{"id":7780,"date":"2026-08-11T23:45:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T23:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/noblecrownkennel.com\/nega-kavalira\/suzni-tragovi-kod-kavalira\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T00:04:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T00:04:22","slug":"suzni-tragovi-kod-kavalira","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/noblecrownkennel.com\/en\/cavalier-care-and-daily-life\/cavalier-tear-stains\/","title":{"rendered":"Tear stains under the eyes in Cavaliers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reddish stains under the eyes are common in Cavaliers and usually harmless.<\/strong> They are not dirt and do not wash off with soap, because the colour does not come from outside but from the tears themselves.<\/p>\n

This article explains why they appear, when they are merely cosmetic and when they signal that something is wrong, and how to manage them day to day.<\/p>\n

Why they are reddish<\/h2>\n

Tears contain substances that hold iron. When a tear meets the air and lingers on the hair, the iron oxidises and leaves a reddish to brown colour.<\/strong> The same process as when metal rusts.<\/p>\n

That is why the stains stand out more in light-coated dogs. On a Blenheim or a tricolour they show clearly; on a ruby or a black and tan they are practically invisible \u2014 yet the tears are the same.<\/p>\n

Why in this breed in particular<\/h2>\n

The Cavalier has a large, round, prominent eye. Such an eye produces more tears and drains them less easily, because in short-muzzled dogs the tear duct is narrower and more bent than in breeds with a longer muzzle.<\/p>\n

The result is that instead of draining through the duct into the nose, the tear spills over the lower lid and ends up on the hair. This is called epiphora and in its mild form is a normal feature of the breed, not a disease.<\/p>\n

When they are harmless<\/h2>\n

The stains are probably only cosmetic if:<\/p>\n