To clean your dog's eyes, gently wipe away discharge with a warm, damp cloth or pet-safe wipe, working from the inner corner outward, using a fresh wipe for each eye to avoid contamination, and consider trimming long fur around the eyes and using a flea comb for stubborn crusts after softening them with warm water or saline. Always use pet-specific products, avoid soap, and see a vet if there's redness or severe discharge, as it could be an infection.
If your dog's eyes have dried discharge or mucus around the corner, or on the surface of the eye, it means it is time to consider some localised cleaning to maintain your dog's eye hygiene. Remember, a morning wash of our face can be refreshing but dogs can't do the same on their own!
You can also clean under the eyes with an ordinary contact lens cleaning solution (containing dilute boric acid, which oxidizes the iron in the porphyrins and lightens the color)—this will help keep things neat and tidy.
Dog eye wipes are a safe and effective option, made to be gentle enough not to irritate the eyes. Look for wipes that are free from alcohol and fragrances, as these ingredients can cause irritation. Using a clean wipe for each eye is important to avoid cross-contamination, especially if an infection is present.
At-Home, Dog-Safe Eye Wash Solution
The goop or crust should be easy to remove with a warm, damp towel or a dog eye cleaning wipe. Your dog's eyes shouldn't be red, and they shouldn't show any signs of eye discomfort, such as rubbing, squinting, blinking, or sensitivity to light.
Regularly use eye wipes around your dog's eyes
Good pet care involves cleaning the stains from around your dog's eyes regularly. You can use pre-moistened wipes on a daily basis to get rid of the dust, dirt and gunk that contribute to the brown stains around their eyes.
One of our favorite homemade dog tear stain removers consists of one part hydrogen peroxide with ten parts water. Stir the solution and apply it under your dog's eyes using a cotton ball. Once dry, wash and rinse it with warm water.
A chemical called porphyrin causes tear staining in dogs. Porphyrins are organic compounds that stain the fur light pink, red, or brown. Your dog naturally excretes porphyrins through their intestinal tract, tears, saliva, and urine.
Yellow or Greenish Discharge: If you see yellow or green discharge, especially with redness or discomfort, call the vet; this is typically a sign of eye infection in dogs. Eye infections can happen on their own, but they can also be the result of another condition, like dry eye or corneal wounds.
The primary cause of such a symptom is wind, dust, dirt, and pollen allergies. Mold spores and mites are also responsible. A few dogs could develop several benign tumors on eyelids that rub the eye's surface. The result is discomfort accompanied by discharge for the dog.
Symptoms of Pet Eye Infections
To groom dog eye tear stains, you can try to bath the area with a professional pet tear stain remover product. After bathing, clip the fur around the eyes. This will eliminate the problem altogether for dogs who are producing too many tears as a result of excess fur surrounding the eyes.
Bulldog, Boxer, Lhasa Apso, Pekingese, Pugs, Bull Mastiff, Boston Terrier, Shih Tzu, Maltese. Dog breeds with flat faces (or short distances between their eyes and nose) are particularly prone to tear staining because of the way their eyes have developed over time.
You may notice discoloration, or tear stains, in the corners or underneath your pup's eyes, especially if your dog has lighter hair or fur. Despite the name, these red or brownish spots don't actually mean that your pup is sad.
Cleaning Tear Stains on Your Dog's Face
Regular grooming: Tear stains are caused by tears and debris. So, keeping your dog's eye-area clean and dry can help prevent stains from forming in the first place. Consider using Earth Rated's eye wipes to gently clean around your dog's face to keep those pesky stains under control.
Iron-Rich Food: Iron is a vital nutrient for dogs, as it helps in maintaining their red blood cells. However, certain iron-rich foods, such as red meat and liver, can increase melanin production, which can result in pesky tear stains.
A small amount of light brown crusts is normal and usually seen in the morning, right after a dog wakes up. Your dog should have about the same amount of this eye crust every day, and their eyes should be clear, open and free of discharge the rest of the day.
Top 7 Tear-Stain Removal Products
The red/brown discoloration in the corner of a dog's eyes is called tear staining. This comes from porphyrin, iron-containing molecules produced when the body breaks down iron. All dogs have some porphyrin in their tears, but some have more and the staining is more noticeable.
Cleaning your dog's eye crust is essential to prevent discomfort and more severe eye problems. The build-up of eye boogers can cause irritation and lead to eye infections and other eye problems. Regular cleaning can help prevent these problems and keep your furry friend healthy and happy.
If a dog gets dust, sand, or other foreign material in their eye, the body will produce tears and mucus to try to flush it out. This protective response often results in noticeable discharge. Scratches or trauma to the eye may also cause irritation and excess boogers.
Conjunctivitis. Inflammation of the surface of the eye, or cornea, causes redness to your dog's eyes. Similar to pink eye in people, conjunctivitis can be from an infectious agent such as bacteria or viruses, trauma, or environmental irritants. It's often accompanied by excessive discharge from the eye.
Quick takeaway: Dog tear stains occur when your dog produces more tears than usual, perhaps due to discomfort or blocked tear ducts, or due to a breed predisposition; smaller breeds like Maltese and Shih Tzus are more likely to develop dog tear stains due to their facial structure.