily baths and wash around the eyes, ears and paws.  You will need to wipe off “eye boogers” in order to keep them from staining your pet’s fur; this may need to be done more than once daily. Tear stains aren’t the most pleasant thing for pets or pet parents, but making sure your dog is healthy, using a product like Angle’s Eyes and keeping your dog nice and clean will help to prevent and remedy the problem.