Do Morkies Have Tear Stains? (Cleaning & Prevention Tips)

Morkies can take after their Maltese parents and produce some beautiful pale coats with soft hair. They are a joy to take care of and often complimented for their appearance. But, you may also find that they develop brown stains under their eyes. Why do these stains appear, and what can you do about them?

Do Morkies have tear stains? Yes. Those brown marks under your dog’s eyes are stains created from the salt in your dog’s tears. It is a natural response and nothing to worry about unless you notice excessive tear production. Thankfully, you can find appropriate cleaning solutions to reduce the coloration, and there are different ways to reduce tear production depending on the cause.

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Why Do Morkies Produce Tears?

Morkies are at risk of developing tear stains on their coat if they have the paler coat of their Maltese parent.

Tear stains are prevalent with these pedigree parents and often cause concern – either from those that aren’t used to this phenomenon or those that want a “perfect” look when preparing their dog for dog shows.

The term “stain” doesn’t help with this negative perception.

What is happening here is that the salt that comes from the tears of your dog discolors the fur around their eyes.

Tears are a normal reaction.

While we associate tears with emotional responses and crying, we can forget that our eyes will tear up in the cold or wash out irritants.

This is the same for dogs, which can quickly get fur and dirt in their eyes during the day.

They don’t have the cognitive ability and skill to remove the irritant themselves, so they rely on these tears.

In some cases, this can be pretty minimal, with only a little bit of shading around the eyes.

Some dog owners may barely notice and have no concerns about this cosmetic issue because their pet seems otherwise healthy and happy.

However, there are times where the marks can get quite noticeable.

It’s up to you to decide what to do about the problem.

You can take some time to clean the stains and reduce their appearance.

You can also look into ways of preventing the stains from getting too bad.

Cleaning Morkie Tear Stains

It’s possible to clean the stains around your Morkie’s eyes and keep the fur looking brighter and nicer with some regular cleaning.

Eye checks should be a part of your regular cleaning regime.

You can check the eyes for signs of irritants, infections, and other issues.

There may not be any weeping or discoloration in the eye, but there is likely to be some tear staining on the white fur underneath. So, you can make a point of wiping the area with a damp washcloth to get rid of any surface staining, lingering tears, or any salty residue that could stain the fur further.

Be careful when choosing products for cleaning your dog’s fur.

There are sure to be some excellent natural cleaning solutions on the market with a pleasant scent and reliable action.

These can provide a good result with few risks if you don’t feel that the damp washcloth is enough.

However, others recommend using a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide. This peroxide is a bleaching agent that is safe to use on fur when diluted.

The problem is that you are doing so very close to their eyes, and there is the risk of it getting in the eyes if the dog flinches.

Preventing Excessive Tear Production

If your dog ends up with really dark tear stains a lot of the time, there could be an underlying issue to resolve.

You can’t prevent tears and light tear stains because your dog still needs to produce tears as a natural response to those irritants and keep the eye healthy.

However, you can take some time to look at possible reasons for excessive tear production and deal with those.

A straightforward explanation is that there is something in the dog’s eye.

It might be that there’s a piece of dirt or debris stuck in the corner of the eye, and the dog is trying their best to dislodge it with its tears.

If the debris is uncomfortable or painful, your dog may start pawing at their eye and whimpering.

Make sure to give their eyes a thorough check each time you clean the stains to be sure that nothing is aggravating the eye.

It could also be that the irritant is the dog’s hair.

This isn’t uncommon with small long-haired dogs like the Maltese that have hair framing their face.

Humans know how it feels when their bangs get too long, and a tiny strand pokes them in the eye.

It can be eye-watering. So, the same could be happening to your dog.

Keep an eye on the length of their hair and trim where necessary.

Allergens

Then there is the risk of allergens.

Excessive tear production could be down to allergens as well.

Environmental allergens, such as pollen and dust, could cause significant distress and lead to running eyes.

There are also cases where a dog’s diet is to blame, with some Morkie owners saying that tear production decreased once they switched their dog to a grain-free diet.

Others talk about the pH of the water in their dog’s bowl and the impact that this has on the saltiness of tears.

Final Thoughts – Do Morkies Have Tear Stains That We Can Keep Under Control?

While you aren’t going to stop your dog from getting any tear stains at all, as tears are a necessary part of eye health, you can minimize tear production. If you feel that the stains are getting worse or that you see excessive tear production, look at possible irritants and allergens that may be to blame. You can always seek advice from your vet if you aren’t sure what to do. With the proper alterations and regular cleaning, those brown stains shouldn’t get too bad.