Many dog breeds tend to produce tears that are dark in color that can sometimes stain their face, especially if they have a lighter colored coat. Foch Bulldogs are no strangers to this. If you love your Frenchie as much as we love ours, you want them to look and feel their best, and those dark stains can often get in the way. So, how do you get rid of the tears?
The short answer is that you can’t totally get rid of the tears. However, there are a few ways in which you can clear up the tears so they do not stain so badly as well as a few products you can use to clean the stains.
Why do their tears stain their coats?
Dark tears are caused by the production of a chemical called porphyrin. This chemical is produced usually due to an excess amount of Iron but can be caused by other minerals as well as bacteria. This often comes from your Frenchie's diet or most likely the water they drink.
The excess amount of porphyrin production makes their tears very dark, and that pigment can often stain their coat around their eyes and face. So, to solve this problem we must find ways to reduce the amount of these minerals and bacteria they consume.
How to prevent dark tears?
There are a couple of ways that we have found to be effective in clearing the color of our French Bulldogs’ tears. These two methods have both been tested by us and have proved to be effective for our dogs. However, it is important to keep in mind that all dogs are different, and it might take some experimentation to see what works best for your bulldog.
The first method that has worked well for us is giving our Frenchie distilled/bottled water instead of tap water. This is because tap water tends to have a lot of excess minerals which can exasperate the problem, especially if you live in a hard water area. After a couple weeks, you should see a significant difference in the color of your Frenchie's tears. As an alternative, you can purchase a filtration water bowl. We will share the link for this item below.
The second way that has proven effective is putting one or two capfuls of apple cider vinegar in their water. Apple cider vinegar has many anti-bacterial agents which can not only help with dark tears but also with their digestion and bad breath. It also has many great amino acids that help neutralize the effects of the excess iron and other minerals in their water.
How to clean their tear stains?
There are two products that we love to use here at Arlington Frenchies that help keep our little friends clean and looking their best. Links to these products will also be listed below.
The first product is the Angel Eyes Gentle Tear Stain Wipes. These are a quick and easy way to wipe away their tears to keep them looking fresh and clean. It is mostly for removing tears and eye boogers from their face and great for everyday use.
The second is the Squishface Dog Wrinkle Paste. This product almost acts as a leave in stain remover for your Frenchie's eyes and wrinkles. It will lift the dark color from their fur and make them look better than ever. However, this product is not meant to remove debris or eye boogers as wipes are.
Products Recommendations
We hope that these tips and tricks help you help your little friend to look and feel their absolute best! Please comment if it worked for you and if you have tips and tricks of your own!
Alex Holman-Franco
Arlington Frenchies
Comments