# Tear Stains



## iluvsophie (Aug 3, 2007)

Does anybody have any tips on tear stains? I clean Sophies eyes with a doggie wipe but it just cleans her eyes, does not remove the stains. I also get her eyes cleaned at the groomers but I wish there was something I could do to prevent it. Any tips?


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## Dakota Spirit (Jul 31, 2007)

There are several products out there that are made specifically to remove tear-stains.

Just by doing a quick search on the Petco website I found a couple:

http://www.petco.com/product/6522/Pet-Gold-Tear-Stain-Remover.aspx

http://www.petco.com/product/1623/Four-Paws-Crystal-Eye-Tear-Stain-Remover.aspx

http://www.petco.com/product/7377/Pet-Gold-Tear-Stain-Remover-Wipes-for-Dogs-and-Cats.aspx

Though keep in mind, I have no experience with any of these products so I can't recommend one over the other .


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## Shell&Jas (Jul 4, 2007)

Be very careful with any of those bleach like products which removes the tear stains they can be very harsh and dangerous to use around your dogs eyes. Best to speak to your vet to see which product is the safest to use. 

I have a maltese x shih tzu who has the same problem. I just wipe them often and try to keep the hair in the area short.

Good Luck with it.


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## Janelle (Jul 29, 2007)

the safest way to keep tear stains away is to sprinkle a little tetracycline on your dogs food every day ......the stains are a body fluid stain , the same is if a dog was licking his feet and they turn brown .
this IS a drug you have to get thru your vet and it may take up to 30 days to see any benefit from it ,especially if the skin is stained .
so talk to your vet about any side effects from this drug but it does work 
to keep the stains away you would have to keep your dog on it for the rest of it's life.
Also the dogs tear ducts may be clogged which is not uncommon in small breeds . Alot of vets don;t feel the proceedure is completly nessescary to do unless the health issues come into play or if the owner insists


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## Ardatha (Jul 31, 2007)

Just out of curiosity, why tetracycline? It's an antibiotic. I'm not seeing the reasoning here. Explain please? Thanks.


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

I was just reading a pamphlet on tear staining while sitting in the vet's waiting room! Tear stains can be caused by a variety of things, including low-grade bacterial and yeast infections. It also mentioned infections in the ears as a possible cause of tear staining. Maybe the tetracycline treats the infections, which in turn gets rid of the symptom of tear strains? I have no idea, lol, just shooting in the dark.

Tetracycline is not highly recommended as a first course of action for tear stains, though, as it tends to stain the teeth yellow. (It does this in people, too, when used to treat acne. Sounds lovely.) Also, it's hard on the digestive system, especially the kidneys, through which it filters on its way out.


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

well I would start with a vet check to rule out a blocked tear duct.... 
then I would clean the eyes and trim the stained fur as far back as you can get it.... then I would put a coating of vaseline on it..... every day as the vaseline helps fill the pores in the hair shaft and the tear rolls over it. 

I have not had good luck with the tear stain bleach products as they tend to actually make the hair shaft more porous so the stain actually ends up getting worse..... 

the best luck I have had is to use an eyewash like collirium (I think is how it is spelled, in the eye care section of the pharmacy) to keep the eye clear and use vaseline on the fur.... 

our golden Kaelyn has a blocked tear duct that the vet will take care of after hte puppies have gone and this is what the Maltese folks told me to do. 
s


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## newman (Aug 2, 2007)

Angel eyes works very well. and keep soing what your doing wipe the eye area everyday.....


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## iluvsophie (Aug 3, 2007)

Thanks, I will try the vaseline. And maybe some angel eyes if that doesn't help. And I will be taking Sophie to the vet soon and see what they suggest. Thanks!


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Ardatha said:


> Just out of curiosity, why tetracycline? It's an antibiotic. I'm not seeing the reasoning here. Explain please? Thanks.


Yea because tetracycline is a product for fish. lol


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

Durbkat said:


> Yea because tetracycline is a product for fish. lol



I have heard of using tetracycline (which is not just for fish,,, its also been used for people and dogs and an assortment of other animals) 

however, it is supposed to kill any bacteria or yeast that could be causing the eye stain..... I would not however use antibiotics unless for a medical reason and wouldn't use them for something cosmetic..... giving an antibiotic for something like an eye stain could make other antibiotics less effective when you really need them for a medical reason. 
I wouldn't do that personally
s


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Oh thats cool shalva


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## PoodleKisses (Aug 7, 2007)

Angels Eyes work wonders!! I sell this in my shop and have every client who buys it happy. It really does work! You have to keep up with it tho, once you stop it the stains will come back!


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## Amaya-Mazie-Marley (Apr 15, 2007)

I have the same problem with my chinese crested powderpuff. I shave her face anyways, so I shave her face completely and just keep wiping her eyes everyday. Her tear stains are still there and I've used almost everything imaginable. I have wanted to try Angel eyes for a long time but its really expensive and would be a waste to spend so much money on something that takes so long to work, then you run out and if you don't buy more the stains come right back.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

My male (rescue) cream Standard Poodle had terrible red stains when I brought him home. The first thing I did was to have him checked for a blocked duct, or inverted eyelash. Neither was a problem, so then it was time to figure out what he was allergic to. He was put on an allergy formula food, with a single protein source, and no corn, grains, etc.

In the meantime, I used sterile saline solution to cleanse his eyes morning and evening, and gently wiped away any discharge as soon as I saw it. I gave him plain, live culture yogurt daily (a tablespoon), and provided distilled water for drinking. The saline solution actually helped to keep the eye drainage from staining his face, and kept his eyes free from bacterial infection. 

The prolonged use of an antibiotic is not a good idea, so I wouldn't opt for using the tetracyline on a daily basis, when it can be managed effectively in other ways. The same goes for products like Angel Eyes. Find the source and eliminate it.


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## Janelle (Jul 29, 2007)

Have any of you all ever tried DIAMOND EYES???? it is a tear stain product that has been around for years. It is a clear liquid with no powders to irritate the eyes


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## PoodleKisses (Aug 7, 2007)

I agree that you should try and find the source first, but even some people have tried everything it still is bad in some dogs. Another thing is, you may want to check your pets diet. Food colorings, artificial food additives and preservatives, cereals such as wheat can cause allergies in dogs. These allergies can cause tear stains. Also a lot of foods have dried beet pulp in them, this c an also add to the staining. I do have a client who took their dog off of a food containing dried beet pulp and just gave bottled water and it helped a lot. I have discussed this with my Vet several times about using the Angels Eyes and there are no ill effects for long term use of it. All it is is 100% pure beef liver and tylosin. All I can say is it really does work, its the ONLY thing so far that I have found to actually take care of the problem and not just cover it up. You use it on their food everyday for 3 months and then after 3 months cut down to 3-4 times a week and after 6 months you only need to add it 1-2 times a week. It starts to work within 2 weeks. I wouldnt believe it if I didnt see it work for myself.


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## ShihtzuBeauty (Aug 11, 2007)

As you can see all of mine w/the exception of my liver baby has stains. They've been checked by my vet. and are fine. I have them on a good quality of food/cookies w/out dye etc... and I wash their faces after both meals. I've done this for over 3yrs. but it doesn't help just makes me feel better. 

I've tried Eye Envy w/no luck and I've also tried the distilled water/paroxide mixture w/corn starch. This didn't work either just made a mess. I like their beards full so cutting it out isn't an issue plus that would only be temporary so I say it just adds character.


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