How to Clean Poodle Tears

Tears on your poodle's face can result in brown, rust-colored stains underneath the inner corners of its eyes. The unsightly stains can make your poodle appear unhealthy. However, the condition is normal in dog breeds with shallow eyes. Because of their prominent eyes, ducts in the eyelids are unable to drain all the tears. Instead, tears overflow and spill on the skin and hair under the eyes. Cleaning the tears can improve your poodle's appearance and help prevent infections.

Things You'll Need

  • Scissors
  • Dog tear stain remover
  • Cotton ball
  • Optional - baby wipes or dog eye-cleansing pads
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Instructions

    • 1

      Keep the hair around your poodle's eyes short, because having many hairs around the eyes can increase tearing and bacteria buildup. Have a professional groomer trim the hairs or use blunt-nosed scissors to remove long hairs around the eyes.

    • 2

      Apply commercial dog tear stain remover to a cotton ball. Swipe the cotton ball over your dog's closed eyes, from the inner corners toward the outer corner. Cover the upper and lower eyelids and the inner corner that's prone to tear stains. As an alternative, use fragrance-free, nonalcoholic baby wipes or commercial dog eye-cleansing pads.

    • 3

      Clean and check your poodle's eyes daily. Consult your veterinarian if the discharge of your poodle's eye is excessive or appears yellow or green, instead of clear.