How do I get rid of a tear stain on my dog?
Tear stains in dogs are evidence of red yeast. This also holds true for stains elsewhere on the body that come into contact with saliva, such as the “beard” or paws. The building block for the red yeast is created by the naturally occurring bacteria in the tears consuming the oxidising iron deposits in the tears (or saliva). The principle ways of eliminating the problem are: 1. Always keep the fur dry, the warm/damp fur promotes the rapid reproduction of the bacteria. 2. Check to see if the tear ducts are blocked. Blocked ducts will cause the tears to fall onto the fur under the eyes. 3. Kill the bacteria using antibiotics- not without risk in the long term. 4. Oxidise the iron inside the body before it enters the tears. This can be done though diet change but can be difficult to achieve.
