Why Does My Dog Have Watery Eyes and Tear Stains?

Short answer: Watery eyes and reddish-brown tear stains are usually caused by excess tearing — called epiphora — from shallow eye sockets, facial folds or narrower tear ducts common in flat-faced, long-coated breeds like Shih Tzus, plus everyday irritation, allergies or mild eyelid problems. The staining itself comes from a pigment naturally present in tears, not from dirt. There is no evidence that a gut probiotic powder reduces tear staining, and we do not claim it does — what actually helps is finding the real cause and running a safe daily cleaning routine, both below. If the eye looks red, painful, or the discharge is thick and coloured, that is a same-day vet visit, not a cosmetic issue.

Why is my dog's eye watering?

Excess tearing, which vets call epiphora, means more tears are being produced or draining more slowly than usual through the eye's own drainage system, the nasolacrimal ducts (the tear ducts that normally carry tears down into the nose). In flat-faced, long-coated breeds — of the households in our records who told us their dog's breed, 66% are Shih Tzu homes — shallow eye sockets, facial folds and narrower tear ducts make overflow tearing far more common than in other breeds.

Other everyday causes include hair or eyelashes rubbing against the eye's surface, dust, wind or shampoo irritating it, and mild allergies. Eyelid conditions such as entropion (the eyelid rolling inward, so lashes brush the eye) or distichiasis (extra eyelashes growing from the wrong spot) can also cause constant tearing and are worth ruling out if the staining never really lets up.

Why does the staining happen, and is it harmful?

Tears naturally contain porphyrins — iron-containing pigments the body clears mainly through tears, saliva and urine. When tears sit on wet fur below the eyes, porphyrins oxidise in light and turn the fur reddish-brown or rust-coloured over time. Lighter coats show it more visibly, but the same staining happens on every coat colour.

On its own, the staining is cosmetic. The real risk is what damp fur invites: warm, moist skin under the eyes is an easy place for yeast (Malassezia, a yeast that lives on skin and can overgrow where it stays damp) or bacteria to build up, which can bring a sour smell, redness or mild irritation to that one spot. Keeping the area clean and dry addresses that risk directly, whatever is causing the tearing itself.

Does VitalPaws help with tear stains?

No — we have no evidence that our powder reduces tear staining, and we do not claim that it does. It is formulated as daily gut support: real freeze-dried chicken liver, a prebiotic fibre and good bacteria for digestion, coat and skin — not an eye or tear-stain product. If your dog is also dealing with ongoing skin or coat trouble alongside the watery eyes, that is the more common reason parents come to us; see why skin problems keep coming back. For the eyes specifically, the two sections below are what is actually worth doing.

How to clean tear stains safely

A simple daily routine does most of the work:

• Wipe once a day with a clean, soft cloth or cotton pad dampened with plain water or a vet-approved eye-safe cleaning solution. Wipe outward, away from the eye, and use a fresh section of cloth for each side.
• Dry the area properly. Damp fur under the eyes is exactly what lets yeast and bacteria build up, so pat it fully dry after cleaning.
• Trim the hair around the eyes short if your dog's coat grows into them, so tears drain onto fur instead of pooling against the skin.

What to avoid

Hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil and human eye drops can all harm sensitive eye tissue, so keep all three away from your dog's eyes. Never reuse old prescription eye drops left over from a previous vet visit — a new problem needs a fresh look, and the wrong drops on the wrong condition can make things worse. If cleaning at home for a week or two has not made a difference, or the staining keeps returning, ask your vet whether the underlying cause needs a proper look rather than more cleaning.

When watery eyes are an eye problem, not just staining

Everyday tearing and staining can wait for a routine vet visit. These signs cannot — see a vet the same day:

• The eye looks red, cloudy, or has any white film over it
• Your dog is squinting, pawing at the eye, or keeping it shut
• Discharge is thick, yellow or green, rather than clear
• One eye is noticeably worse than the other, or there is swelling around it
• Your dog seems in pain, or bumps into things it normally would not

Any of these can point to a problem on the surface of the eye (a corneal issue) or conjunctivitis (inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelid and covers part of the eye) — conditions that can worsen fast. Every VitalPaws order includes a 1:1 teleconsult with Dr. Anvesh Chakravarthy, B.V.Sc & A.H., PetPulse Clinic — a good first call if you are not sure whether what you are seeing needs an in-person visit today.

If your dog is also scratching, licking its paws, or chewing at itself alongside the watery eyes, that is often connected — our guide on why dogs keep scratching, ranked by cause, walks through the common culprits.

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