Red or rust-coloured fur around your dog’s eyes, mouth or paws is usually caused by natural pigments called porphyrins. These iron-containing compounds are present in tears and saliva. All dogs produce them, but the staining is much easier to see on white, cream and other light-coloured coats.
The colour itself is not proof of yeast or an allergy, it’s a clue that tears or saliva are repeatedly wetting the coat. Reducing new staining starts with working out why this is happening.
What does the location of the staining tell you?
Around the eyes: Tears are repeatedly reaching the fur. Some staining may be cosmetic, but a sudden increase or staining accompanied by persistent discharge, redness, squinting, swelling or discomfort should be assessed by a veterinarian.
Around the mouth: Saliva may be wetting the coat because of lip licking, drooling or a damp beard. New excessive drooling, bad breath or difficulty chewing may warrant an oral and dental check.
Around the paws: Red staining usually indicates repeated licking or chewing. The pigment confirms that saliva is reaching the coat, but it doesn’t explain why the dog is licking.
Red fur is not the same as red skin
Rust-coloured hair may be stained while the skin underneath looks normal. Skin that is red, swollen, moist, greasy, sore or smelly suggests active irritation or inflammation. Yeast may overgrow in warm, damp and inflamed areas and add to the itching, but yeast doesn’t create the red pigment itself.
Why do dogs lick their paws?
Paw licking can be driven by:
- Allergy-related itching
- Secondary yeast or bacterial overgrowth
- Moisture trapped between the toes
- Contact with grass or other irritants
- Pain, injury or a foreign object
- Stress-related or habitual licking
Cleaning or trimming the stained hair may improve its appearance, but the colour is likely to return if licking continues. The priority is to identify what is making your dog lick.
When should your dog be checked?
Arrange a veterinary examination if the paws are red, moist, greasy, odorous, swollen or sore, or if paw licking occurs alongside recurring ear infections, head shaking, discharge or a musty smell.
Your veterinarian may recommend skin or ear cytology, which examines a small sample under a microscope to determine whether yeast, bacteria or both are present. Supplements can help support the underlying allergy and improve gut and immune health, but an active skin or ear infection will usually still need appropriate topical treatment.
Practical steps to reduce new staining
- Rinse the paws with plain water after walks, particularly after contact with grass, mud or damp ground, then dry carefully between every toe.
- Gently wipe tears or saliva from the coat and dry the area afterwards. Avoid harsh stain-removing products that may irritate the skin or eyes.
- Keep a simple record of when licking worsens, including weather, walks, food changes, grooming and stressful events.
- Rule out allergy, infection and pain before treating the licking as behavioural. Once discomfort is controlled, calming routines, enrichment and gentle redirection may help interrupt the habit.
Supporting allergy-related licking from within
Supplements can’t remove pigment already present in the coat - their role is to address factors that may be driving repeated licking, including allergic itch, inflammatory discomfort and disruption to gut and immune health.
Palmitoylethanolamide, or PEA, is generally our first priority for dogs with active itching, redness and inflammatory discomfort. It helps regulate mast cell activity and inflammatory signals involved in allergic itch. Laboratory research in canine skin cells found that PEA reduced the release of histamine and other inflammatory messengers. In an eight week study involving 160 dogs with atopic dermatitis, itching and skin lesion scores improved significantly, with 58% experiencing a clinically meaningful reduction in itch.
P.E.A Plus should be given consistently at the correct weight-based dose. Established skin concerns may require 8–12 weeks before the full benefit becomes apparent.
Pure SB contains Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial probiotic yeast that works within the digestive tract. It's biologically different from Malassezia, the yeast commonly involved in canine skin and ear infections.
By supporting the intestinal microbiome and communication between the gut and immune system, Pure SB may help address underlying factors that contribute to allergy-related licking and recurring yeast flare-ups. Less licking may also mean less new saliva staining. Pure SB is not a direct antifungal and will not clear an active infection.
Broader allergy support
For persistent staining caused by ongoing paw licking, we may recommend the Allergy Support Bundle (P.E.A Plus, Gut Restore and Pure Colostrum) together with Pure SB.
P.E.A Plus provides the most direct support for itching, while Gut Restore and Pure Colostrum support the intestinal barrier and immune resilience. Pure SB adds more concentrated microbiome support, particularly after antibiotics or in dogs prone to recurring allergy and yeast-related flare-ups.
By addressing several possible drivers of licking, this combination may help reduce the amount of porphyrin-rich saliva reaching the coat and limit new staining over time.
How long will staining take to improve?
Existing stained fur will not return to its original colour immediately. Progress is better judged by less licking, calmer skin and fewer flare-ups. As healthier coat grows through, the staining should gradually become less noticeable.
Red fur staining is best viewed as a clue, not the problem itself. Identifying why tears or saliva are reaching the coat is the most effective way to support your dog’s comfort, skin health and long-term wellbeing.
References (click to expand)
Bond, R., Morris, D. O., Guillot, J., Bensignor, E. J., Robson, D., Mason, K. V., Kano, R., & Hill, P. B. (2020). Biology, diagnosis and treatment of Malassezia dermatitis in dogs and cats: Clinical consensus guidelines of the World Association for Veterinary Dermatology. Veterinary Dermatology, 31(1), 27–e4. https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.12809
Cerrato, S., Brazis, P., Della Valle, M. F., Miolo, A., & Puigdemont, A. (2010). Effects of palmitoylethanolamide on immunologically induced histamine, PGD2 and TNF-α release from canine skin mast cells. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 133(1), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2009.06.011
D'Angelo, S., Fracassi, F., Bresciani, F., Galuppi, R., Diana, A., Linta, N., Bettini, G., Morini, M., & Pietra, M. (2018). Effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in dogs with chronic enteropathies: Double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Veterinary Record, 182(9), 258. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.104241
Noli, C., Della Valle, M. F., Miolo, A., Medori, C., Schievano, C., & Skinalia Clinical Research Group. (2015). Efficacy of ultra-micronized palmitoylethanolamide in canine atopic dermatitis: An open-label multi-centre study. Veterinary Dermatology, 26(6), 432–440, e101. https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.12250
Song, H., Mun, S.-H., Han, D.-W., Kang, J.-H., An, J.-U., Hwang, C.-Y., & Cho, S. (2025). Probiotics ameliorate atopic dermatitis by modulating the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in dogs. BMC Microbiology, 25, 228. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-025-03924-6
Wang, E., Wu, P., Xu, J., Hong, X., Zhao, N., Sun, T., ... & Yang, C. (2026). Effects of Traditional Chinese Herbal Extracts on Tear Staining, Iron Status, Immune Function, and Antioxidant Capacity in Dogs. Animals, 16(11), 1596. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16111596
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