Have you noticed the reddish-brown stain under the eye of your puppy and hated them because they are destroying the enticing look of your sweet puppy? Well, it is a very common condition. These dark stains are not harmful to your dog, but the dark stains destroy its flawless beauty. The dark unpleasant and unwanted tinge around the eyes of dogs is called tear stains.
What is a Tear Stain?
The dark, distracting, and reddish-brown tears around the eyes of the dog are called the tear stain. Typically these tear stains are more prominent in dogs with white fur. The tear stain is the result of excessive fluid discharge from the eyes of the dog. The more the tear discharge from the eyes of the dog, the darker will be the tear stain.
People think that certain breeds of dogs are more affected by the tear stain. There is nothing like that, all breeds of dogs are equally susceptible to tear stains. But tear stains become more prominent in the breeds, which have light body color.
The breeds like the poodle, Shih Tzu, and Brachycephalic have light color fur so; they have more prominent tear stains. It is important to point out the tear stain as soon as they start to develop. So, they could be treated easily. As it is often seen that the tear stain becomes more stubborn with time, and by the time it starts to cover more areas of the face. But before moving to the treatment, first, let’s see what causes tear stains in dogs.
How to use Coconut Oil to Remove Tear Stains?
If you use coconut oil proficiently, then you can get the clear skin of your dog back. Before using coconut oil make sure that the area around the eyes of your dog is clean and dry, you can do so with the help of a soft clean cloth. Rub the cloth gently around the eye. After that, take another cloth, and make it moist with coconut oil. Take an adequate amount of coconut oil with the piece of cloth; apply oil gently with the help of cloth to the dark areas of the skin. Repeat the process at least twice a day.
Coconut oil not only prevents the tear stain from darkening but also lightens the already present tear stain. Make sure to do all the processes gently to avoid the egressive behavior of the dog.
What Causes Tear Stains in Dogs?
Several theories are associated with the cause of tear stains , but most veterinarians consider that the dark stain around the eyes of the dog is due to excessive tearing. Now the question arises why the dogs have frequent eye discharge? The continuous eye discharge could be due to frequent irritation of the eyes, or more often it is due to the improper draining of tears.
The eyes of the dog have a small hole called puncta. Puncta are present on the summit of the eyelid. The puncta drain the tears in the throat. If there is any abnormality in the draining process of puncta, it will develop a condition called epiphora (excessive lacrimal discharge) in epiphora, there is improper draining of the tears. Epiphora develops as a result of continuous eye infection, inflammation, and irritation. Excessive lacrimal discharge could also be due to long term medication, improper diet, and allergy.
Now you must be thinking, how can tears turn white fur into dark brown? Well, there are two main reasons for this:
- First, the body fluids of dog-like tear, urine, and saliva contain a compound Porphyrin. Porphyrin is rich in iron. When iron-rich porphyrin got the exposure to air, it turns the fur into reddish-brown, the same as the rusting process.
- Second, when the area around the eyes remains wet continuously, it attracts more bacteria and other microorganisms that accumulate in the wet area and start to develop dark rusty spots.
How can I prevent tear stains?
It is a famous saying that ‘prevention is better than cure’, the same in the case of tear stains. It’s easier to prevent tear strain rather than curing them in later stages. Following are some steps that will help to prevent tear stains.
Daily grooming and cleaning of the face
If you want to maintain the white flawless fur of your dog, then do regular grooming and cleaning of the fur. For daily care, you should preferably use coconut oil to wipe the area around the eyes. Settle the fur around the eyes carefully and if you feel any overgrowth, trim them.
Keep the under-eye area dry
The easiest way to prevent the tear stain is to keep the under-eye area dry. Whenever you feel excessive under-eye water, try to wipe that off as soon as possible. You can use a cotton swab or a soft cloth for this purpose.
Give your dog a healthy diet
It is important to provide your pet a healthy balanced diet. A balanced diet helps to maintain strong immunity. Sometimes there are allergy-causing fillers in the dog food, they cause excessive tearing and will ultimately cause tear stains. So, make sure to use high-quality food. Along with food, make sure to provide the dog with the distilled water as heavy water also causes poisoning in a dog.
Use tear stain wipes
To clean the under-eye area, you can use tear stain wipes. Tear stain wipes are very efficacious. They prevent the formation of tear stains and also help to remove already present stubborn stains.
Treatment for Tear Stains
Is there are a treatment for these dark stains? Yes! The treatment of the tear stain is available, and also it is quite easy. Initially, you should start with maintaining the hygiene of your four-footed friend. Do not let fluid to accumulate around the eyes of your dog. You can use a soft cloth for this purpose, rub the clothes around the eyes of your dog gently and make it as dry as possible.
When it comes to medication, then coconut oil is the safest and the most effective remedy to treat tear stains. Coconut oil has anti-microbial activity. Coconut oil works in two ways to remove tear stains.
- It lightens the already present tear stain, stop their spread, and ultimately vanish them.
- It prevents the formation of new tear stains.
If you want a reliable medication to remove tear stains. Then we would suggest that, don’t look anywhere else because coconut oil is the most reliable product in this regard. You can use coconut oil for any kind of tear stains.
Which is the Best Coconut Oil to Treat tear stains?
There are several products of coconut oil available in the market. If you want to remove tear stains efficiently, then make sure to choose the Organic Coconut Oil.
If you have a puppy that is allergic to heavy chemicals, then preferably you should choose mild coconut oil. Herbal coconut oil will work best for you. Avoid using artificial coconut oil. Artificial coconut oil contains many heavy chemicals that can cause potential damage to your dog.
Make sure to read all the instructions and cautions of the product before choosing it for your dog, as some products have age limits.
Can I add coconut oil to the diet of my dog?
Coconut oil is safe for a dog. It has several health benefits for dogs like:
- Coconut oil boosts the immune system of the dog. A stronger immune system will provide adequate protection against microbial infection.
- Coconut oil regulates the digestive tract and improves nutrients absorption and digestion.
But before adding coconut oil to the diet of your dog, keep a few things under consideration. Do not add coconut oil abruptly to the dog`s diet, otherwise, your dog will end up with severe diarrhea.
Start giving the little amount of coconut oil, ideally ½ spoons with the food, and observe for two weeks. If your dog hasn’t shown any side effects, then you can increase the amount but do not ever exceed the daily dose from two spoons. If your dog is obese then it is recommended to give only one spoon of coconut oil daily.
Conclusion
If you want to treat the tear stain of your dogs or want to prevent the formation of future tear stains, then there is nothing better than coconut oil. Treatment of tear stains will take a bit more time, but if we kept the safety of the dog under consideration. Then, there’s is no alternative to coconut oil.
In the end, we would like to say that as it is said that success comes to those who work for it daily, the same goes with the tear stain. Treatment of the tear stain is not difficult if one is consistent.