How to Clean and Remove Dog Tear Stains in 5 Easy Steps
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Tear stains come from your dog’s eyes tearing up and dripping down the inner corners of their eyes. It usually results in a brown stain around the bottom of their eyes. It is called a stain because it is usually difficult to clean. It can be irritating for pet owners because they aren’t completely avoidable and will usually pop back up regularly. But in this guide, we’ll teach you how to clean those tear stains from your dog’s eyes in 5 easy steps.
Before You Start
Try to pinpoint what is causing their eyes to get tear stains. Is it something you can tend to, like an overgrowth of fur around their eyes? This can irritate and increase the volume of tears coming from their eyes. It might also be the result of the shape of their eyes or a previous eye infection that caused some type of scarring or irritation through the healing process.
If these tear stains are caused by a problem with their eyes, pinpointing what the problem is can help reduce them. But in some cases, tear stains are going to occur naturally and there won’t be any way to prevent them and you’ll just have to clean your dog’s eyes regularly.
This guide will cover the steps to clean dog tear stains with a few easy ingredients. Prepare for the process by grabbing some towels, a bowl of warm water, or a cleaning solution from a pet store or your vet.
The 5 Steps to Clean Dog Tear Stains
1. Make Your Dog Comfortable
Before you start moving in on your dog’s face, let them know that everything is okay. They usually don’t like bath time and they might not like this process either, especially if it is their first time. Keep some of their favorite treats nearby, grab one of their toys, and make sure that they aren’t backed into a corner. Making your dog comfortable will ensure that they are more comfortable the next time too.
2. Grab Towels or Cotton Pads
Make sure that your area is stocked with both dry towels and washcloths. You will most likely want to use a small towel or washcloth to clean their eyes. It makes it less intimidating when your dog can see that you aren’t going after their whole face with a large object. You can even use small cotton pads to wipe away their tear stains.
3. Prepare a Bowl of Warm Water
You will want to use warm water to clean up any cleaning solutions or to wipe around their eyes. Warm water is comfortable on the face and won’t make them jump back in fear of extreme temperatures. Even if you use another form of cleaning solution, you will need to rinse it off their face with water. If you have everything prepared before you start, it will be an easier process for both you and your dog.
4. Choose Your Cleaning Solution
Whether you choose to use only water, or your vet has recommended a cleaning solution for their tear stains, it is important to use the right products. For example, you don’t always need to apply some type of solution from a store to keep it maintained. There are also options to use apple cider vinegar or baby shampoo. Just dab the solution on the tear stains and gently wipe them off. Just be careful to keep the solution out of your dog’s eyes as much as possible.
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5. Use Dry Towels to Wipe Around the Eyes
The last step in the process of cleaning tear stains from your dog’s eyes is to dry your dog’s face. Ensure that you have dry towels at the ready to wipe off any excess water or cleaning solution left on their face. You don’t want any water to dry up around their eyes and result in another cleaning session shortly after.
Final Thoughts
You can keep your dog’s eyes clear of tear stains by regularly cleaning around their eyes. Think about how you can keep your pet comfortable and clean around their eyes efficiently. Whether you decide to use warm water and a cloth, or you got a recommendation from your vet, it is good to prepare yourself for the process. It might be an irritating form of maintenance, but you can keep the fur around their eyes short or check for any further eye irritations to help reduce tear stains in the future.
- Related Reads: 10 Best Eye Wipes For Dog
Featured Image Credit: Susan Schmitz, Shutterstock
