Tear Stain Remover Comb for Dogs and Cats

You tilt his chin up and there it is again, the brown crust in the corner of each eye that the brush never reaches. An ordinary comb is too big and too straight for a face, and he flinches before you've touched him.

This tear stain remover comb has an arc-shaped head and fine stainless steel teeth, so you can work right up to the eye without the end teeth digging into his cheek.

What the curve and the teeth are for:

• Arc-shaped head: it curves away from the face, so the teeth meet fur rather than poking skin the way a straight comb does
• Fine dense teeth: close enough to catch dried discharge, dander and fleas in the same pass
• Rounded tips: every needle is finished round, so nothing scratches around the eyes
• Paw-shaped grip: a small handle you hold in the fingertips, which is the control you want that close to a face
• Fur lifts off in one piece: what the comb collects clusters at the tip, so you clear it in a single pull

A straight comb pokes, and this one doesn't. Straight-edge combs press flat and the end teeth catch the cheek. The curve keeps the whole row on the coat instead, so a nervous dog has less to flinch at.

One pull and it's clean. The teeth let the collected fur bunch at the tip rather than scattering through the row, so you clear it in one movement and carry on rather than picking at it.

Fleas as well as tear stains. The spacing that catches dried discharge is the same spacing that catches fleas and their eggs, so the comb that lives by the eyes also earns its place in flea season.

Getting the size right

One size, and it sits in the fingertips rather than the fist. It's deliberately small: the head is sized to work around an eye and a muzzle rather than down a back, so it's a face comb rather than a body comb. Measurements are in the specifications and the dimension diagram in the gallery.

Specifications

• Teeth: Fine dense stainless steel with rounded tips
• Head: Arc-shaped, single sided
• Size: 2.7 in (6.8 cm) tall, 2.6 in (6.5 cm) wide, teeth 0.4 in (0.9 cm)
• Handle: Paw-shaped grip
• Use: Tear stains, eye discharge, face and rear, fleas
• Colors: Purple, Green, Olive Green, Blue

Safety note: Work slowly in the direction of hair growth near the eyes, never comb toward the eye itself, and stop if the skin underneath looks sore. Persistent tear staining, redness or discharge is worth a vet visit rather than more combing.

Give the corners of his eyes one quick pass each morning, and the crust is gone before it has the chance to set into the fur.