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Supplements for Tear Stains

If you have a lightly coated, short-muzzled, or long-haired pet, you may be familiar with tear stains: dark reddish-brown streaks of color extending from the inner corners of the eyes. Dogs create excessive tears for a variety of reasons such as ingrown hairs irritating the eyes, shallow eye sockets, or anatomic defects in the tear ducts impeding normal draining of the tears. If your vet has ruled out a treatable condition, tear staining is usually managed as a long-term, chronic issue.

The reddish color of the stains is due to porphyrins, a naturally occurring molecule in tears that turns red when exposed to sunlight. While unsightly, the red itself is not indicative of blood or infection! However, a wet face is prone to secondary yeast infections, so you should keep your pet’s face clean and dry. In addition to cleaning the face, a tear stain formula supplement may be helpful in reducing the amount of porphyrin in the tears. It won’t reduce the tearing itself, but it can make the staining less severe.

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