My older yellow lab has new pinkish-brown tear stains. What's wrong?

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ruby. Tear staining can be common in small breed dogs. At her next veterinarian appointment, I would ask about it though. If she has an eyelash growing in the wrong direction it can irritate the surface of her eye. Allergies or and an eye infection can cause this as well. If only one eye is affected, then I worry about a scratch across her eye. If her eyes are red, the discharge is yellow or green or if she is squinting, then she needs to see her veterinarian. If it is clear discharge and the eyes are otherwise normal, then I would have it checked at her next appointment. I hope this information helps!

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 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!

Thanks for using PetCoach. The brown tear staining is usually the result of a small infection, though if it was a sandy beach, the brown sand could also be part of it. Clean the area gently with a warm wet cloth. Usually I recommend treating with a treat, wipe, or medication containing a small amount tylosin. For example, here in US the one I use is Occubright tear stain remover (https://ocubright.com/) , though there are other supplements that may work well. The important thing to know is that this is almost never serious and usually the eyes are completely healthy. Best wishes to you and Ell!

Great question! There are tear stain removers you can buy from a pet store that helps remove Luna's tear stains. Some people report that quality of water affects tear stains, so you can give her purified water. Clean her face twice a day with a damp cloth to remove excess tears. I'd recommend using a glass, porcelain, or stainless steel bowl instead of plastic, as plastic bowls crack and can retain bacteria. I'd also recommend having Luna seen by a vet, as excessive tear stains can be caused by ingrown eye lashes or abnormally large tear producing glands, which can be treated surgically. Finally stress and poor diet can contribute to the product of tear stains, so make sure to feed her a high quality puppy formulated food. I recommend Royal Canin or Hills Science diet.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The dark circles are staining of the fur from discharge/tears from the eye. You can get the eyes checked to make sure that they can close properly, and there aren't any medical problems that are causing Sizzy to produce more tears, or the tears to not flow down into the nose like normal. Lots of dogs however have no problems and just have tear staining, so it could be fine. I recommend discussing this with your vet next time you are there for a check up. Best of luck with Sizzy!