A dog's eyes are an important part of the body. Dogs see the world quite differently from humans and you can take this literally. We humans see a large spectrum of colours. In dogs, the number of shades of colour they see is more limited. The best way to compare their colour vision is with someone who is colour-blind. A colour-blind person sees certain colours less brightly and clearly or sometimes not at all. Dogs do not see green and red, but they can well distinguish shades of blue. Not only can they perceive fewer colours than humans, but they can also see less far. Because a dog's eyes are on the side of their head, they do have a wider field of vision than we do.
They also have better night vision and have a third eyelid, which is essential for protecting the eyes and to produce tears. The most important point for us, however, is that the eyes are a clear indicator of the pet’s health. By looking at your pooch’s eyes, you can tell a great deal about his physical condition. Eyes that are not healthy, produce too much tear fluid (more than average) or cause tears to run down the face of the dog instead of being drained by the eyes. This condition, also known as epiphora, in turn leads to the well-known reddish tear stains.
Where does the reddish-brown colour come from?
Epiphora, or (excessive) watering of the eye, is a condition that makes the tears flow down from the dog’s eyes, instead of through the nasolacrimal system. This is basically a drainage problem: the eyes are no longer able to drain the tear fluid produced. A pigment known as porphyrin is excreted in tears, saliva and urine. This pigment contains iron molecules produced when the body breaks down red blood cells and causes the actual stains. All dogs produce this porphyrin pigment, but some dogs are known to have too much of it. When exposed to sunlight, the stains also intensify and get darker.
Proper eye care
It is important to remove the tear stains regularly, not only for the sake of a more beautiful appearance, but also for the health of your pet. More on how best to do that in a future blog post. Would you like to get started right away? At Transgroom, you will find a wide range of great eye care products!
Not sure which products to use? Drop us a line or ask us your question in the comments section below. We will undoubtedly be able to help you further. Or do you already know our products and do you want to share your positive experiences with us and other customers? That is also possible, of course We look forward to your feedback.
If you don't address tear stains, yeast infection and other problems can occur. We will tell you more in detail about the different causes of tear stains and epiphora in our next blog post. Do you have doubts about your animal's health? Then it may be advisable to consult a vet. After all, we all love our furry friends and an extra visit to the vet can’t hurt, can it?
