Brown marks under the dog's eyes: what is it exactly?
The brownish traces that can form at the inner corner of the eyes of some dogs are due to an epiphora, that is to say an excessive flow, sometimes pathological, of tears which contain a pigment called porphyrin.
This pigment, a constituent of heme, is actually a breakdown product of red blood cells. It is found naturally in many other biological fluids such as urine or saliva. Moreover, it is not uncommon for dogs with light coats to also show brownish traces on their lips or penis bearing the trace of these biological fluids.
Anyway, the marks found under the eyes of some dogs may initially appear reddish to rusty. They tend to turn brown-brown over time due to the action of commensal dog skin flora, those bacteria and yeasts that naturally inhabit the surface of dog skin. Of course, these traces are much more visible in dogs with light coats.
My dog has brown marks under his eyes: is this normal?
Excessive and chronic tearing can occur quite mildly in dog breeds with short muzzles and shallow eye sockets. The morphology of their skull then prevents effective drainage of their tears and they are thus more inclined to develop these "famous" brown marks, which are particularly unsightly. Brachycephalic dog breeds are particularly affected by this inconvenience. This is particularly the case for the Shih Tzu, the Pug, the Bulldogs, the Lhasa Apso, the Cavalier King Charles or even the Pekingese.Other small breeds such as Poodles, bichons or spaniels also suffer from this problem quite commonly.
But, it also happens that an excessive flow of tears - and the resulting brownish traces - are caused by a real ophthalmological problem of the dog among the presence of a foreign body in the eye, friction hairs or eyelashes on the cornea, an ectropion, an imperforate lacrimal point etc. The complete list of other possible pathological causes is also listed in our article en titled “my dog has runny eyes” which we invite you to consult.
For these last reasons, it is therefore essential to always consult your veterinarian first when your dog suffers from tearing which is the cause of brown marks under his eyes. Only your veterinarian can determine if these marks are related to the conformation of your dog's skull or to any other reason.In the second case, he can then prescribe the treatment that will relieve your animal and overcome its brown marks.
How to avoid brown marks?
If your veterinarian has confirmed that your pet does not suffer from any ophthalmological problem and that your dog has benign chronic tearing, there are preventive measures to avoid the formation of brown marks under the eyes.
These gestures consist of:
- regular grooming of your dog's eye area to cut the hairs that grow at the level of his wattle (the inner corner of the eye) and prevent them from rubbing on his cornea and accentuate your dog's chronic tearing. This operation is very delicate and must be performed by a professional.
- in a daily cleaning of the eyes, their contour and the eyelids of the dog using saline or, even better, using an eye lotion containing boric acid specially formulated for dogs eyes.
The natural option
It is also possible to clean your pet's eye contour daily (and only the contour) using a small sterile compress impregnated with cornflower, chamomile or green myrtle hydrosol.
If the brown marks are already there, there are cleaning products that can remove brown spots like Diamond Eye from the Vitacoat brand. However, it should only be put on the eye contour, only on the hair that has taken on a brown color and never in the eye or on the mucous membranes of the eye.
It is also possible to reduce the brown marks that have formed under your pet's eyes naturally using cornstarch. To do this, mix a little cornstarch with water to form a paste that you will apply to the hair that has taken on a brown color. Leave on for a few hours then rinse thoroughly, always taking care not to get starch in your dog's eyes.
Mistakes to avoid
The Internet is full of "grandmother's recipes" to overcome the brown spots that sometimes form under the dog's eyes. While some are completely ineffective, others can be very dangerous to your dog's eye he alth. So, despite what you may have read on unsavory forums or sites, NEVER apply whitening toothpaste, hydrogen peroxide, or bleach to your dog's hair and even more so to the hairs that are located near his eyes. These products are irritating and corrosive and therefore very dangerous for your pet!