Online forums are full of misinformation on tear stains and owners are often too consumed with how to reduce the appearance without focusing on the cause of the tear stains. Before reading this post, please make sure you've read our post on the Causes of Tear Stains as the cause is much more important than the cosmetics. 
​
Once you've determined what's causing your dog's stains, you now want to turn your attention to treating them and then minimizing their appearance. Some of these suggestions may not apply depending, again, on what's causing your dog's stains; however, none of them are harmful and may help reduce the appearance of the stains.

1. ​Diet - A high-quality, well balanced diet should always be your first step as it's the most common cause of tear staining. Depending on the age of your dog, please read our posts on puppy nutrition and dog nutrition. Please do not poor a commercial "tear stain supplement" on top of a poor diet and expect results. Even if there is a medical condition behind your dogs tear staining, a quality diet will help your pooch recover. If you are looking for quality nutrition for your puppy or dog, please also consider learning more about PawTree products.  
2. Stainless Steel Food & Water Bowls - You will see this recommendation appear online and it's an amazingly simple way to reduce tear stains. Plastic containers can grow bacteria which are then ingested by your pet or can get on their face while eating. There are now stainless steel bowls in every shape and size including those designed to deter fast eaters. 
3. Filtered Water - When I first saw this recommendation, I was sure it was silly - more internet nonsense. However, it turns out that minerals, iron, chlorine and other impurities in much of the tap water in our homes can be toxic to pets. This change actually completely cleared one of our dogs who was struggling with excessive tears. 
4. Eye Wash - With your vet's permission, consider regular use of a safe antimicrobial eye wash. Our favorite is here on Amazon. Others also swear by coconut oil to clean under the eye and reduce the tears ability to stain the fur. Lastly, a handful of vets suggest using a contact solution that contains a mild boric acid to clean the under eye area. We've not tried this.
5. Eye Comb - In combination with an eye wash and a warm damp cloth to the affected area, an eye comb which removes the dreaded "eye boogers" and helps to keep the eye area clean is really helpful. This kit on Amazon is great for smaller dogs and comes as a pair (since they are easily lost and it's best to have one per dog due to possibility of cross contamination). 
6. Grooming - Simply having your groomer trim or shave the area where the tears are accumulating can really help. To keep on top of this at home we use these tiny eyebrow and peach fuzz razors made for women as they are tiny and not sharp around the eye area.  
7. Blueberries - Forums are full of recommendations to offer blueberries to your dog. While our vet can't confirm whether this will or won't help, we can confirm it won't hurt the dog and they are a powerful antioxidant. Many really enjoy blueberries - ours love them frozen. As to how many to feed, it's best to start with one at a time to make sure not to upset your dog's tummy. Work up to 3-4 per day to determine if they will offer any benefit. 
8. Yogurt - Others claim yogurt has reduced the appearance of tear stains. This is another food that falls in to the category of unconfirmed but not harmful. In fact, a spoonful of plain, low or non-fat yogurt (Greek is best) provides probiotic benefits and serves as an excellent source of calcium for your dog. Again, start small to make sure your dog isn't lactose intolerant. Also make sure to discuss dietary changes with your vet, specifically if they are older or on medications. 

As a reminder, we aren't vets but we own lots of dogs and these are the solutions our vets have offered that we feel have worked. We do not recommend any tear stain supplement until you carefully research as many of them contain low dose antibiotics and are not good for long term use. We also don't recommend many other internet options such as tums or human eye drops! 

Many breeds suffer from dark brown or reddish staining beneath the eyes ("tear stains") but they are often more noticeable in lighter coats of the Blenheim and Tri-color Cavalier and the lighter colored Cavachon and Cavalier hybrids. Tear stains are formed when porphyrin, a pigment found in tears, accumulates under the eyes causing the discoloration. 

For the most part, tear stains are not the result of a serious medical issue but are simply the result of excess tears accumulating in the fur under the eye. Basically, either your dog produces too many tears or can't drain them properly (or both). That being said, there are some exceptions dog owners or puppy shoppers should be aware of so they can consult with their vet.

COMMON CAUSES OF TEAR STAINS: 

1. Physical Causes - Long hair irritating the eye, ingrown eyelashes or inverted eyelids can all result in excessive tears and ultimately staining. 
2. Allergies - If the tears from your dog's eyes seem clear but excessive, your dog may be suffering from allergies. Allergies can stem from numerous things including seasonal irritants, food allergies or a reaction to items like shampoo. Some dogs, like their human companions, are even sensitive to secondhand smoke and dust resulting in excess tears. 
3. Shallow Eye Sockets - Although more common in breeds such as pugs and bulldogs, all dogs with bulging eyes (which is common in some Cavaliers and therefore their hybrids) can be prone to shallow eye sockets. Shallow sockets often result in tear drainage problems and therefore more staining. 
4. Eye or Ear Infection - If the excessive staining appears in only one eye, your dog may have an ear or eye infection. Ear infections can lead to an overproduction of tears on that side. 
5. Conjunctivitis - If your dog seems to have a heavy discharge from the eyes which is often yellow or green and more like mucus then tears, they may be suffering from conjunctivitis. Dogs can also suffer from Keratoconjunctivitis, or dry eye, just like humans. Red eyes, inflammation, scratching at the eyes and closed eyes are symptoms in addition to thick tears and stains.. There are many causes of conjunctivitis and some of them are serious so a trip to the vet is a must with these symptoms. 
6. Glaucoma - Tear staining is often a side-effect of dogs diagnosed with glaucoma. Primary glaucoma is an inherited condition and is another reason why it's so important to properly screen any breeder and make sure they are doing annual eye testing on their dogs. 
7. Poor diet - Nutritional deficiencies and unhealthy diet can also lead to excessive tearing and stains. Please see our follow up post for suggestions on diet. 

This list is not exhaustive but are the most common causes. Unless you can quickly determine and remedy the cause on your own (example: tear stains appear immediately after a diet change and disappear when you revert to the prior diet) then you should see your vet as soon as possible to rule out anything more serious. 

If you are searching for a puppy and notice that a breeder's dogs have heavy tear stains, you are correct to be concerned. Tear stains in young puppies can sometimes be the result of excess tearing while teething but is more commonly a sign of poor diet, unhealthy living conditions or genetic predispositions (or all of the above). Unhealthy coat and excessive tear stains in photos is often the way that puppy mills are first detected by the cautious consumer. Before purchasing a puppy that already has tear stains, you should ask the breeder to take the puppy to the vet to rule out any birth defect, physical deformity, closed tear ducts or other problems. Candidly, we can't even recommend purchasing a puppy with severe stains that are already in place by 7-8 weeks old - it's a red flag.

MEDICAL TREATMENTS - You can help you vet better determine the cause of the stains by recording when they first occurred, if they appear evenly in both eyes, if your dog has had any change in diet or lifestyle or any other changes in your dogs behavior or symptoms that might help narrow the cause. Once your vet determines the underlying cause of the tear stains, they can offer an appropriate treatment. Treatments can include saline washes, antibiotics, minor surgery, medicated drops or antihistamines (or other methods to reduce allergies if that's the cause). 

While getting to the bottom of the cause of tear stains, many owners also want to improve the appearance of their pups. For more information on what you can do to help prevent or remove tear stains after treatment, see our second post Reducing the Appearance of Tear Stains.