Natural Ways to Clean Tear Stains

Any dog with light fur on its face could potentially experience tear stains from the eye fluid. When a dog's tears run down the facial fur and discolor it, plain water or a shampoo won't always clean the stain. Many commercially available products can clean the tear stains, but dog owners have the option of cleaning them naturally.

  1. Precautions

    • If your dog has tear stains, first take him to the veterinarian to rule out medical causes such as eye infections or allergies. If your doctor believes that the tear stains are not signs of a medical condition, try changing the dog's food or water. The minerals in hard tap water can cause discoloration of the dog's bodily fluids that may stain his fur, so switching to bottled or filtered water may help.

      Methods to prevent tear staining will not actually clean the the existing tear stains. Once the eye excretions stain your dog's fur, the stain is permanent until the hair grows out and is replaced with new hair or until the stain is cleaned or faded during grooming.

    Trimming

    • If you have solved the underlying problem causing the tear stains, trimming away the affected hair as it grows will eliminate the older stains. Have a professional groomer trim the hair or take extreme care that you do not harm the dog's eyes during trimming. As new hair grows in clean, you will no longer be able to see the tear stains.

    Natural Products

    • Apply a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to a cotton ball or swab and clean around your dog's eyes daily, taking care not to get any of the peroxide in his eyes. Over time, the peroxide bleaches the hair and fades the stain. In between peroxide applications, clean the fur around his eyes with mild soap and water and keep the fur trimmed short.

      Daily apply baby powder made from cornstarch (not talc) to the fur around your dog's eyes. Be careful not to get it in his eyes. The cornstarch protects the fur from new stains by absorbing the tears before they run onto the facial fur. Zinc oxide may also provide protection to the facial fur. This ingredient can be found in diaper rash ointments.

      Add one teaspoon of white vinegar to your dog's drinking water daily. Your pooch may need time to get a taste for the vinegar water. Once he drinks the water with vinegar in it, it can change his body's chemistry and prevent future tear stains.