How to Remove Dog Tear Stains

If you think it looks like your dog’s been crying and they have permanent tear stains, it turns out it may be true. Which leaves you with two questions: is your dog sad (what went wrong!) and how do you remove dog tear stains?

The good news is your dog isn’t crying tears of sadness, however, these oversized tear marks can sometimes indicate other problems.

Let’s walk and talk you through getting rid of dog tear stains (before they imprint on your clothes!):

How to remove dog tear stains step-by-step

Good sense tells us that fixing a problem requires understanding the cause. This method also means that if one solution doesn’t work, you can work out why and move onto the next possible trigger.

Just before we go through the steps of cause and solution… If you’re reading this and asking yourself “what are dog tear stains?” this brief interlude is for you:

What are dog tear stains?

You know those lines that run from a cheetah’s eyes to their mouth and kind of wend beneath their cheekbones? Well, that’s high fashion for a cheetah but so-not-in right now for dogs. Yet despite this, some dogs have a version of this, where the lines run from their eyes and part-way down their cheeks (maybe your dog is a cat-person).

These lines are often an auburn colour, so they stand out more on dogs with lighter coats because of the contrast. Dog fur usually lightens up as they grow older, as does human hair, because of the loss of melanin that happens with age. This heightens the contrast, making the tear stains stand out more.

So that’s what tear stains are. Now back to getting rid of them… by first understanding them.

What causes them?

The two likeliest causes of dog tear stains are that your pup produces too many tears or they don’t drain away properly.

In each case, here are some possible underlying causes:

1. Excess tears

• Allergies
• Irritation
• Infection
• Illness
• Stress

Sometimes a dog also just produces too many tears and no underlying causes are found. Maybe they’re a romantic, or maybe they have intense PMS. We really can’t say, so this is mere speculation.

2. Tear drainage

• Blocked tear ducts
• Shallow eye sockets
• Too much fur around the eyes, which prevents adequate wicking away of tears

An interesting and amazing fun fact is dog tears have pigments named porphyrins that darken when exposed to light. This natural chemical reaction is what gives these tears their reddish-brown colour compared to normal dog tears.

How to treat dog tear stains?

There are plenty of natural, holistic, at home remedies and vet treatments out there to try. What works to solve your dog’s tears depends on what the underlying cause is. A good approach would be to get your vet’s advice first.

Given they’ll know your dog’s history they’re in a good position to detect whether pup is more prone to obstructions, say, or allergies. They may also be able to treat the tear stains as soon as they’ve assessed and made the diagnosis.

Treatments could include antihistamines or antibiotics among others. Prep yourself with how to give medicine to a puppy if this is the case.

See here for a fuller rundown of available treatments:

Holistic treatments

• Diet: your pup may have unmet nutritional needs. Read up on sustainable dog food and consider adding dog probiotics to their meals.
• Food allergies: perhaps pup is sensitive to an ingredient in their dog food. Try a hypoallergenic dog food or ask your vet for a recommendation.
• Allergies: poisonous plants for dogs or cigarette smoke could be the cause. Try keeping smoke to an outdoor area and move the plants in question out of reach.

Dog tear home remedies

• Use a clean cotton cloth dipped in lukewarm water to wipe tear stains twice daily
• Switch out the plain water with cooled chamomile tea or green tea
• Or instead of tea/plain water, try a dog-friendly saline solution
• Groom the hair around your pup’s eyes (trimming these yourself might be tricky, so you might want to rely on a dog groomer)

Stay away from chemicals including bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and other harsh and potentially toxic substances. And if homemade remedies aren’t your thing, try these out…

Shop bought stain removers

There are plenty of commercial tear stain removers to buy. Do a quick Google search to find out more and in the meantime here are some options:

• Yours Drooly tear stain remover
• Glow Groom
• Fido’s Dog Tear stain remover
• Eye Envy Tear stain remover wipes

Dog insurance and puppy insurance

Whether your pup’s a baby or a big guy, having a pet insurance plan in place can make vet treatments that much more cost-effective. Read up on which dog insurance plan most suits your pup and your pocket.