Tired of seeing those dark stains under your puppy’s eyes?
If you have a dog with a light-colored coat mostly likely you will see those dreadful tear stains. Although they don’t go completely away, we can, however, give you some tips and tricks on how to minimize their appearance. So how to clean and reduce tear stain visibility on your dog? Here are some things to think about when it comes to tear stains.
Tear Stains: Accessing the Issues
If you believe your puppy suffers from tear stains you may want to seek Veterinarian advice. First of all, there are multiple reasons puppies can get tear stains and you will need to figure out what the underlying cause of tear stains in your puppy.
Causes of Tear Stains:
- Genetics: Some breeds genetically can cause tear stains, for example, short-nosed breeds like Shih-Tzu, Bulldogs, Maltese, Etc. Are more prone to tear stains. The shape of the head and the way the eyes fit into the socket can affect whether they are prone to tear stains and the way the tears accumulate in the ducts.
- Abnormal Ducts & Lashes: Entropion is a condition where your puppy’s eyelids fold inward which can cause the eye to respond by producing more tears that normal, thus causing tear stains. Your puppy’s tear ducts could be clogged which could cause developing tear stains as well as tear ducts not emptying in the nasal cavity properly.
- Environmental: Water that is high in Iron may be the reason your puppy is having tear stains if this is the case consider bottled or distilled water as well as water with higher mineral content to help reduce tear staining.
Finally, how to clean & reduce tear stain visibility on your dog?
Preventing and Help Treating Tear Stains:
- First of all, to help reduce tear stain visibility you need to take care of their day to day hygiene by making sure to keep excess hair away from the eye and nose area.
- Secondly, use a warm damp washcloth to clean and wipe the area under the eye (it is important to prevent build-up under the eye and keep it dry.)
- Thirdly, you can also try adding one teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar or buttermilk powder to their meals to help reduce tear stains in puppies. Keeping under their eyes dry daily is also an important key to reducing tear stains.
There may be other treatment options depending on the underlying reason for tear stains in your puppy, and we recommend asking your Veterinarian for more information when needed.
This article was written by Ashely Foglesong and Teresa Campbell, professional breeders.
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