Instructions
Consult your veterinarian to determine if the condition requires emergency attention. Signs indicating an emergency include thick white or yellow discharge, sudden onset of discharge, pawing or scratching at the eyes or face, scratches, cuts or pits in the normally smooth surface of the eye, eye bulging, large blood vessels over the whites of the eye, or coloration of fluid within the eye.
Even if your dog's condition is not an emergency, proper veterinary examination is needed to rule out glaucoma, dry eye, corneal ulcers or scratches, infection and other serious eye conditions that may develop.
Discuss with your veterinarian the likelihood of tear-staining syndrome if he has ruled out health-threatening causes. Tear-staining syndrome can result from eye or eyelid deformation; irritation or wicking from hair adjacent to or turned into the eye; or blockage of the nasolacrimal duct, the system responsible for tear drainage.
Consider medical or surgical correction of the malformation if the condition is tear-staining syndrome. The nasolacrimal duct may be poorly developed or blocked and can sometimes be flushed to restore normal tear drainage.
Eyelids or hair may roll into the eye causing irritation or wicking of tears from from the eyes over the face. Surgery can reduce or eliminate these problems.
Surgery can also be done to reduce tear production. Part of the gland of the third eyelid, which produces tears, can be removed. Removal of part of this gland will decrease tear production and possibly eliminate epiphora and tear-staining syndrome.
Administer the appropriate medication, for cosmetic purposes, if you don't opt for surgery. In many cases, tear-staining syndrome does not threaten the health of the eye, although irritation of the skin under the eye may lead to skin inflammation. Antibiotics given by mouth, in particular tetracycline or tylosin, bind or alter the pigment in tears that may be the cause of the staining of tear-staining syndrome. This treatment does not prevent the discharge, but usually eliminates the stained appearance.
How to Stop a Dog's Eyes From Draining
A number of conditions can cause a dog's eyes to drain, and some of these can threaten a dog's vision and general health. A crusty, thick, or discolored discharge can indicate infection or other serious disease and should be treated under veterinary supervision; so if your dog's eyes are draining, ask your veterinarian for an appropriate diagnosis before you attempt to treat the condition. This article addresses "tear-staining syndrome," a long-lasting, clear, watery discharge that stains light-colored hair to a red-brown-color. This kind of eye drainage often occurs in toy or flat-faced breeds and can be reduced or stopped with appropriate surgery; however, other measures can be taken to reduce the evidence of drainage and improve the dog's appearance.