What causes tear stains on dogs?

Tears are made constantly to keep the eye wet, and most of them drain away through small openings at the inner corner of the eyelids into a duct that runs to the nose. VCA explains that a wet, stained face, called epiphora, comes either from insufficient drainage through the tear ducts or from the eye producing too many tears. VCA's page on duct blockage adds that an obstruction can relate to the shape and size of the head and muzzle, to a defect the dog was born with, or to inflammation that swells the duct.

The color is chemistry. VCA's puppy guidance says the reddish-brown tint of tear stains comes from porphyrin, an iron-containing pigment in tears, and that the stains are simply more noticeable on light fur than on dark. So two dogs with the same overflow can look very different: a white Maltese shows a rust streak, while a black poodle beside it hides one. The stain is only the sign. The useful question is always which of the two routes is producing it.

A groom can do three useful things. It keeps the hair at the inner corners short, which VCA says prevents tear buildup and stops fur rubbing the eye. It washes and dries the face so damp fur is not sitting against the skin. And over time it trims away hair that is already stained, because much of a stain stays in the hair it has colored until that hair is cut away or grows out. Whitening, an $8 shampoo on our menu, brightens the coat overall.

What a groom cannot do is change an eyelid, open a duct, stop an eye from overproducing tears or treat an infection, and anything sold to do those jobs from a bottle deserves suspicion. VCA's epiphora page warns against hydrogen peroxide anywhere near the eyes, says over-the-counter tear-stain remedies are generally unproven and some may harm the eye, and advises using no product without your vet's advice. VCA also suggests asking your vet before trying any supplement that claims to reduce staining.

At Dogtown the face trim is a $10 add-on that tidies the hair around the eyes, muzzle and ears between full grooms; book it with a bath, from $55 by weight, so the face leaves clean as well as short. A full service, from $75, shapes the face as part of the haircut, and whitening is $8. If the groomer notices an eye that looks irritated, or skin under the stain that looks sore, you hear about it at pick-up as an observation to pass to your vet.

Cape Ann winters bring wind and spray to the beach walks, at the time of writing Good Harbor on even-numbered days from October 1 to March 31, and a white face comes home damp and sandy, so wipe and dry it once you are back. Grooming needs no evaluation, rebooking at pick-up takes $5 off, and daycare dogs can have the face trim added to their day, with the Pup Van at $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea.