Why won't my dog's dark eye circles or tear stains disappear?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Juliette! There is pigment normally present in tear film and saliva. If she is having excessive tearing and is either using her paws to rub her eyes (like a grooming cat) or is licking her paws that can explain the discoloration. The most common reason for a sudden onset of excessive tearing and licking of the paws is allergies (allergies can start anytime). You are right that the tear staining can be normal in some breeds and there is nothing that can be done. I would get Juliette in to your Vet for an evaluation of her eyes and skin. Watch her closely to see if she is pawing her face or is licking her feet. If the staining is on her back feet then you have your answer, she is licking them. Your vet can prescribe medications for her eyes and something to stop the itch. There are not products that work consistently to remove the staining. You will have to stop the inciting cause then wait for the hair to grow out and get her groomed. I wish you the best!

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!

Hello. The most common cause of tear staining in dogs is blocked tear ducts. Often a course of a tetracycline medication can help resolve this. You will need to obtain this from your veterinarian. Two ways to try & remove the stains naturally, if the ducts are not blocked, are to use the probiotic, Fortiflora & a product told to me by a client. It is a tear stain remover made by NaturVet. You can see their products at https//www.naturvet.com. It can take a minimum of 2-3 weeks for the staining to resolve, but it is worth trying the probiotics & the topical NaturVet. If this does not work, Sky should see her veterinarian in case the tear ducts are blocked. Thanks for using PetCoach.

What a cutie! If you've not yet had a vet examine her eyes, please do so. She may have an eye condition that is contributing to the issue. If her eyes have gotten a clean bill of health from your vet, try this: Many people have had success with these treats. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

This is generally speaking related to excessive eye discharge as the fatty component of tears is the one that stains the most. Excessive discharge can be caused by a variety of causes, being eyelid and conjunctival inflammations and infections the most common ones. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotic eye drops may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Pets can develop tear stains due to many issues including food, water quality, minerals in the water and some dogs produce the discoloration naturally due to blocked tear ducts. Since this has just started, I recommend to have Bella checked by the veterinarian who will look for clues to a medical condition like allergies or an infection. If no medical cause is identified, you may try a product like Angel Eye which comes in wipes or an oral supplement. You can also try allowing her only distilled water. You can also try a food change to something like Nutro Essentials which has non-GMO products and no artificial ingredients. Avoid grain free diets. Any food or water changes will likely take 6-8 weeks to see any difference. I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Cookie is having eye issues. Eye discharge like you are having can be due to a variety of reasons, including KCS (dry eye), a scratch/ulcer on the cornea, an eye infection, foreign material in the eye, or another underlying issue. If the discharge is persistent and is starting to make the eye goopy, I would commend she be evaluated by her regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for her eye issue, as some can cause permanent damage that would benefit from being addressed quickly. I would have her examined, have any necessary testing done (tear production, stain for scratches, pressure check for glaucoma if needed) and start on any treatment she may need to help resolve it. Good luck!