Tear stains are the brown or pink staining that runs from the corner of a dog’s eyes down towards their nose. They are common and usually nothing to worry about.
Tear stains are more often seen on white or light-colored dogs, but all dogs are capable of getting them. While they’re normally harmless, it might be an indicator of an eye problem for your dog.
The main issue with tear stains is that they don’t look particularly attractive and may stain your dog’s light-colored coat.
For this reason, many owners want to find a way to remove them altogether, or at least reduce the appearance of them.
The good news is that there are some dog foods that you can implement into your dog’s diet to help with their tear staining.
Tear stains are created by your dog’s eyes watering too much. This could be due to many things, but most commonly it is due to allergies or sensitivities with their food.
If your dog is suffering from tear stains you might need to look into their diet.
Today we’re going to be looking at the best dog food for tear stains, as well as what you should look for before purchasing a new dog food.
Make sure to read our buyers guide at the end which will inform you about what you should look out for when choosing the best food for your dog.
In a hurry? Here are the top picks!
Tear stains should be treated properly to ensure that your dog is not suffering more than they are letting on.
If you cannot wait to read the rest of our article and just want to know what the best dog food for tear stains is on the market, don’t worry.
Our favorite has to be the Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Easy to Digest Dry Dog Food for many reasons. Here are just a few of the ways that we think this food is the best for treating tear stains:
- The all-natural ingredients list prevents reactions.
- There are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
- All of the ingredients are high-quality.
- There is no room for fillers!
- Pros
- Natural ingredients.
- No room for fillers.
- Salmon is the number one ingredient.
- No artificial flavors or preservatives.
- Cons
- A couple of customers found wooden skewers in the bag.
Nature’s Recipe offers an easy to digest dry kibble for your dog. All of the ingredients are natural and rich in vitamins and minerals, ensuring that your dog’s health remains on top form day in and day out.
There is no corn, wheat, or soy within the recipe, reducing the risk of your dog having a reaction to the food and creating tears around their eyes.
The carbohydrate source is both potatoes and pumpkins, which are both rather dense and therefore very filling.
This dog food also natural and high-quality, ensuring that there is no room in the recipe for filler ingredients. Sweet potatoes are also excellent for digestion.
Salmon is the protein source and also the number one ingredient, providing amazing muscle health for your dog.
There are no artificial flavors or preservatives added to this kibble either, so it’s unlikely that your dog would suffer from watering eyes after consuming this food.
In our opinion, this is one of the best dry dog foods for tear stains.
- Pros
- All-natural ingredient list.
- Reduces the likelihood of your dog suffering a reaction.
- No bad ingredients were added to the recipe.
- Cons
- Only comes in 15 and 30-pound bag options.
Another salmon flavored kibble, Diamond Naturals, offers a dry dog food made only with natural ingredients to reduce the number of tear stains.
There are no grains included within the recipe of this food either, so your dog shouldn’t have any food sensitivities as they might if they had consumed grains.
Hypoallergenic ingredients are also used within the formula of this food, giving your dog the best possible chance at consuming their food without having their eyes water.
The food is highly digestible with probiotics to promote a healthy gut and digestive tract. There are no filler ingredients, no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, and no useless ingredients.
In addition, the vitamins and minerals also help towards a healthy coat and skin, reducing the likelihood of tear stains.
- Pros
- Only four main ingredients.
- One protein source.
- Promotes good skin and coat health.
- Cons
- A few customers had an issue with quality control.
Natural Balance’s Limited Ingredient Diets dog food is one of our personal favorites, and there are many reasons why we think so.
For starters, there is only one protein source used within each formula. This helps you to narrow down what your dog could be reacting to and therefore what could be causing their tear stains.
There are four main ingredients on the back of the bag – that’s right, we said four!
The protein source is the main ingredient meaning that your dog is getting the most of it, with sweet potato as the carbohydrate source.
This is also great for digestion in dogs. There are plenty of vitamins and minerals to enrich their lives as well.
Sunflower oil is rich in omega fatty acids which can help your dog’s skin stay healthy and their coat soft.
With only four main ingredients, there is no room for fillers or low-quality ingredients here! You’ll find no artificial ingredients, colors, or flavors. This is definitely a dog food that will help with tear stains.
- Pros
- Large enough to hold back any breed of dog.
- It can withstand 210 pounds of impact.
- The door can close itself.
- Cons
- The latch on the gate might not be very durable.
Blue Buffalo is a reputable brand when it comes to dog food, so you know that you’re getting a high-quality option for your puppy whenever you buy with them.
Their limited ingredients diet is no different because it only has four main ingredients within the formula.
The single protein source is at the top of the list, meaning that it makes up the majority of the food is made up of protein.
You’ll find no chicken, corn, wheat, beef, soy, eggs, or dairy in this food. These are all commonly known allergens for dogs, so the absence of them might prevent your dog from suffering from tear stains.
Only the finest ingredients are used for this dry kibble, with essential vitamins and minerals to aid your dog’s lifestyle.
There is no chicken by-product within the recipe either, and there are no other low-quality ingredients included either.
- Pros
- High-quality ingredients used.
- Less likely for your dog to have a reaction to the food.
- No filler ingredients were used.
- Cons
- Expensive compared to other foods on our list.
Last but not least we have another limited ingredient diet dry food for dogs with tear stains.
Duck is the main protein source of this food, and you can rest easy knowing that this is one of the least reactive ingredients that dogs can eat.
Thus, your dog should not suffer a reaction or tear stains from the protein source. In addition, there are no duck by-products within the formula meaning that the food is made up of only the highest quality ingredients.
Only the best ingredients for your furry friend! Prebiotic fiber can be found within the recipe which helps with gut health and digestion, so your dog should be able to digest their food much easier than before.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes are also within the formula, taking up all the room that might have once been used for filler ingredients.
The natural ingredients are sure to prevent your dog from suffering the effects of tear stains any longer.
Best Dog Food For Tear Stains Buying Guide
Now that you know which foods we think are the best on the market for tear stains, how about we give you some information about it so that you can make your own informed decision?
While we think that the above foods are the best out there, you might still want to do your own research for it.
So, make sure that you bear all of the information below in mind when choosing the best food for your dog. If you don’t, your dog might still suffer from their tear stains and you will have only wasted your time and money.
Ingredients
With any dog food, you should always look at the ingredients list before purchasing. This is because different foods contain lots of different ingredients and your dog might be affected by one more than another.
The ingredient list can be an important place to look when you’re trying to prevent tear stains. As a general rule, cheaper dog foods can be a culprit for tear stains. Below are the ingredients that you should look out for and avoid.
Filler ingredients
Filler ingredients should be avoided as much as possible. Many manufacturers use filler ingredients to lower the price of their food as they don’t need to use as much of their expensive ingredients.
However, fillers ingredients take up the room that protein should be filling, so your dog is not getting as much protein as they should be.
Fillers aren’t always harmful to dogs and many can eat them without any effects at all, but some dogs have more sensitive stomachs than others.
If your dog has a sensitive stomach and they eat food with too many filler ingredients, it could easily lead to allergies which will create tear stains.
Look out for corn, wheat, and other grains in the ingredient list. These should be avoided wherever possible to avoid tear stains.
Artificial preservatives
Artificial preservatives are used within recipes to prolong the time that food can be kept for without it going bad.
This is good for the manufacturer as not as much of their food is wasted due to it going bad before it can be purchased.
However, some dogs suffer from allergic reactions to artificial preservatives and this can lead to tear stains.
Artificial colors and flavorings
Much like with artificial preservatives, dogs can also have reactions to artificial colors and flavorings.
Manufacturers use them to make the food look and smell more appealing to dogs and their owners, but they can also cause allergic reactions and tear staining.
It is best to look for food without any artificial ingredients.
Digestive Issues
If your dog is having a difficult time digesting their food, they could suffer from tear staining. To avoid this you need to look for food that is as easily digestible as possible.
A single protein source could help with this as one protein source will be easier for your dog to digest than multiple.
Look for the carbohydrates in the food you’re looking at as well, as these will help with digestion. Sweet potato is a great source of carbohydrates as they are very easy to digest and gentle on a dog’s stomach.
Make sure that the food has an easily digestible carbohydrate as well as meat and vegetables.
All-Natural
An all-natural food could be best for your dog as you can be sure that there are no artificial ingredients. Some dogs have difficulty digesting these and they can even have an allergic reaction to them.
To avoid your dog from having an adverse reaction make sure that the food you choose is as natural as possible.
We might also recommend that you look for a limited ingredient food to prevent your pooch from having a reaction to one of the many ingredients.
A limited ingredient list can allow you to pinpoint what your dog is allergic to in their normal old food.
Flavors
Every dog is different and they will enjoy different flavors of their food to other dogs.
It would be beneficial to know what flavor of dog food is your pooch’s favorite so that you don’t purchase one that they do not like.
If you do this, you might find that they won’t eat the food and you will have wasted your money.
Luckily, many different manufacturers offer similar foods with different protein sources as the flavors.
This allows you to choose from many different options without having to sacrifice one of the benefits from the other options.
Wet or Dry Food for Tear Stains
Many people consider dry food to be better for preventing tear stains, as wet foods tend to be full of lower quality ingredients. However, some dogs cannot eat dry food due to dental issues and digestive issues.
So, if your dog cannot consume dry food don’t worry too much. Just make sure that the ingredients are high-quality and that there are no fillers within the ingredients list.
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals within dog food are so important for your dog’s health. They can make their coat look and feel shinier, your dog’s skin will be healthier, and they can even help with digestive issues.
You should always look for dog foods that have natural vitamins and minerals included thanks to the natural ingredients.
Artificial vitamins and minerals can do more harm than good for your dog and their tear stains, so keep this in mind before purchasing a new bag of dog food.
Conclusion
Tear stains make your dog look sad and leave a residue that is brown and pink in color. For lighter colored dogs, tear stains may also stain their coat if left for a long period of time.
One of the main culprits of causing tear stains is a poor diet. Thus, if you chose one of the best dog foods for tear stains, you should reduce the amount of residue coming from your dog’s eyes!
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Garrett loves animals and is a huge advocate for all Doodle dog breeds. He owns his own Goldendoodle named Kona. In addition, he volunteers at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, where he fosters dogs and helps animals. Garrett enjoys writing about Doodles and believes that dogs can teach humans more about how to live than humans can teach a dog.
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