What causes brown tear stains on dogs' eyes and how do I clean them?

Question

Hi, what causes dogs eyes to seep the brown stuff that hards on under their eyes? What can I use? Thank you for your help. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 9 years and 2 months old | 9 lbs

Megan, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

This is very common in smaller breed dogs. It is normal eye drainage called epiphora. As long as the drainage isn't green or yellow and Scribbles isn't favoring her eyes, then I am not concerned that it is infection. I would recommend to use a warm damp wash cloth daily to clean under the eyes. I also recommend to have the hair under the eyes trimmed short or shaved. You can ask your vet or groomer to help you with this usually for little to no cost. I do not recommend to do this yourself as it is really easily to accidentally poke their eyes without proper restraint. Finally, if you do not like the brown color it makes, then you can consider using a probiotic or angel eyes which both will SOMETIMES work to decrease the darkness in the fur. Unfortunately it doesn't always work. You can take some comfort in knowing that as long as the eye drainage is frequently cleaned and isn't causing a skin infection then the brown discoloration is strictly cosmetic. I hope this helps!

What causes brown tear stains on dogs' eyes and how do I clean them?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

Why is my mouse's eye swollen, cloudy, and has pus?

Can I use human contact lens solution as eye drops for my mouse?

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

My dwarf hamster has a shut eye and is limping. What should I do?

My guinea pig has a growing lump on its neck. Can it heal itself?

My pet's eye looks strange but doesn't seem to hurt. What's wrong?

Share