Petlab Co. Clear Eye Chews

What Are the Clear Eye Chews from Petlab Co.?

Petlab Co. Clear Eyes Chews are designed to remove tear stains from your dog’s eyes.

These stains are the result of overactive tear ducts that produce tears that discolor fur, leaving unsightly stains. Getting rid of these stains can be painstaking, so any remedy that can prevent them can be a much-needed solution for you. This is especially true if your dog has white fur, as the buildup of mucous under the eyes stands out more.

The company that sells these chews, Petlab Co., has a robust line of pet treatments for everything from tear stain chews to chews that improve heart health, calm your dog and contribute to joint health.

In our review of this dog supplement, we’ll talk about how it works, what science says about its ingredients, how much it costs, and compare it to other options for tear-stain removal.

How Petlab Co. Clear Eyes Chews Works

Your pup will take Clear Eyes Chews once a day. How many he or she takes is based on their weight:

• 20 lbs. or less: 1 chew
• 21 to 45 lbs. 2 chews
• 45 to 80 lbs.: 3 chews
• 81 lbs. or more: 4 chews

The ingredients in Clear Eyes are supposed to do three specific things to remove tear stains:

• Lubricate your tear ducts
• Lighten any mucous caught around your pup’s eyes
• Eliminate excess mucous

You should start to see these improvements in three to four weeks, a company representative told us.

Ingredients, Efficacy & Side Effects

Each Petlab Co. Clear Eyes chew has three ingredients specifically designed for solving the overproduction of mucus that leads to tear stains: vitamin C, marshmallow root and Eyebright herb extract.

Petlab Co. says there is research to support their claims these ingredients can help remove tear stains. However, our analysis indicates these claims are based on tests done on humans, not dogs.

Vitamin C

Your pup produces mucus around his or her eyes as a way of protecting against infection. Vitamin C, on the other hand, is meant to help fight infection when it’s present.

So, when your dog takes an increased dose of vitamin C through these chews, it’s meant to reduce your pup’s mucus production and therefore reduce the caked up mucus that causes tear stains.

At the same time, vitamin C may also be able to lighten the color of your pup’s fur, counteracting the stains left by any mucous dripping down onto your pup’s fur. This conclusion is based on human tests through which people use vitamin C to lighten their hair.

Vitamin C is considered safe for your dog unless he or she has had oxalate stones in the past. Also, vitamin C supplementation isn’t good for your dog if it’s one of the following breeds that are prone to oxalate stones:

• Schnauzer
• Lhasa apso
• Yorkshire terrier
• Miniature poodle
• Shih tzu
• Bichon frise

Marshmallow Root

This ingredient is meant to lubricate your dog’s tear ducts to allow mucus to flow freely. If your dog’s tear ducts get slightly clogged, they can overproduce mucus, which is why it’s important to keep them clear and flowing.

However, there is insufficient evidence to prove that marshmallow root can lubricate your tear ducts, let alone your dog’s tear ducts. We saw multiple pet sites claiming marshmallow root is well-supported, but these claims seem anecdotal since we could find no clinical studies to support the claim.

Marshmallow root is considered safe for your dog and presents no dangerous side effects.

Eyebright Herb Extract

This is the final tear-stain ingredient in Petlab Co. Clear Eyes Chews is eyebright, which is derived from a flower.

This ingredient is primarily used by humans to treat eye infections in lieu of medication. There is no credible evidence supporting this claim.

WebMD points out that research shows 82% of people who took eyebright to cure their eye infection saw symptoms disappear after two weeks. However, two weeks is about how long it would take your eye to resolve the issue on its own. So, eyebright’s efficacy is questionable, at best.

Eyebright is not dangerous to your dog when he or she takes it by mouth.

Pricing and Return Policy

You can buy Petlab Co. Clear Eyes as a one-time purchase for $42.29 for a jar of 30 chews, or as a subscription for $31.72 every one, two or three months.

Remember, though, that these jars have enough chews in them for one month of treatments for a dog weighing 20 pounds or less. If you sign up for the Petlab Co. subscription, here’s how much you’ll need to spend to make sure your pup has enough chews to get him or her through the month:

• 20 lbs. or less: $31.72/mth.
• 21 to 45 lbs.: $63.44/mth.
• 46 to 80 lbs.: $95.16/mth.
• 81 lbs. and above: $126.88/mth

If your dog weighs at least 46 pounds, you can expect to spend more than $1,000 a year to use Petlab Co. Clear Eyes Chews.

If you aren’t satisfied with how the chews work, you have 90 days to make a return. You have two options. You can keep the product and get a 30% refund on your purchase or you can ask for a full refund.

To get a full refund, call Petlab Co. at (941)217-1456 or email them at help@thepetlabco.com. Petlab Co. will give you a UPS return shipping label for free. Once you ship the item back to Petlab Co., email them the tracking number and they will process the refund “immediately,” the fine print says.

If you need to cancel your subscription, email contact@thepetlabco.com.

Tear Stain Remedies That Don’t Require Supplements

There are several simple treatments and changes you can make to your dog’s daily lifestyle that can reduce tear stains.

First, consider giving your dog bottled or filtered water instead of water from your tap. Unfiltered water may have a higher amount of iron and minerals that can increase the intensity of the tear stains on your dog’s fur.

Second, the hair around your dog’s eyes may be touching the surface of the eye and causing irritation that leads to excess mucus creation. Therefore, trimming the hair around your dog’s eyes could help reduce tear stains.

Third, PetMD points out that your dog’s excessive mucus production and resulting stains could be the result of a reaction to plastic dog bowls. Switching to a metal bowl could help your dog see significant improvement in mucus production.

Finally, your dog’s tear stains might be the result of a food allergy. The AKC suggests switching your dog to a “high quality, grain-free” dog food. This food change can help reduce allergy-based excess tear production.

The Bottom Line: Should You Give Your Dog Petlab Co. Clear Eyes Chews?

In our opinion, there just isn’t enough scientific evidence to indicate with certainty this supplement will work for your dog.

However, if you’re intent on giving your pup a supplement to help with his or her tear stains, the ingredients in this supplement are commonly used to treat the condition. Outside of the increased chance of oxalate stones in a few breeds, there is a low risk of side effects, too.

If you’re hesitant to buy the supplement, there’s widespread consensus in the veterinary community that you can implement simple things like daily cleanings that will help with the condition, too.