Tear stains are the visible, usually reddish-brown stains that result from your pup’s watery eyes.
Your canine companion is funny, endearing, beautiful, and – more important than all that – they’re part of your family. So if there’s something potentially wrong, you want to know about it. This is why most people worry about tear stains. They’re also not pretty to look at, but dog-owners will want to be ready if they’re a symptom of a larger issue. So which is it, an eyesore, a sore eye, or something else?
What Are Tear Stains?
Tear stains are the visible, usually reddish-brown stains that result from your pup’s watery eyes. These stains are much more likely to be noticeable on a white dog or a dog with white or very light fur around the eyes. While it isn’t limited to white dogs, it is more pronounced. Certain breeds seem to suffer from excessive eye discharge more than others, like short-nosed dogs prone to shallow sockets.
What Causes Them?
There are several reasons that your dog may have excessive eye discharge (tearing). Eye irritation is a big one, but it isn’t an occasional bit of dust that’s causing it. Tear staining is the result of prolonged tearing, often due to chronic irritation. Glaucoma, eye infections, allergies, corneal abrasions, and eyelash or eyelid problems are all issues that can cause chronic irritation. Other causes of excessive watering of the eyes could include shallow sockets or hair that grows too close to the eye. Finally, dogs have drainage passages for excess tears. If these get blocked (by scar tissue from old infections, for instance), it could cause excessive watering.
What Can Be Done?
If it is possible to limit their eye irritation, you should. This includes keeping hair by their eyes well-trimmed and treating conditions like glaucoma. However, there isn’t a cure for many of the issues discussed here; shallow sockets and other causes have surgical remedies that may not be an option for your family. Instead, owners should focus on limiting the irritation and staining that results from weepy eyes by regularly washing your dog’s face.
We Would Love the Opportunity to Care for Your Furry Friends!
Alexander Animal Hospital is a full-service animal hospital located in Severna Park, Maryland, serving the Severna Park, Pasadena, and Arnold areas. Our goal is to educate clients on the needs of their pets and understand the importance of individualized veterinary care to strengthen the human-animal bond between owners and their pets.
We understand you have a choice when deciding on the care for your pets. We strive to provide you with unparalleled services, including wellness exams, vaccines, lost pet microchip ID, dental care, surgical services, digital radiography, and in-hospital laboratory services and diagnostics. Other highlights of Alexander Animal Hospital are the separate cat and dog waiting and exam rooms and after-hours on-call emergency services.
Please take a look around our website and then give us a call at 410-777-8678 to set up an appointment. We’re social! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for all the latest updates!