Tear stains, the bane of the show dog and cat existence! Also, a lot of owners of non-show pets think they are unattractive. Certain breeds are predisposed to having tear stains because of the shape of their eye socket. Brachycephalic breeds of both dogs and cats ie: Shih tzu, Maltese, Pug, Persian, Himalayan, and Burmese have a predisposition to having a shallow eye socket, which can lead to excessive tear production due to increased levels of eye irritations compared to normocephalic (normal head shape) dogs.
If you have a non-brachycephalic pet with tear stains, there may be a health issue to discuss. Sometimes your pet is born with eyelids that may turn inward, known as entropion. This causes the eyelashes and fur to easily irritate your pets eye, causing it to water more, to “flush things out”. Allergies could also potentially play a role in why your pet has tear stains. Just like people, our pets get itchy eye seasonal allergies too! There is a plethora of reasons our pet’s eyes water and cause tear stains, but those are the most common reasons.
Good news! Keeping your pets face clean can help cut down on eye irritants and thus reduce the amount of tear stains you may see over time. There are lots of commercial products out there to help clear up tear stains. Most of which help to break down the proteins in tears that cause them to stick to the fur and cause the stain along with dirt. I recommend Lid-N-Lash and Angels’ Eyes.
If your pet has entropion, a surgery may be required to correct the turning in of the eyelid, if it is severe enough. Allergies have several methods of being treated, usually starting on the low end with antihistamines and heading up towards the “big guns” like steroids.
Along with be a nuisance, tear stains can harbor bacteria leading to skin or eye infections and if left long enough on your pet’s face can even cause skin irritations or even burns! If you have a pet that is predisposed to problems that may cause tear stains be sure to clean your pet’s eyes daily with a soft cloth and warm water and keep hair and debris away from their eyes. You only want to see those big, beautiful eyes healthy, right?
If you have tried any of these with no positive results an exam with your veterinarian may be useful.
Author: Cheryl Miller, RVT, CVBL, FFCP (Veterinary), VCC
If you’d like to schedule an appointment or your pet’s tear stains, please call or text us at (843) 966-3362. You can also schedule an appointment online. You can also schedule a virtual appointment directly with Cheryl here.
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References:
- Preventive Vet. “Tear and Fur Staining: How to Stop It.” Available at: https://www.preventivevet.com/pets/tear-and-fur-staining.
- Glow Groom. “Cat Tear Stains Explained.” Available at: https://www.glowgroom.com/tearing-cat-stains/.
- Zoetis Petcare. “Understanding and Cleaning Dog Tear Stains.” Available at: https://www.zoetispetcare.com/blog/article/dog-tear-stains.