Professional groomers are often asked how to remove those awful eye spots that some light-colored dogs are prone to. These dogs are easy to spot, with their raccoon masks around their eyes. There are dozens of products on the market that claim to remove these stains with regular use. Be forewarned; they do not work. Unfortunately, there is no magic potion that will remove the dark spots around a pet’s eyes.

Many different breeds suffer from excessive eye drainage. It is more noticeable in lighter colored dogs due to the change in coat color that occurs. The telltale reddish-brown stain is easy to spot, but difficult to cure. As with many things, prevention is the name of the game.

First, it is important to rule out any health issues that may be causing the eye irritation. The purpose of the tears in a dog’s eye is to clean and lubricate the eye. If there is excessive tearing, this may be due to a medical condition that requires the attention of a veterinarian. The first step in resolving this dilemma is to rule out any health reason for the tear.

The reddish brown spots are caused by iron in the dog’s system. In fact, it dyes your hair that color, much like a rust stain you might find on a freshly washed garment. These spots can appear not only around the eyes, but also around the dog’s mouth, or also in any area that he may be licking excessively. Saliva acts like tears, permanently staining the dog’s coat with rust.

One of the easiest ways to reduce staining is to give your dog only distilled water to drink. This is an old trick used by many white poodle breeders to reduce the spotting problem, and it is often very effective. Filtered water will not work; it must be distilled water, and it must be given to the dog constantly.

Other things can also contribute to stains. Some of the inexpensive commercial dog foods contain high levels of food coloring, which can also add to the staining problem. Feeding a premium food with fewer artificial colors and preservatives can sometimes dramatically reduce staining.

In addition to the unattractive appearance of the staining, eye matter often builds up and dries around the dog’s eyes, leaving a hard lump in the corner of the eye. Not only is this unsightly, but if left untreated over time it can become quite smelly and the area around the eyes can become infected. This can be excruciatingly painful for the animal and usually means a trip to the vet for oral and topical antibiotic treatments.

Finally, there are other common sense things that can help with the problem of stains. Keeping the dogs face short is an obvious solution. If the hair around the eyes is short, the tears have nothing to adhere to. Also, wiping the dog’s face two to three times a day with a warm washcloth will do wonders for reducing the number and severity of stains.

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