When you first got Fluffy, you never imagined that the beautiful ball of fur would one day look like she'd finished a few rounds with Muhammad Ali. You're tired of those reddish brown tear stains, You've found a product that promises to get rid of them forever, but when you put it on, the stains are still there. WHAT GIVES?

High quality dog tear stain remover works, but not in the way many people think. The key is understanding the causes of the tear stains and coming up with a way to prevent them from happening in the first place.

What Causes Dog Tear Stains?

Some breeds are more susceptible to tear stains than others. The stains themselves are caused by excessive tear production, a condition known as epiphora. The causes of epiphora are largely untreatable themselves. These are a few of the most common reasons your dog might be suffering from epiphora:

• Shallow eye sockets - Some breeds' eyes protrude more than others, causing tearing to occur. Since tears are a natural reaction to irritants, having more of the eye exposed to the environment offers more opportunities for irritation, therefore more tearing.
• Eyelids rolling inward - Known as entropian, some breeds have a tendency to have eyelids that partially or full roll inwards. The friction that this causes will irritate the eye, causing tear production.
• Excessive fur - For dogs with heavy coats, the fur around the eye can act as a detour for tears. Tears are supposed to dissipate through small holes below the eye into a dog's throat. Thick coats can cause them to stay.
• Blocked drainage holes - The drainage holes that allow tears to drain naturally can become clogged due to scarring or other causes.
• Allergies - Some dogs have reactions to additives in their food or the chemicals in tap water which can cause an allergic reaction. Of the causes, this may be the only one that is preventable. Of course, you'll have to experiment to find the solution.

Does Dog Tear Stain Remover Work?

You don't want to affect the way your pet produces the tears themselves, but you also want the unsightly stains to go away. The key is to find a dog tear stain remover that will help you clear the build up so that the stains do not continue to get worse. Dog tear stain removers are not going to work like bleach, and you wouldn't want to use that caustic a chemical around your pet's eyes, anyway.

Instead, a dog tear stain remover is going to clear away the dirt and gunk that has built up recently so that any future staining will stop. After you get your high quality dog tear stain remover, you should apply thoroughly to your pups fur every day for a week. After a week of daily treatment, even though the stains have lightened considerably, you might stop and think, "Why are there still some stains?" Well, that's because Mr. Pickle has something called permanently dyed fur. After a week of daily treatment, you can switch to weekly maintenance. 

Any fur that is permanently dyed will need to grow out and be trimmed off. You can do it yourself or bring your pooch to a professional groomer. So does it work? YES. Is it immediate? NO. But once Mr. Pugglesworth has been using the tear stain remover for a while and the permanently dyed fur is trimmed off, your pup will stop resembling a street fighter. You can keep the spiked collar, though.

The Best Way to Remove is to Prevent.

Once you've got your dog’s eyes back to normal, preventing future build up is the key to keeping her that way. The Petpost Dog Tear Stain Remover is a plant-based solution containing the highest quality extracts from coconut and palm. It will gently remove debris and provide your pet's coat with protection to keep future stains from occurring. 

Dog tear stain removers are designed to keep stains from forming when tears stay on the coat and attract dirt as well as bacteria and yeast. Once the fur grows out, you can trim away the stained portions and keep the stains from coming back in the future.

The Takeaways

So, does it work? YES - but not quite as you might expect. We are trained to expect instant satisfaction from stain removal products. But your Maltese or Shih Tzu is not like your mother’s new sofa and chemicals around the eyes is not a good idea. So, don’t think of a dog tear stain remover like bleach. It will not immediately make your dog’s fur white. Instead, it will work from the core of the issue, and with patience and regular maintenance, your dog will never have to worry about an unsightly face again!