# Remove Dog's Tear stains



## meagranny

*Are you struggling to remove your dog's tear stains? Did the store bought tear stain remover fail you? Is it safe to use makeup remover, milk of magnesia, hydrogen peroxide, gold bond, or corn syrup to remove tear stains? What causes tear stains anyway? Read what our members think... - Dave|Xoxide*

My white poodle has tear stains and it is ugly. I was told to use Terramoycin. Does anyone know how much I should use?

Wanda


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## pamperedpups

This is my first post here. I'm a dog groomer.

Please do not use Teramyacin on your dog for tear stains unless you have been instructed to do so by your dog's veterinarian. Teramyacin is an antibiotic and the proper use insturctions should have been included with the medication. If you have any questions on how to administer this medication to your pet, please consult your dog's veterinarian ASAP. If you were not instructed by your dog's vet to use Teramyacin to clear up the tear staining, please read on.

Tear staining is caused by excessive tearing. What cases the excessive tearing is what needs to be found out or the problem may always persist. (Note that antibiotics such as Teramyacin will only work temporarily, if at all, if an infection is not the true cause of your dog's excessive tearing.) When the area around the eyes stays moist due to excessive tearing, red yeast bacteria start to develop into the staining you see. The causes of excessive tearing can be many and varied, including but not limited to genetics, health, diet, fleas, bacterial infection, ear infections, cutting teeth (in puppies), irritation, high mineral content in the dog's drinking water, blocked tear ducts, etc. It is important that your dog's vet determine the cause(s) of the excessive tearing before directing you in any methods of trying to cure the problem. Until then, keeping the eye area wiped clean daily will help and you might even consider having your dog's groomer carefully shave the area so as to prevent excessive red yeast bacteria build-up.


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## Benni

*Distilled Water*

When I bought Benni my Maltipoo I was told to buy distilled water to help with the tear stains. We have had Benni for 3 months and have very little tear stains. It works for us..........


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## terrier terror

Many common dog food ingredients can cause staining in some dogs. What are you feeding? Your water can be the problem, too.

My LWD gets Innova + canned, raw, and distilled/filtered water (filtered downstairs in the kitchen and in her food, and distilled with her in her x-pens and crate) and I just wipe her eyes daily to remove eye boogers. When she is older, I will start her on TUMS and ACV.

I would look at changing her food and water, etc. to see if that helps. Have you discussed this with your vet at all?


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## Raggs

I'm with Pamperedpups on this one. Terramycin won't do anything for tear stains. Eyes weeping is mainly caused by lack of good nutrition, but there could be another reason. Putting your dog on a premium food most of the times helps with this. The only person that should tell you to use Terramycin would be your vet and then your vet would tell you how much to use.


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## Leila12345666

I say you listen to Benni if it worked for her baby it might work with you. I know is very common for Maltese, Shih Tzu and Poodles to have tear stains for some reason.


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## k9poopscoot

I concur with pamperedpups. I am also a groomer and this is my first post. The red stains are caused by a red yeast growing on the moist hair. By changing the pH of your dogs body, it makes a hostile environment for the yeast to grow. 1/2 tablet of tums once a day will make tears alkaline or 1/2 cap of apple cider vinegar in water to drink will make them acidic. Either will work.


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## DoggyMoments

I have a Shih Tzu and he gets the grey eye boogers. There isn't any red but the hair in that area is tougher, even with the wipes. We have him on Blue Buffalo which is supposed to be very good food (all sorts of natural good stuff) and he drinks the crystal springs water that gets delivered. Does this sound more like the common Shih Tzu trait or is this something that should disipate with good nutrition?


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## Kerry

I've heard from several sources now about vinegar in the water. But half a cup of apple cider vinegar into about how much water? And will she still want to drink water with vinegar in it? Yuck.


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## flipgirl

I tried everything with my dog, even Angels Eyes, which I stopped because I realized it was an antibiotic. Then I started feeding her homemade food and guess what? They're practically gone! She still gets boogers but everyone gets eye boogers. They're just not red and staining her hair. I just have to wipe the goop out and it's gone. Any topical product will make it worse. I've tried filtered and distilled water, ACV, baking powder, etc. They definitely improve with filtered water but it's her food that made the difference. It's called Canine Life - it's a mix to which you add meat, eggs, oil, an orange veggie, a green veggie, an apple, and blueberries or raspberries if you want. Then you bake into muffins or a loaf.


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## sweetmazzy

I never realized that tear stains could be eliminated/ lessened. I always thought that it occurs normally especially with white dogs. I am curious to try the distilled water or the tums. Thanks for the tip!


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## KintaroLove

sorry if this is a dumb question. Is bottled water the same as filtered water? My poodle has a large amount of tear stains and i cant get it off. i just ordered angel eyes. Is it a bad product? I heard everyone raving about it.

I Feed my poodle Solid Gold HF puppy and am rotating onto royal canine poodle forumla.



Kerry said:


> I've heard from several sources now about vinegar in the water. But half a cup of apple cider vinegar into about how much water? And will she still want to drink water with vinegar in it? Yuck.


I thinks building up to a teaspoon per 4 cups of water. Even the tiniest bit and my dog refuses to drink it. i dont blame him. it's stinky and sour! But i've been doing it for a week and i'm waiting for good results. the thing that i found that did concern me was that a morning later the water would have this very very slight black film so i stopped for awhile from the acv. Is that normal? I have been also giving him yogurt and putting some saline solution in his eyes everyday


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## briteday

bristolandrocky said:


> This Stain Remover worked for me http://www.doggievogue.com/category...ng/1-all-systems-super-whitening-gel-for-dogs


I can't find the info quickly online but I'm guessing the ingredients contain hydrogen peroxide as the instructions are to leave it on for up to 15 minutes. It is most likely some kind of bleach and my guess would be peroxide. I'd be a little hesitant to use that near my dog's eyes.

I have one dog with moderate tear staining. I feed a raw diet and they were just on a high quality kibble while we vacationed...no difference. She also came to us on a very expensive, high quality kibble and that was when the tear staining was the worst.

I've tried the active, non-purified apple vinegar, distilled water, an eye drop with vaso dilators, and all the other stuff. Nothing makes any difference.

The vet tells me that she has small tear ducts as a result of breeding small dogs smaller. When she was spayed he cleared out her tear ducts and put her on antibiotics. But the fix only lasted as long as the meds. Then again her ducts become a bit clogged/inflamed and don't drain well.

So, long term I don't think there's a quick fix. I wipe her eyes 2-3x/day with a sterile 2 x 2 gauze pad wetted with a contact lens saline solution (buy the store brand) and that seems to keep the staining to a minimum.


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## poodleholic

sweetmazzy said:


> I never realized that tear stains could be eliminated/ lessened. I always thought that it occurs normally especially with white dogs. I am curious to try the distilled water or the tums. Thanks for the tip!


I have Standard Poodles, and when I got my male (a very light, almost white cream), he had terrible tear stains. I put him on distilled water with unpasturized apple cider vinegar, and flushed his eyes twice a day with sterile saline solution.


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## tiffanyj

Hi all. I have a 1 1/2 year old bichon, and here's some interesting things I have noted about her tear staining:

She tear stained (medium to dark brown in color) when she was a small puppy. When we took her to be spayed, the vet blew out her tear ducts, because he said they were likely clogged. Well, the staining improved for about a month or so, but then came back. 

However, a couple of months later, the tear staining went away again. This time for MANY months. I assumed that maybe her tear ducts had matured and the problem had been solved. 

Unfortunately, about two months ago, the tear stains started to return! However, the interesting thing I have noticed is that at the same time she started to get tear stains, she also started to get stains of the same color on her fur immediately around her genitals, which I assume is from when she urinates. It's definitely not a matter of us letting her get dirty. She is bathed weekly. And when she wasn't having the tear stains, her urine wasn't staining her fur either. Doesn't that seem strange? Any ideas on the cause?


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## ainagurl

When I first got my shih-tzu, her face was all dark brown from tear stains. I have been wiping her eyes twice a day with a damp washcloth, for the past month, and have seen a huge improvement. Her roots are growing out all white so when I trim the stained fur, you can see the difference. She loves getting her face wiped, I guess its refreshing to her. And every time I see wetness around her eyes from tears I just wipe it with a tissue. I wipe her eyes with a damp face towel, then dry them with the other side. I do this every morning and before bed each night. 
I tried to add a before/after pic. This is only after 1 month so hopefully the stains continue to disappear.


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## Maggpie

Distilled water here too. Maggie's tear stains were terrible and my vet told me distilled water, and 6 years later I have not had any tear stains since switching to distilled water

Also you could try putting Apple Cider Vinegar in her water.
http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/acvfordogs.html


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## flipgirl

tiffanyj said:


> Hi all. I have a 1 1/2 year old bichon, and here's some interesting things I have noted about her tear staining:
> 
> She tear stained (medium to dark brown in color) when she was a small puppy. When we took her to be spayed, the vet blew out her tear ducts, because he said they were likely clogged. Well, the staining improved for about a month or so, but then came back.
> 
> However, a couple of months later, the tear staining went away again. This time for MANY months. I assumed that maybe her tear ducts had matured and the problem had been solved.
> 
> Unfortunately, about two months ago, the tear stains started to return! However, the interesting thing I have noticed is that at the same time she started to get tear stains, she also started to get stains of the same color on her fur immediately around her genitals, which I assume is from when she urinates. It's definitely not a matter of us letting her get dirty. She is bathed weekly. And when she wasn't having the tear stains, her urine wasn't staining her fur either. Doesn't that seem strange? Any ideas on the cause?



What are you feeding her? Sometimes the tear staining can be due to an allergy...


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## hungover

hi briteday

I get rather annoyed with the vets who just shrug their shoulders and say "oh well it's just a genetic problem with the tear ducts- live with it".

There are cures out there, just because the vet does not consider it to be a major problem doesn't mean that nothing can be done. Granted not all of them will work for all dogs but, excluding medical conditions, there are cures that will work for you dog, hell, even your cat.

Yes, in your case it is related to the structure of the tear ducts and shape of face but it does not follow that you have to live with it.

The bulk of red staining is, as previously mentioned, red yeast.

The warm damp fur under the eyes is an ideal breeding place for the bacteria to multiply, this bacteria provides one of the compounds required for the formation of the enzyme necessary for the yeast to grow.

The bone structure of the dogs face, and frequency of tearing, means that the tears may congregate in one area rather than falling off. If it were possible to dry the fur instantly then there would be no staining- unfortunately this is not practical.

The tylosin based products such as angels eyes and angels glow work by killing the bacteria in the tears and saliva. kill the bacteria and the chain of nutrients needed for the formation of the red yeast is broken.

Whilst these products are illegal in most of the world outside of North America it does not mean that do not work. Tylosin is a narrow spectrum antibiotic that kills a select range of bacteria. It IS safe for dogs but can be fatal to some animals such as horses- it mess with the bacteria in their gut and stops them processing their food properly.

Of all of the antibiotics this is the one that I personally would feel most comfortable with using. Indeed I did until DEFRA stopped people selling it. That said there are still lots of dogs here in the UK that use it.

I have personally never had any success with the cider vinegar (only 'cause my boy wouldn't drink it) but guess that it could be adjusting the ph value sufficiently to disrupt the bacteria balance. 

I get the impression that the level of staining has increased over the years as the food that our dogs increasingly becomes heavily processed. This would explain the success of dogs on the raw diets such as the BARF diet.

I noticed that changing my boy's diet had an impact but was unable to point the finger at any one product given the time lags involved.

As an extension of the diet theory i have been using angels delight- the principle is that if you can oxidise the iron particles in the body before they are secreted in the tears you end up breaking the nutrient chain for the red yeast again. It does this by using a bucket load of dried foodstuffs and vitamins. 

As a tear stain preventer it works as well as the antibiotic based products but it did take longer to start working. It is supposed to be holistic and thus help with other problems that i have never heard of? Can't say if it does but that's not why I use it anyway.

I use angels delight because I am too lazy to find out which of the ingredients works most effectively for me. I did try raw green beans and it helped a bit but just sprinkling a spoon of powder on the food is far less hassle.

I guess the distilled water principle might be successful because it reduces the trace elements of iron in the body and thus there is less to become oxidised in the tears.

so ignoring any of the pastes and wipes which seem to work for some and not others we are left with two options: kill the bacteria or oxidise the iron in the body- ie drugs or diet- both are safe and eventually one or the other will work.

You might not be able to do anything about the tears but you do NOT have to live with tear stains on your dog's face.


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## Line-of-Fire

AKC makes some handy-dandy tear wipes. I don't use them personally, but that's because we have GSDs and our whippets... Well it doesn't really matter lol. 
But i've seen the wipes remove stains in white dogs that other people I know show.


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## hungover

Line-of-Fire said:


> AKC makes some handy-dandy tear wipes. I don't use them personally, but that's because we have GSDs and our whippets... Well it doesn't really matter lol.
> But i've seen the wipes remove stains in white dogs that other people I know show.


Have never tried them personally. Do you know any one that does. Would be interested to see if they work. I have recently discovered that angels delight have released a paste for tears that you wipe on, let it dry and then brush off. Apparantly it is aimed at dog showers that are too impatient to wait for the powder to kick in.Haven't tried it myself (powder great- dunno about the paste) but here is a link so that you can read up on it.

http://bichonhotel.co.uk/shop/index...ath=13&zenid=3ceeba230ba4218da4a618bf71e024b4

I still believe that diet change would be the cheapest way forward for most people, granted, it is v hard to work out what the problem foods are


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## Line-of-Fire

Yeah I know of a couple people who use them. One owns a maltese, and said that they usually do the trick on the little girl. I've never heard of the paste, but I don't pay much attention to tear-stain removers. We never have to worry about it. But it's nice when you don't want to pick the eye boogers out with your hands lol.

I'll post a picture of the package tomorrow. I have one, but I won it in Juniors or something. I'll put it up then.


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## hungover

Hi Line-of-fire

fortunately we don't get the boogers, just the red stains but i have seen them on other dogs- apparently they get quite smelly if left too long- ich...


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## Macky

I feed Premium Edge dry dog food mixed with a small bit of premium can food or hamburger. Their drinking water is filtered with Brita Water Filter system. I have had no problem with tear stains. My boston terrier had tear stains until I switched to Brita filter system and his stains cleared up.


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## CocosMom

This is my first post here, but say no more!

My little Coco has had tear stain problems for months. I tried all the topical products, like you all mentioned above, Angel Eyes, Eye Envy.. They don't take the stains away, it just covers them up plus its bad for my Coco. My friend visited me from Florida and she said there was an all natural product that worked for her poodle.. I googled it, Purifeye is the name of it. I have had Coco on it for about 4months, and I havent actually given it to Coco in probably a good month, but the stains havent come back. Its easy to give as well, not like wiping all the chemicals on your dog. Im just a loving dog mom, and I want everyone to be happy with there dogs, because ever since I found purifeye, my Coco seems to get noticed alot more! I love it. Go green, buy all natural products... 

Take a look for yourself, im not advertising anything, im just here to help all of you concerned dog parents. 

I hope it works =]] 
Take care,
Shannon (Coco's Mom)


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## mandarin.mint

My mom always complains about my dogs and his tear stains (he's a shih-tzu maltese mix). I asked a breeder one time about how to get rid of the tear stains, and she told me to massage the area daily with your fingertips. . .I guess it helps to clear out the ducts. I never tried it on my dog because he is extremely fidgety. . .he can never stay still! He is also extremely temperamental. Whenever I groom him, he thinks it's a game and tries to bite my hands or pull the brush away from my hand, etc. Then he'd start growling and snapping at me and them running away and hiding. So, after a while, I stopped letting his hair grow out long to minimize grooming.

I am really interested in the diet being the cause for the tear stains (this means that there is a way to get rid of them!) I feed Bailey high quality dog feed. . .Canidae. However, I know my dad secretly feeds my dog table scraps! Could feeding the dog table human food be the cause of his tear stains? Or could it be his dog food?


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## flipgirl

Tear stains could be related to a number of things, food allergies, blocked ducts, eye infection, etc. I do massage the bridge of my dog's nose to clear the ducts but i think in her case, it's the food and water. The water where I live is really hard so I filter it using a Brita filter. I know it isn't the best filter but it's the only one I can afford. I was buying jugs of distilled water but what a pain! I think Angels Eyes was discussed earlier in this thread but it didn't do anything for my dog and I didn't like the fact that it was an antibiotic (I was giving her probiotics while on Angels Eyes). Anyway, I used to feed my dog kibble but changed to a semi-homemade food and it's made a huge difference. I add meat, oil, egg, an orange veggie, a green veggie, an apple and blueberries or raspberries to a pre-mix and then bake into muffins. You can also try putting a 1/2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar in her drinking water to neutralize the ph of the water. Be sure to wipe the eye area with a clean cloth and warm water so the excess goop doesn't stick around and cause potential infection. She still gets boogers but she doesn't have the stains around her mouth and she doesn't look sick anymore. I also try to trim the hair around the eyes so that they aren't sticking into her eyes. The good thing is that I know when to change my Brita filter, when her stains come out again (still not as bad as before when she was on kibble though).


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## Malti-Mama

Are there any health effects from giving pups tums? My Maltese recently developed horrible tear stains all over their whole faces when my vet changed their food. I did clip some of it off but 3 days ago I began feeding them Wellness puppy food and washing, well painting really, their faces with good unflavored yogurt and ground tums. I leave it on for 5 minutes or so and then wash with clear water. They love the kitchen sink sprayer aimed gently at the sides of their noses. In fact, they love their faces messed with any way they can get it so that helps a lot. I also am giving them plant based probiotics and purified water.

I am new to the breed having been mommy to beautiful Dalmatians prior to getting my Maltese girls I call Roxi and Lexi. I wonder, do all Maltese love to be groomed? Mine literally collapse into a heap on the floor sound asleep when they are getting groomed. It is hilarious. Oh, yeah, except for that top knot. They hate that part. Anyway, can someone let me know of a high end food that works for their Maltese or other white pooch?

Thanks
PS I will post pictures after I figure out how to do it.


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## hungover

Malti-Mama said:


> Are there any health effects from giving pups tums? My Maltese recently developed horrible tear stains all over their whole faces when my vet changed their food. I did clip some of it off but 3 days ago I began feeding them Wellness puppy food and washing, well painting really, their faces with good unflavored yogurt and ground tums. I leave it on for 5 minutes or so and then wash with clear water. They love the kitchen sink sprayer aimed gently at the sides of their noses. In fact, they love their faces messed with any way they can get it so that helps a lot. I also am giving them plant based probiotics and purified water.


There is a thread about tums on another forum about tums.

Someone was asking about how much to feed to their dog... I replied that I thought owners used it on the hair rather than orally. Glad you posted- now I dont feel so dumb...

http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?p=211254#post211254http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?p=211254#post211254



CocosMom said:


> This is my first post here, but say no more!
> 
> My little Coco has had tear stain problems for months. I tried all the topical products, like you all mentioned above, Angel Eyes, Eye Envy.. They don't take the stains away, it just covers them up plus its bad for my Coco. My friend visited me from Florida and she said there was an all natural product that worked for her poodle.. I googled it, Purifeye is the name of it. I have had Coco on it for about 4months, and I havent actually given it to Coco in probably a good month, but the stains havent come back. Its easy to give as well, not like wiping all the chemicals on your dog. Im just a loving dog mom, and I want everyone to be happy with there dogs, because ever since I found purifeye, my Coco seems to get noticed alot more! I love it. Go green, buy all natural products...
> 
> Take a look for yourself, im not advertising anything, im just here to help all of you concerned dog parents.
> 
> I hope it works =]]
> Take care,
> Shannon (Coco's Mom)


Hi Shannon



CocosMom said:


> Angel Eyes, Eye Envy.. They don't take the stains away, it just covers them up


To be fair to Angels Eyes it is not supposed to remove tear stains- it prevents future staining- you need to let the stains grow out or trim them away



CocosMom said:


> Im just a loving dog mom, and I want everyone to be happy with there dogs, because ever since I found purifeye, my Coco seems to get noticed alot more! I love it. Go green, buy all natural products


I second the natural product route. I did consider trying Purifeye but was worried about posts elsewhere warning users off- Purifeye cantains hops which can be dangerous to dogs- no idea of what the levels are.

http://www.dailypuppy.com/puppies/Suzie-the-Bichon-Frise_2006-03-30

quote from that site

"Don't use purifeye to treat dog tear stains. It contains Hops which are VERY dangerous. They affect the central nervous system, cause seisure, hyperthermia, vomiting, chest pain, etc. they also contain phytoestrogens that affect estrogen receptors. The company says it is in ver small amounts, but you give it every day. Don't take a chance. Poisons like arsenic in small quantities don't kill us in small quatities either."​
Also a link to hops killing dogs

http://www.fallbright.com/HopToxicity.htm



The rest of the ingredients look to be wholesome and healthy - indeed many of the ingredients in Purifeye are in Angels Delight aswell but without the hops

http://www.bichonhotel.co.uk/angels_delight


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## [email protected]

We have tried Angel Eyes with only a small improvement in our maltese's condition. Then one day at a food fair my wife met someone who suggested to change her filtered water to Arrowhead bottle water. We had some on hand and to make a long story short there was about a 80% improvement in the darkness of the tearing. He also said that we should wipe her eyes twice a day with a cotton swab with the same water. Even though we hardly do that her condition has improved to the point that her face is only a light brown color where it was once a very dark brown. Plus the fact that we did'nt really care to give antibiotics unnecessarily with Angel Eyes. Give it about a couple of weeks to work.


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## Love's_Sophie

Kerry said:


> I've heard from several sources now about vinegar in the water. But half a cup of apple cider vinegar into about how much water? And will she still want to drink water with vinegar in it? Yuck.


I use ACV in my goat's water buckets, and I use 1\2 -1 cup per 5 Gallon bucket...so I'm not sure that you need to use quite that much in a dog's normal bowl. 

If you have a quart dish for water, I would probably be more inclined to use a couple of tablespoons per dish...1\2 cup could be a bit much in that small amount of water. 

As far as getting rid of eye staining, if this is a young dog, that could also be part of the issue; she is teething yet, so some of the tear stains are because of that. 

A simple change of food could help too, especially if the dog is currently on a high grain, high carbohydrate diet (think Alpo, Pedigree, etc...). Try a premium grade diet, such as Canidae, or Taste of the Wild. As with any change, it may take a few weeks to notice an obvious difference. 

You can take her in every few weeks and get your groomer to trim all that 'yuck' away from her eyes too, until you notice the hair coming in clean...that can help the appearance aspect


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## hungover

hi Randal

Glad to hear that you found a natural solution. I have to admit to being a little sceptical though- San Bernardino Mountains (aka Arrowhead)- is no longer the single source of Arrowhead water so any mythical powers are diluted by water from elsewhere in the US and Canada. Sorry- I am not doubting you, rather why this works better than the filtered water. 

Ultimately if it works for you then keep it up!!!! - well done


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## smb2005

meagranny said:


> *Are you struggling to remove your dog's tear stains? Did the store bought tear stain remover fail you? Is it safe to use makeup remover, milk of magnesia, hydrogen peroxide, gold bond, or corn syrup to remove tear stains? What causes tear stains anyway? Read what our members think... - Dave|Xoxide*
> 
> My white poodle has tear stains and it is ugly. I was told to use Terramoycin. Does anyone know how much I should use?
> 
> Wanda


for tear stain ANGEL EYES works wonders, i have a white face chichauchau who had the same problem and ANGEL EYES made the problem disappear


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## KintaroLove

I agree with the above, My dog has been on angel eyes. It works!!! a little goes along way, but as soon as i stopped mixing it in his food he started getting his tear stains again. I know some people who give thier dog angel eyes for a month and it won't come back for another year. I was getting a little concerned with giving him this constantly in his food.

Just recently my dog had a corneal ulcer and was on tobramyacin and artifical tears 3 times a day for each. I've stopped mixing the angel eyes in his bowl because I didn't want to give him too much medication since I had to give him meloxicam as well.

It has been two weeks and his eyes look great. Tear staining is gone and all i need to do is wipe his eye booger in the morning.

Although i Won't be using tobramyacin since it's an antibiotic I think the saline solution or artifical tears will flush out the bacteria and dirt from his eyes. Also I believe it was poodleholic who gave me great advice on giving him a little yogurt each day and flushing his eyes out with a saline solution.
It has worked wonders.

here is a picture of him before. He had very terrible tear stains. Sorry for all the blurr,











and After:










that little yellow stain on his face is from corneal dye from the vet, not from tear staining


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## poodleholic

> Also I believe it was poodleholic who gave me great advice on giving him a little yogurt each day and flushing his eyes out with a saline solution.
> It has worked wonders.


He looks great - gad you tried it, and experienced success! It sure beats chemicals, and unnecessary use of an antibiotic.


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## Best*In*Show

I haven't tried any of the other treatments mentioned in this thread yet, but I did have some apple cider vinegar on hand so I tried a half-capfull in Ruby's water dish and it has greatly reduced her tearing/watery eyes. Her eyes appear to have less tears in them, and the staining is much less. She does still get eye boogers in the am, but the streaking is gone. It took about 2-3 days for really visible results. I was worried that she wouldn't drink the water since she is what I consider to be extremely picky, but she drank the water with apple cider vinegar in it as if nothing had changed. Thanks for the tip!


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## hungover

Hi Naturally tear free

Can you explain how your product works?

I had never heard of anything that is eaten that actually removes the stains.

I use Angels Delight but that only stops the stains coming back and makes no claims to remove the stains.

3 days sounds too good to be true- if it does work and is free of antibiotics then you are gonna make a mint

Ta


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## StellaLucyDesi

I'm interested in Naturally Tear Free also, but I'd like to know the ingredients. Nowhere on the website does it list the herbs in the ingredients. Sounds like something I might try, but I'm always leary when ingredients aren't disclosed....


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## flipgirl

I feed raw patties which are based on the B.A.R.F. diet and my dog's tear stains are still bad. They were the worst when I was feeding her Merrick, the best when I was feeding her homecooked. I thought they would have decreased when I started feeding raw. I wipe them every day and sometimes just cut the hair because the staining spreads. The hair aroundher genitals is also red. I've tried the distilled water with no improvement; I give her filtered water. Having said that, her stains are worse when the filter is ready to be changed. So at least my dog;s stains serve some kind of purpose as a reminder to change the filter! I wish I could just get rid of them without medication or cutting them out.


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## ioreks_mom

i am having the same problem. iorek used to get infected eyes quite regularly and the vet could not find a reason. when we switched to raw i was hoping that it would take the tear stains and the infections with it. no such luck  iorek gets gooey eyes about every 2 months now (compared to almost constantly) and a few antibiotic drops (like 2 or 3 drops over a day or 2) takes it right away, but the tear stains are not going away at all. i really want them gone! i tried the apple cider vinegar but he didn't really like it. boo!


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## hungover

Just wondering...

Those of you that have seen very little improvement with the raw food- what kind of treats do you use???


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## ioreks_mom

i give iorek either freeze dried beef liver (locally made), NRG chicken or salmon stixx, natural balance beef roll, freeze dried cheddar cheese, and we also use orijen 5 fish kibble as treats. we buy the sample size bag (0.88 lb) of kibble and it lasts for about 3 weeks. he doesn't get all those things in one day. he usually gets one or 2 different things throughout the day.


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## darlah

I tell all our puppy people and those we board NOT TO CUT The hair short around the eyes. The issue is when the hair grows out, it pokes in the eyes and causes even more tearing. If it is a show dog I have used Laser Lites product and for long term I have had good results with Eye Envy but you can also order Boric Acid from the pharmacy and create a mixture that you can use on the hair similar to Eye Envy. All of this means you must be careful but cutting just creates yet another reason for the eyes to tear unless you are getting them cut weekly. 

Keeping the area clean and using something to stop the leakage from rolling down the face helps. All my dogs tend to stop leaking after the teething period and just have these more solid pieces that you just take off.

The key in stopping the staining is cleaning (I clean 2 to 3 times a day during the teething period) and protecting new hair from staining and figuring out - is this teething or more? I also check eyes, ears, feet and teeth etc and clean the areas on the adults daily as my usual ritual. 

Staying on top of it helps. It doesn't solve the issue but minimizes it and if it is due to teething, it will help you through that hump on white faced dogs. The dark faced dog people don't seem to mind but I also clean all - light, dark what have you as I believe in keeping the area clean to avoid any issues with the eyes and I like knowing of any changes my dogs are going through. 

Some eye staining is genetic - some is not but all should be checked by a eye doctor (get a Cerf done) and discuss it at that time. This way you are seeing an eye specialist not just your usual vet that can be good but his/her expertise is not the eyes. Who knows, your dog may an issue that needs to be maintained or dealt with etc.


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## hungover

hi darlah

Wow!!! Your post puts me to shame!!! Face washing 3 times a day!!!

You are correct that constantly cleaning the face will help in most cases. At the risk of being shot down- I don't have the time to groom them that often. Ok so I could find the time but then I would be neglecting something else.

I am happy to give them Angels Delight on an almost daily basis given the health benefits of it and the time savings. Granted it does cost more then water and a rag. 

I can see that with some dogs trimming around the eyes _could_ be an issue. Some dogs such as the bichons need to have the hair kept short.

You suggestion about seeing a specialist is valid but I would be concerned about the added expense given that the vast majority of staining in toy dogs is not an indicator of an underlying health issue.

Boric acid and home brew pastes have their place but many owners have well founded concerns about trusting themselves to apply it correctly. This why we turned to the likes of angels eyes- until we discovered that it is an antibiotic- and why more of us are happy to pay for the natural and healthy products such as Angels Delight and NaturVet. 

Best of luck


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## darlah

I have 9 dogs and I work full time (on-line work that I have to pay attention to and code) albeit out of my house. The dawgs are just my focus. They are a priority. You can tell when you look at my hair or clothes. They look pretty and groomed and often I have my hair in a pony tail that isn't even - well it's a fast job till someone comes over and I try better or I go to a handling class or to friends or even out to a movie like I did last night to see Star Trek. 

I do take care of the dogs. Each day I groom all of them. I check ears, feet, do teeth and eyes and cleaning eyes takes a couple of minutes and I tend to do it 3 times a day..not much time honestly. It's more energy remembering - just like teeth. I treat them better than myself. My show dogs get washed every 4 to 5 days. I had 4 show dogs up to a month ago and now have 2. Two finished. I am still treating the two like they have show coats as one blew her coat and one is in the process and I have learned a clean coat knots less and saves the coat. IT'S CALLED OCD. ROFL

But I get easy. We all want it. I just enjoy the end result and therefore I do what I have to do to get it. We all have different priorities and eye staining may or may not be high on the list but a Cerf is not expensive and it can tell you critical info about the eyes. Even without breeding, I would do it. It's something that should be at least looked into so you know. 

Re: short hair around the eyes - hair sticking in the eyes either due to hair growing out or hair growing the wrong way into the eyes absolutely is a huge contributing factor in tearing. So if you cut the area short, you must do so very frequently to avoid this stage or leave it long and do the hair up and away from the eyes.


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## ioreks_mom

my dog has naturally short hair around his eyes. my vet can not figure out what could be causing the staining and occasional infections. although the infection frequency has really gone down. i have cut out most of the treats, now he only gets dehydrated beef liver (locally made), natural balance beef roll, and the occasional piece of cheese. 

i will try washing his face and see how that goes. it will not be a fun experience since he doesn't really like me doing anything like that. brat!  do you use just a wash cloth and warm water?


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## poo76

I have been giving my poodle mixes vinegar in tap water for two weeks and the stains went away. I cut the old stained hairs away and new stains have not returned! I use about a tablespoon for 20 ounces of water. Both of them are still tearing but the red yeast is GONE! Yay I am sooo happy!


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## FidoTheYorkie

I use Diamond Eyes, he has no tear staines at all  
I wipe his eyes everyday.


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## Twinkle_Twinkle

I read once in a Bichon book that a mix or hydrogen peroxide and water helps reduce the appearance of tear stains, and I believe that when I was doing this regularly it was helping, but now I am paranoid about putting the solution around my dogs eyes because I don't want to irritate her skin. Usually I wipe a wet cotton ball (with just water) around the eyes, then one with the solution, and then another water only cotton ball to finish. It's a 1:1 ratio of water to peroxide. Is that harmful?


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## luvntzus

CocosMom said:


> I tried all the topical products, like you all mentioned above, Angel Eyes, Eye Envy.. They don't take the stains away, it just covers them up...


Angel's Eyes isn't topical, it's a powder that you put in their food. It's the only thing that worked for my dog. Bottled water, holistic food and apple cider vinegar didn't work. I gave him Angel's Eyes for a month or two and the stains have been gone for over a year.



Twinkle_Twinkle said:


> I read once in a Bichon book that a mix or hydrogen peroxide and water helps reduce the appearance of tear stains, and I believe that when I was doing this regularly it was helping, but now I am paranoid about putting the solution around my dogs eyes because I don't want to irritate her skin. Usually I wipe a wet cotton ball (with just water) around the eyes, then one with the solution, and then another water only cotton ball to finish. It's a 1:1 ratio of water to peroxide. Is that harmful?


I wouldn't feel comfortable using peroxide near my dog's eyes. I would imagine that it is harmful if it gets in them. I've also heard that peroxide changes the texture of the coat, making it more rough and porous. That's just what I've heard second hand, so I can't testify to it.


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## paux

I used Angels Eyes for a couple weeks but my dog HATED it, even in wet food. I was curious what was so bad about it, so I put a few sprinkles of it on my finger and tasted it. By far, one of the most DISGUSTING things I have ever tried. I immediately stopped giving Angels Eyes to her and started her on *Eye Envy*, which is applied topically onto her fur. The results are visible within a week and after you clear the stains, you only need to apply it every few days or so. I am very pleased because I no longer have to worry about feeding my poor girl antibiotics for something that is only cosmetic and her face is quite clean. I highly recommend Eye Envy.


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## Twinkle_Twinkle

paux said:


> I used Angels Eyes for a couple weeks but my dog HATED it, even in wet food. I was curious what was so bad about it, so I put a few sprinkles of it on my finger and tasted it. By far, one of the most DISGUSTING things I have ever tried. I immediately stopped giving Angels Eyes to her and started her on *Eye Envy*, which is applied topically onto her fur. The results are visible within a week and after you clear the stains, you only need to apply it every few days or so. I am very pleased because I no longer have to worry about feeding my poor girl antibiotics for something that is only cosmetic and her face is quite clean. I highly recommend Eye Envy.


Do you use both the powder and the liquid? How long would you say that the product lasts and how much of the product do you tend to use in an application? Thanks!


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## paux

Twinkle_Twinkle said:


> Do you use both the powder and the liquid? How long would you say that the product lasts and how much of the product do you tend to use in an application? Thanks!


Well, I don't always use both. The most important thing is to use the liquid because that is what is actually formulated to keep the stains away. The powder, on the other hand, is just for covering them up. If there are no stains and you are just trying to maintain the absence of the stains, you will use just the liquid. If some staining is starting to reappear, you use the liquid and then apply to powder to visibly conceal the stains.

You really use only very little when you apply it. I would say the liquid will last at least 2 months depending on how often you apply it. I know some people who only apply the solution once a week after they get rid of the initial staining. The powder lasts for a very long time. I haven't used up the container I have, but I'm guessing that it'll last at least a year. And the little absorbent pads can be cheaply found in the cosmetic department for replacements.


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## TeddyMom

I have two Bichon/Shih tzu mixes. I used Angel Eyes and it worked for my boy (the older of the two) and even with only one dose a week he has remained tear free. For my girl, I believe it is a tear duct issue or an allergy that is non food related. The Angel Eyes never worked for her. Their diet consists of chicken, brown rice, green beans, and some other fruit and vegetables with no additives, so I do not believe it is their diet that causes the reaction. I plan to have Britnee's ducts checked and cleared if necessary, but I still would like to address the staining. 

The yogurt makes sense, the red staining is a yeast. It might, along with regular ear cleaning help prevent other yeast issues in ears, etc...as well. The tums is an interesting concept.

My biggest question to the forum is about the distilled and bottled water. I have heard this numerous times...switch to distilled water. I know there is a difference between distilled and bottled water, I have heard both being used. My question relates both to my kids constantly drinking only bottled water and my dogs switching to distilled water...what about fluoride? The fluoride added to our treated tap water has made a difference in our dental care, this has been proven. Does it make a difference for our dogs dental care? My kids are drinking bottled water like crazy and I keep encouraging them to switch back and forth between bottled and tap...they get fluoride from their toothpaste...and I brush my dogs teeth once a week too...should I even be concerned or worried about them not getting the fluoride from the tap that they are getting in other ways??


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## zenithmamma

What would be the Tums dosage for a 14 wk. old, 5 lb. Bolonka?
How about yogurt? What kind?
Green beans?? Really?


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## Baileyby

What does anyone think about Eyemunity? I have been using Angel Eyes but when I found out it had antibiotics I stopped using it. Now I am tring to find an all natural product. The pet store said that Eyemunity was good. I never heard of it.

What do you think???


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## BeWise

I have several methods that I can suggest to remove tear staining. Care must be taken in using these products or any other chemical solutions to not get anything in the dog's eyes. It is also important to remember that when attempting to removing tear staining you my also be damaging the hair. Before I bleach I make sure I condition the hair well first. What works best for me is Wella Kolesterol. I pack the face furnishings with this for several days before I bleach. After you bleach make sure you neutralize the effects of the chemicals you have used and condition the facial hair after any attempts to remove stain.


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## shihtzu42

I had the same problem with my 8 shihtzu's, yes 8 and counting!!

Buy the Merrick, or Solid Gold dog foods. 

I have personally used the Merrick Wilderness Blend and it is all healthy and well balanced. 

Then for treats I use Nutro Natural Choice Crunchy Treats in the apple and blueberry flavors.

My kids faces have cleared up and no longer have stains by using the above products. I know the shihtzu's are allergic to wheat.

Hope this helps, the food is not expensive.


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## hansford

I have to agree that decent food is a must. I have erred and switched brands only because my supplier had run out of the usual- Taste of the wild- pacific salmon.

Annoyingly I found that switching back was taking ages so I got some NaturVet tear stain supplement- there are loads of places that sell it in the USA but few that sell it in the UK, the place I got mine was http://www.naturaldogs.co.uk.

It worked so I was happy but in the USA you get a money back guarantee- not sure how it works in the UK given that you have to send it all the way back to the USA- has anyone else sent anything back. I am interested in other Naturvet products such as the no chewing spray but I am always a little skeptical...


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## Bogie

I have a maltese and give him distilled water in the rabbit bottle type feeder so that his beard and whiskers stay nice and white too! The distilled water seems to keep the stains away. I give him Angel Eyes, but only once in a while (like for a week at a time when I start noticing stains). I didn't realize there was an antibiotic in Angel Eyes (wha????) I'll have to read up on that. Glad I didn't give him too much! Distilled water isn't as pricey as Angel Eyes either!


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## amavanna

I see a lot of posts about smaller pooches , poodles and maltese and ect. But what about boxers? Lela gets her right eye teary at times and it drives me nuts. There is no goop and it doesn't seem infected it just tears and it looks like she has been crying. I can't tell if it is colored because she is brown . Should I bring this up at my next vet visit or maybe at the groomers tomorrow?


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## caroline

Anyone know how much teething effects red tear stains? I have a 6 month old poodle shih tzu mix who has terrible stains. I tried Angel Eyes a couple months ago and it didn't take it away completely, but he does seem worse since I have run out. He drinks filtered water to which I now add vinegar (no problem drinking it) and I give him yogurt. I wash his face at least once a day. The vet says it's his breed and the teething makes it worse. Anyone have any suggestions? Should I just wait till he's done teething and then see where we are? He's got such a great little face and it's a shame the stains are so bad.


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## Mrsrjones

I have two 5 month old Maltese Poodle mix and one have tear stains a little more than the other. They are currently teething and both on Angel Eyes, that seem to be working by itself. I so cut the hair around their eyes pretty short so the tears don't have much to sit on. I wipe their eyes with a baby wipe every morning and their faces have improved a lot. I have switched their food wondering if that had a lot to do with it. They are currently on Iam's Naturals with Chicken and eggs.


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## caroline

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to pick up some baby wipes today, I have been washing with a washcloth and warm water but I'm wondering if that leaves the face too wet and may just create a better environment for the yeast. He is on Ultra dog food, which doesn't have any preservatives but does have pomegranates in it so I was wondering of that may contribute to the staining. We just started the Angels Eyes again yesterday so i'm keeping my fingers crossed!


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## hansford

The teething makes the gums inflamed- this can put pressure on the already under developed tera ducts- leading to even more tearing than would be normal.

A move to a grain free diet might help to reduce the levels of tearing.

Many of the tear stain food additives do actually work but you are asking them to work under extraordinary circumstances.

I am not a fan of antibiotics given that there are alternative natural products. in your case the tylosin in Angels eyes is safer than others such as tetracycline which can make the new teeth yellow. Tylosin has the potential to do this but it is rare.

Have a look at some of the boric acid based pastes if you want to lift the stains in the meantime (boric acid sounds scary but it isn't- much safer than peroxide based products).

Once the teething is over try one of the natural tears stain supplements. There is nothing wrong with using them now and they will probably help a bit but you might think that they didn't work and never return to them again.

With regard to staining getting worse when you finish Angels Eyes- this is quite common but I don't honestly know if the natural alternatives fare any better. The upside with the natural tear stain removers is that they are safe to use long term so you never have to take your dog off them, unlike the antibiotic based ones.

Finally some owners use human eye drops (again boric acid based) during teething.


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## Erin2854

My cavalier had some tear staining issue's. She's on a raw commerical diet and once I switched to a brand that was more limited in its ingredient list it helped a ton. I also give her distilled water and read a tip of giving dogs a few blueberries a week to help. I do this as well. Her eyes water a little sometimes but not much and they do not stain. I will not use Angel eyes or anything w/an antibiotic in it for this. My vet strongly discourages against it and I am not comfortable giving it to her long term when there are more natural alternatives


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## lauren567

as a biochemistry student i'd say don't ever use peroxides so close to your dogs eyes, as it will blind them if they struggle or you slip. also it can irritate sensitive skin and cause much bigger problems than tear staining. i have a 9 week old bichon frise and he has stains but they're fading, i bath his eyes everyday with boiled and cooled water mixed with a few drops of multiurpose contact lense solution which contains boric acid to kill the bacteria, also antibiotics will cause you problems if your dog develops a resistance then does actually develop an infection, this will cause much higher expense as you'll have to buy more complex antibiotics. unfortunatley there isnt a* safe *quick fix and persevere with bathing is all you do.


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## Sassyspice00

Hello, this is my first post and my first shih tzu puppy. I have read most all posts and will definitely switch to distilled water; but my main question is "has anyone tried the Blue Buffalo brand to help decrease tear staining." My vet has her on Science Diet, but since I've been reading the stains are yeast related and the main ingredient in Science Diet is corn.....


Any suggestion with food? 

Thanks! 
Shannon and puppy Rachel



Zorahnoni said:


> My shih tzu mix had terrible staining. Recently I switch from feeding her Orijen chicken/fish to Orijen all red meat kibble. I didn't do the switch because of the staining. I never connected the staining to her food but since I made the switch the staining is gone. I'm so happy and this was so unexpected. I've years trying products that didn't work even Angel Eyes. It was as simple as changing her food.



I have never heard of Orijen brand.....where is sold? I'm a new dog owner, so I don't very much yet! Thanks!

I have never heard of Orijen brand.....where is sold? I'm a new dog owner, so I don't very much yet! Thanks!

What brand are you feeding her? I'm thinking of switching to that Blue Buffalo brand?


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## Random

Kerry said:


> I've heard from several sources now about vinegar in the water. But half a cup of apple cider vinegar into about how much water? And will she still want to drink water with vinegar in it? Yuck.


Probably meant half a cap, or like someone else mentioned about a tsp/tbsp depending on the size of dog and water bowl. I haven't met an animal that will drink it, but my Pom has to have cider vinegar sometimes for his bladder, I mix it with his wet food, and that does the trick. He also has tears and grey eye boogers, and they don't smell pretty. I use damp cotton balls, cotton hanky or tissue to wipe them. I had no idea it could be helped! I will try adding vinegar to his food more regularly. Thanks for this thread.


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## amberly

the vinegar in the water is to help change the ph balance which sometimes allows the growth of yeast as well. if you start lil dogs will gradually drink it. my cat, not so much lol. my dogs did yes. but now theres vinegar in her raw food so i stopped. but the vinegar is pretty much a ph balance thing.


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## hungover

lauren567 said:


> as a biochemistry student i'd say don't ever use peroxides so close to your dogs eyes, as it will blind them if they struggle or you slip. also it can irritate sensitive skin and cause much bigger problems than tear staining.


I guess that even if you don't slop the peroxide into the eyes, some of the vapours must be absorbed, possibly increasing the tearing in the first place.




lauren567 said:


> antibiotics will cause you problems if your dog develops a resistance then does actually develop an infection, this will cause much higher expense as you'll have to buy more complex antibiotics. unfortunatley there isnt a* safe *quick fix and persevere with bathing is all you do.


As an Angels Delight user I have to (partially) disagree with you. It took about a month, so no, it wasn't a quick fix but it is safe. 

On a wider point, I do wonder if the people who use Angels Eyes for tear staining realise that they are, possibly, contributing to the fact that routine operations in hospitals increasingly kill people. In medical terms the rise of super bugs could set us back 50 years unless we start to use antibiotics sensibly.

I do appreciate that many people have tried many different products to no avail and resort to dosing with Angels Eyes out of frustration. To all those that have not yet done so- PLEASE try diet change and or natural tear stain supplements first, and give them a month or so. If they don't work then consider breaking the law- before I get shot down in flames please name one country in the world where it is legal to give a dog tylosin without a vet prescription... I don't know of any...


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## Abbylynn

Thank you so much for the post on tear stains. My littlest schnoodle has had them his whole life. My vet mentioned the antibiotic, but for short term use. I opted out. There was no medical factors for my dogs tear stains other than genetics. No one told me about the chemicals in the water. I always wipe my dogs eyes as well as his beard and mustache off on a daily basis to avoid bacterial infections of the skin as well. I have been battling this tear stain problem ever since he was about 9 months old.(I aquired him at 10 weeks of age) He will be 5 yrs old on August 26th of this year, You can bet I will try the bottled water............although his littermate brother does not have the same issues. The one with the tear stains was the runt and also has anal gland issues on a regular basis...any dietary suggestions for that issue from a groomers experience? THANK YOU PAMPEREDPUPS!.................also I forgot to mention that I keep the hair trimmed from both dogs eyes.....I had to learn to be a groomer for them,.but I take my big dobie-rott/sheperd to a REAL groomer.lol!

Does giving your dog Tums on a regular basis have any long term effects on thier health at all? I was just wondering if the dosage was given according to the dogs weight? I am interested because my littlest schnoodle is only 17.3 pounds. Thank you k9poopscoot! I may try the apple cider vinegar first.


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## KuroSaya

I've read on this review and it sounds like cranimals helped with tear stain.. 

Cranimal reviews

Donna

I began using Cranimals Gold on our Lady (English Bulldog) about 2 months ago for tear stain. She had had an eye problem that left her with ugly dark stains. At this point the tear stain is almost completely gone and I attribute it to Cranimals. The best part of the whole thing is the fact that it is a natural product. There are other products out there that have an antibiotic in them which is not healthy to use continually. I have also found that with those products....when you stop the dosage, the stains return. She has had a couple of UTI's over the last year so I am hoping that this will take care of the problem in the future. Thanks Cranimals. I think I even have my vet convinced to use it on one of his dogs. Yay-ay-ay-ay!

I plan to try this for Saya my shiba inu for her health and for Bella too she gets tear stains so we will see if it works. It'll take a while I ordered it online..


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## luvntzus

I tried everything to get rid of my dog's tear staining, apple cider vinegar in the water, tums, filtered water, Eye Envy (topical prouct). Nothing worked except for Angel's Eyes. I would give it for about a month and the staining wouldn't come back for 6 months to a year. I wasn't crazy about it being an antibiotic, but my vet said it was completely safe. Angel's Eyes just came out with a NATURAL version that has NO antibiotics. I don't know how it works, but next week I'm going to get it.

http://www.angelseyesnatural.com/


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## Abbylynn

Please keep us informed about the new Angel's Eyes. Thanks!


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## luvntzus

I'll post updates.


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## amberly

merrick's quality has went down tho its a natural food it isn't the best


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## amberly

luvntzus said:


> I'll post updates.


just wanted to let you know your lil one is freaken adorable!! i have a lil grey and white shih her name is prudence but her nickname is monster face


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## luvntzus

amberly said:


> just wanted to let you know your lil one is freaken adorable!! i have a lil grey and white shih her name is prudence but her nickname is monster face


I need to see pictures!!!


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## gabry

Hello am new to this forum, but I also want to add my experience with the tear stain issue, I own 2 shih tzu dogs with white faces, and they where both stained under the eyes, really bad! I did some research after trying many products that where useless, a waste of money and time. I finally changed their diet to a no grain dry dog food, also gave them vitamin c that is an antioxidant. the vitamin c in liquid form seems to work if applied directly on the stain, and after a few weeks from dark red they turned light beige, the new growth si nice and white. Hope this helps


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## luvntzus

gabry said:


> Hello am new to this forum, but I also want to add my experience with the tear stain issue, I own 2 shih tzu dogs with white faces, and they where both stained under the eyes, really bad! I did some research after trying many products that where useless, a waste of money and time. I finally changed their diet to a no grain dry dog food, also gave them vitamin c that is an antioxidant. the vitamin c in liquid form seems to work if applied directly on the stain, and after a few weeks from dark red they turned light beige, the new growth si nice and white. Hope this helps


I've never heard of vitamin c being a stain remover. That's very interesting! I found a supplement online that is vitamin c powder for dogs. I'm going to look for liquid vitamin c to try and get rid of the topical stains. Thanks for the idea!


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## Fuzzy Pants

Gabry I thought those were 2 different dogs. That is a big difference after treatment. Your dog is a cute little cream puff.

My pup gets tear stains too but she's black so it isn't noticeable unless you get close. Is tear staining just a cosmetic issue or should I view it as a health issue and buy something to treat it? Does it affect eye health?


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## gabry

Hello Fuzzy Pants, no they are not two different dogs LOL it is my little Sushi before and after, my friends thought that I was wrong that it was his natural color, but I knew he was white when he was a puppy! On the contrary eye staining is not just a cosmetic issue, as many belive, if the staining occurs it is because the dog is intolerant to something he eats, I noticed that when my dog stained it seemed that the internal corner of his eyes where kind of swollen and the hair was always wet, seemed like he was tearing blood then from red they turned out dark red rusty color, now since I changed his diet to a no grain diet and added vitamin C his hair is no longer wet this means less tearing, and the eyes in the inner corners are not swollen anymore. Often many vets seem to think that it is a cosmetic issue because I don't think they ever even thought of an intolerance, my vet said at the time that these breeds all have this issue it is normal, but I wasn't convinced so I did a lot of research. Last time I took my dog to my vet and told her that I changed diet and gave him vitamin C he is no longer stained she said hey I think your right if this is the result, I never thought of it. Adding it on the stain locally lighted up the old stains, she said yes it makes sense since vitamin C is an antioxidant, the tears stain because they oxidize the hair I don't think yeast has anything to do with it, because the eyes didn't smell bad. So at least in my case there was no yeast infection just oxidized hair from the tearing. You don't have to remove old stains since your dog is black, but I would change to a no grain diet because it is healthier and your dog might not tear as much as he usually does with commercial foods that contain grain especially corn and corn meal. I would try if I where you just to see what happens. some vitamin C can't hurt. This is my experience with my white dog and I also have his daughter that turned white also with this treatment. try and keep me posted ciao
ps this is Chanel Sushi's daughter


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## Fuzzy Pants

Thanks. I have my pup on BB lamb & oatmeal puppy food right now. It doesn't have corn, wheat or soy but it does have higher quality grains in it. I will get the BB grain free wilderness puppy food next time and see if her eyes clear up.


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## gabry

well it will take some time for the grains to get out of her system, it is not like magic, I feed them no grain from Acana, some vitamin c will speed up the process after 2 weeks you should notice if the hair is as wet as it is now. let me know!


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## luvntzus

I'm also feeding Acana right now. I've always fed holistic foods and I just started back on giving them purified water to drink. So hopefully after awhile of the grain free food, purified water and vitamin C, the stains will go away. If not, I will still continue the vitamin C supplement, because of all the health benefits, but I will try the natural Angel's Eyes.

That's funny how you came across the liquid C removing the stain! Your boy looks drastically different before and after and he is gorgeous.


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## gabry

I also have tried angel eyes but it contains antibiotics, it does work but I used it ony for 10 days he was fine once I stopped after a while the stains came back, didn't want to feed him antibiotics for life. I spent so much money on products to remove and prevent tear stains, who knew that by accident vitamin C was the answer I was looking for and a cheap one too LOL. Love your baby what a cute face. I love dogs and had many breeds but shih tzus? once you have one you never go back! another photo of Sushi with longer coat you can see how white he is now. Look no tear stains :clap2:


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## Fuzzy Pants

Is the liquid vitamin c you use a particular brand?


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## gabry

I don't know if you can find it there I live in Italy and the name is vitamin C vita could be international? you have to check it out. anyway it is one gram solution in liquid form. It is not for dogs it si for humans but my vet told me to get this for my Sushi he weighs 5 pounds and half a dose every day for a week then 1 fourth of a dose for another week then 1 fourth every other day if you want to give it to him internally as for putting it directly on the stain I used it 3 times a day till the stain went away, in about a week it was pretty much gone for good.


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## Bailey Joseph's Mother

I have found the solution and if used properly and in order you will see results in days… I have Major OCD and if it serves me right I clean my puppy attentively morning and night… He’s a 3 and 1/2 month pure bread Maltese named Bailey. He smells like baby power and everyone always comments on how white his coat is and how clean his face is. It took time (about two weeks and i followed instruction to the "T") 

*Food*: Change puppy or dogs food to *Wellness* wet, dry or both (owner and dogs preference) just make sure it contains no coloring, dye, or artificial stuff. The best way to find which brand works best for you check the ingredients and make sure the first 5 ingredients are no BY PRODUCTS and strictly all natural food 

*Water*: Use only *SMART WATER* as the Bottled water of choice, Brita’s: Tap water have to many contaminates that will pas through even the best Brita Filter out there, Poland Springs: source from the ground are full of minerals ect… which enhanced the tear staining and yeast. SMART WATER. IS THE BEST COMES FROM THE CLOUDS AND HAVE ELECTROLYES FOR PUPPY WHO DE-HYDRATE QUICKLY especially during the summer months. DO NOT USE POLAND SPRINGS, USING POLAND SPRINGS MADE THE TEAR STAINS MORE.... STAY AWAY FROM ANY WATER THAT CONTAINS MINERALS!

Product#1: *ANGEL EYES*: This is probably the only product you will have to used... I saw results in one week... works from the inside out. sprinkle a little on the food every morning (my puppy loves the Beef Flavored) follow instructions on the back according to your puppy weight and DO NOT GIVE MORE. My puppy of 3 ½ pound and ¼ tsp is just enough in the morning 

Finally *The Groomer*: Find a well experince groomer, preferably one who deals or used to deal with show dogs. I live in NY and I use Central Park Pet Spa on 57th Street NYC. They have a website the Owner "REDA" is well-renouwned and they staff are amazing and treated Bailey as if he was thier own... I'm also taking him there for day care. There prices are the same as PETCO or PETSMART or Local franchise groomers.... Reda and the staff there have the special touch... After a two weeks long worth of Treatment I imediately noticed the seperation of the new hair and the red tear stain hair on Bailey's face. Once grommed... Bailey was looking like the average show dog and i could walk down the street with out a million people stopping to pet and ask questions. Bailey show knows how to stop traffic... just hope if can land me a Billion-aire! haha! 

The other treatments listed below are all suggestive that can be used in combination with the top three mentioned above!

Treatment #1: CENTURY 21 TEAR STAINING SOLUTION: It’s a clear solution ONLY TO BE PLACED AROUND THE PUPPIES EYES WHERE THE STAINS RESIDE, you place the solution on a cotton ball (DO NOT POUR DIRECTLY INTO YOUR DOGS HAIR BECAUSE IT WILL STRICKLE DOWN INTO HIS MOUTH AND THE GOD WILL LICK/DRINK IT solution should not be ingested nor placed in puppies eyes. Use every morning and night and rinse solution out after 5mins. Less if your pup is allergic or has irritation to the product 

Treatment # 2: TUMS 500 MG only the original or peppermint flavor NO COLOR OR FRUTIE FLAVOR it contains artificial flavoring and coloring which will defeat your purpose. ½ TUMS in the morning and ½ at night preferably after meals. It balances you puppy PH levels and also reduced “hi-cups” if you have a puppy that eats to fast. Then gradually reduce to just a few time during the week. 

Treatment #3 Eye Envy: You can purchase the starter kit online or through the website it fast and reliable it come in original and organic non-refrigerated form Starter Kit is about $20 bucks + shipping and handling… 

Follow these steps and with patitence and in just two weeks and you will be well on your way to a clean face all white pup! I brought an all white puppy and I plan on keeping him that way! The Photo of his posted next to his name I took just days ago.


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## gabry

I already wash both my dogs faces morning and after meals and dry them with the blow dryer too so they don't stay wet, since they where puppies and they always smell nice and fresh, but the stains always present, no matter what!


Food: I feed my dogs on no grain dry kibble with no coloring, dye, or artificial stuff, no BY PRODUCTS we don't have Wells in our country we have orijen and acana that meet the guidelines above. And that helped a lot, but wasn't quite enough.

Products: 
I've tried loads of topical products that are sitting there doing nothing because they DID absolutely nothing, with exception of eye envy powder and solution but it takes a long time before you get results, if the stains are really old. I also fed my dogs Angel Eyes BUT I am not happy with feeding them antibiotics every day of their lives especially if that antibiotic is meant for chickens and turkeys and not for dogs, that is why in Europe it is illeagal for dog use, I got mine from a vist to the States, but I quit after a couple of weeks, although, to be honest, it did work, but still not liking it. I cannot give them Tums because it is an anti acid and my male's PH is naturally alkaline and that causes him to get crystals in his bladder, he needs more acid in order to change his PH so Tums would worsen the situation. 

Water: They have been drinking from a bottle since puppies and I never gave them tap water, I don't even drink tap water, I serve them bottled water with very low mineral, sodium and calcium also to avoid crystals in the bladder 

Considering that I have already done all of the above the stains where still there, and kept on coming and coming. The only solution I found besides changing the diet was the vitamin C in liquid form on the stain gave quick results. Gave orally did the rest the new hair is and stays white.

Sometimes it is not enough to keep them clean and dry washing and washing does not keep the stains away, because they tear constantly, unless you wash and dry them 24 hours a day since they tear 24 hours a day and that is impossible. I have read and practiced all of the above but never had the results, unless I was willing to feed angel eyes for life, and that was out of the question. 

Said this, I don't know if my solution works for all dogs all I know that it worked for mine, and could be, I mean "maybe", that vitamin C could be the key to help prevent and lighted up the stains at low cost, without feeding antibiotics for life. I discovered it by chance since I had to feed it to my male for his bladder, not only did his bladder clear up, after 2 weeks the ultrasound showed a clean bladder, on the contrary with the prescription food Royal Canine took 7 months to clear up and they came back, besides staining him to death, due to the corn wheat and all that other junk! The vitamin C used as a stain remover on the old stains as I said in one of my older posts, that discovery was by accident, all I care is that it works for me. Once I noticed that, I gave it to my female as well and she also cleared up. Was this a coincidence? I don't think so.


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## luvntzus

gabry said:


> I also have tried angel eyes but it contains antibiotics, it does work but I used it ony for 10 days he was fine once I stopped after a while the stains came back, didn't want to feed him antibiotics for life. I spent so much money on products to remove and prevent tear stains, who knew that by accident vitamin C was the answer I was looking for and a cheap one too LOL. Love your baby what a cute face. I love dogs and had many breeds but shih tzus? once you have one you never go back! another photo of Sushi with longer coat you can see how white he is now. Look no tear stains :clap2:
> 
> View attachment 27111


There is now a natural Angel Eyes, that's the one I'm talking about. 

http://www.angelseyesnatural.com/details.htm


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## gabry

luvntzus said:


> There is now a natural Angel Eyes, that's the one I'm talking about.
> 
> http://www.angelseyesnatural.com/details.htm


I'm sorry didn't know that there is now available the natural eye envy, so I checked it out the ingredients Cranberry Powder and Oregon Grape and Marshmallow Root, so there you go! both cranberry and oregon grapes are rich in vitamin C! 
As for the marshmallow root I found other indications as follows below, quite interesting.


Real marsh mallow is a plant with a long root that actually does grow in a marsh. Nineteenth century doctors extracted juice from the marsh mallow plant's roots and cooked it
with egg whites and sugar, then whipped the mixture into a foamy meringue that later
hardened, creating a medicinal candy used to soothe children's sore throats. Eventually,
advanced manufacturing processes and improved texturing agents eliminated the need
for the gooey root juice altogether. Unfortunately, that eliminated the confection's healing properties as a cough suppressant, immune system booster and wound healer. This
herb is effective at boosting the immune system. In one experiment, marshmallow enhanced the ability of white blood cells to devour invading germs. This suggests that the
plant's traditional use in wound treatment may have a sound scientific basis. The great
demulcent and emollient properties of Marsh Mallow make it useful in inflammation and irritation of the respiratory system. It exerts a relaxing effect upon the oral tissues. For centuries marshmallow has been used as a popular remedy ingredient for coughs, bronchitis and whooping coug


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## bella805

*Re: Distilled Water*



Benni said:


> When I bought Benni my Maltipoo I was told to buy distilled water to help with the tear stains. We have had Benni for 3 months and have very little tear stains. It works for us..........


uh. finally someone helped lol.
i have a maltipoo also and i just wasn't sure if anything else that people used for other dogs would work thanks tho


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## gabry

I am trying colloidal silver that is a natural antibiotic seems to cure almost anything including eye infections. It kills yeast so I want to see if it works. What I can say is that my girl had a funny smell lately, I think it was the yeast, no matter how many times I cleaned her eyes the smell came back, now with CS the smell at least went away.


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## gabry

I am trying colloidal silver that is a natural antibiotic seems to cure almost anything including eye infections. It kills yeast so I want to see if it works. What I can say is that my girl had a funny smell lately, I think it was the yeast, no matter how many times I cleaned her eyes the smell came back, now with CS the smell at least went away.


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## Abbylynn

I tried all the other things except for antibiotics just because I chose not to. But I switched my dogs food to a food that contains no corn or soy or wheat and the tear stains are 95% gone. I think it was an allergy to wheat. I gave my dog a snack with wheat for a couple of days....and his eyes started running bad. I experimented. I also trimmed his hair closer around his eyes than what I usually do. Maybe both of these helped? I have been battling his tear stains for 5 years. 

I am a chicken when it comes to using chemicals around my dogs eyes! Lol!


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## chubby

my puppy has tear stains too T__T

I recently put her on Probiotics - it's win win because if they don't work for tear stains, at least you're helping with her digestion, coat, etc. I hope it'll work - I'm on Gena Flora (cycles of life). Whatever you choose, make sure there's some variety of strains, and that they're highly stable.


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## Tracy Payne

Hi, 

I have a 14 week old Bichon and in the process of searching for the vitamin C liquid. Can i ask how much do you have to give them orally?

Thanks,

Tracy



gabry said:


> I already wash both my dogs faces morning and after meals and dry them with the blow dryer too so they don't stay wet, since they where puppies and they always smell nice and fresh, but the stains always present, no matter what!
> 
> 
> Food: I feed my dogs on no grain dry kibble with no coloring, dye, or artificial stuff, no BY PRODUCTS we don't have Wells in our country we have orijen and acana that meet the guidelines above. And that helped a lot, but wasn't quite enough.
> 
> Products:
> I've tried loads of topical products that are sitting there doing nothing because they DID absolutely nothing, with exception of eye envy powder and solution but it takes a long time before you get results, if the stains are really old. I also fed my dogs Angel Eyes BUT I am not happy with feeding them antibiotics every day of their lives especially if that antibiotic is meant for chickens and turkeys and not for dogs, that is why in Europe it is illeagal for dog use, I got mine from a vist to the States, but I quit after a couple of weeks, although, to be honest, it did work, but still not liking it. I cannot give them Tums because it is an anti acid and my male's PH is naturally alkaline and that causes him to get crystals in his bladder, he needs more acid in order to change his PH so Tums would worsen the situation.
> 
> Water: They have been drinking from a bottle since puppies and I never gave them tap water, I don't even drink tap water, I serve them bottled water with very low mineral, sodium and calcium also to avoid crystals in the bladder
> 
> Considering that I have already done all of the above the stains where still there, and kept on coming and coming. The only solution I found besides changing the diet was the vitamin C in liquid form on the stain gave quick results. Gave orally did the rest the new hair is and stays white.
> 
> Sometimes it is not enough to keep them clean and dry washing and washing does not keep the stains away, because they tear constantly, unless you wash and dry them 24 hours a day since they tear 24 hours a day and that is impossible. I have read and practiced all of the above but never had the results, unless I was willing to feed angel eyes for life, and that was out of the question.
> 
> Said this, I don't know if my solution works for all dogs all I know that it worked for mine, and could be, I mean "maybe", that vitamin C could be the key to help prevent and lighted up the stains at low cost, without feeding antibiotics for life. I discovered it by chance since I had to feed it to my male for his bladder, not only did his bladder clear up, after 2 weeks the ultrasound showed a clean bladder, on the contrary with the prescription food Royal Canine took 7 months to clear up and they came back, besides staining him to death, due to the corn wheat and all that other junk! The vitamin C used as a stain remover on the old stains as I said in one of my older posts, that discovery was by accident, all I care is that it works for me. Once I noticed that, I gave it to my female as well and she also cleared up. Was this a coincidence? I don't think so.


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## pierre6242483

try this:
http://brotherscomplete.com/allergy-formula/


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## grayan

I have a black and white cockapoo. When I lived in Florida I was advised by a salesperson to use Blue Buffalo food to help with the brown tear stains and brown stain around her mouth. Within a few weeks the brown staining disappeared. For four years she was stain free then.... I brought her to Scotland and could not get Blue Buffalo here, the staining has returned with a vengeance! I have tried different foods but to no avail. It is very upsetting to see her cute little face all covered in the brown stain but unless I pay hundreds of pounds to get the food sent here there seems be be nothing I can do to help remove it. So, if you live in the US and have this problem, please try the Blue Buffalo food, it worked for my little Macy. If anyone living in the UK can give me the name of a food that is compatible to Blue Buffalo please can you let me know. Thanks.


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## raddatz62

Though I do not have a breed that has this problem, my sister does. He is a pure bred maltese and a such an adorable guy but the tearing has gotten really bad and detracts from his cuteness. She used Angel Eyes for a while and it worked but not to the extent that people raved about and the price wasn't worth it. I have researched some things online and I am just curious if anyone else has heard of them or used them. Adding baking soda into their shampoo I heard works a little and using a washcloth to get it into the corners. As well, using baby powder (not made from talc) and brushing it under the eyes every day helps absorb the tears and then can brush the goobies later. Any more suggestions would be great, she really would like the help.


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## Abbylynn

I have never heard of those. I have Schnauzer/Poodles who always have this problem. I refuse to use chemicals, so I changed their diets to a high quality grain-free food. It helped tremendously. I also just have resorted to wiping off their eyes on a daily basis with a clean white wet washcloth and making sure I dry them thoroughly with a soft dry wash cloth. I also heard vinegar in their drinking water ... but mine would not drink the vinegar water.  I am just so careful about foreign substances near their eyes. Eyesight is a huge priority with me next to hearing.


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## StellaLucyDesi

I'm sure this has been said in this thread before, but I will say again.....First off, feed and high quality food. Most will say grain free, but not necessarily a requirement just feed high quality. Some foods for example are: Wellness, Halo, Holistic Select, NOW! and GO!, Orijen, Acana, TOTW, Earthborn, Brothers, Rotations, Nature's Variey, Fromm....and the list goes on. Just do your research, as one food may not work for all dogs. Raw also works wonders for many things. I have used premade raw with great results (NV, Primal and Steve's Real Food). I have fed the premade raw along with kibble and canned (currently, Rotations, NV and Fromm). A great site to visit to do research is www.dogfoodadvisor.com. Once the food is chosen, then add a probiotic and or enzyme supplement(s). These alone will help with the tear staining, Imho. At least it did with my dogs. I have 3 seniors and 1 adult. Some people use human probiotic supplements with success, but I prefer to use the ones made specifically for dogs. Some supplements I like are:
Probiotics: Ark Naturals Gentle Digest (also contains a prebiotic), Vetri Mega Probiotics (with a prebiotic), Mercola Probiotics, Total Probiotics (with a prebiotic)
Enzymes: Fresh Digest (or OptiGest) which also contains a prebiotic (food for the good bacteria), Prozyme, I also like Solid Gold Seameal with contains Prozyme and some other ingredients like kelp (rich in vits/mins), Total Zymes, Mercola Enzymes (note: these are animal based, not plant based). Some will say one or the other works best. I have found that my dogs do better with plant based for their general digestion issues. If you have a dog with pancreatic issues, then animal based enzymes might work better, but not sure.
Combination prob/enz (some will also contain a prebiotic): Animal Essentials, NaturVet, Berte's, Wholistic Pet, and Nature's Farmacy
I'm sure there are others I've not mentioned that are great.

Over the years, since I have older dogs, I've also found that (believe it or not) they tend to do better with a moderate protein food with a little whole, good grains as the carbohydrate binders. Like I said, this is what worked for my gang and may not work for others. But, it gives another solution to the problem. Good luck!


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## godfreygirl143

I have a 6-month-old Mini Schnauzer-Shih Tzu mix and have had this tear staining problem since I've had her and that was at 8 weeks old. I wash her face every day and she HATES it so it's a bit of a chore. I've read all these posts and am now more confused than ever. There seem to be so many different views. I've addressed this with my vet and he just said some dogs have it and some don't....he didn't do any tests for allergies. I feed her dry Blue Buffalo and put canned Blue Buffalo in her morning meal. I just read on ehow.com about how to make your own sterile saline solution and have gotten some sterile gauze pads...I'm going to try that. But I've seen here about using Tums, apple cider vinegar, etc. My Missy takes most of her traits from the mini schnauzer side with her thin hair from the Shih Tzu side. It's really a problem because it mats her hair and several times a day I can feel wet around her eyes. I'm just sort of at a loss with so many suggestions. I hesitate to buy the Angel Eyes....one, because it's so expensive and some say it doesn't always work and two, because some have said it's not really good for them because it's an antibiotic. I want her to be comfortable and not have this but now I just don't know what to try. 

To "line-of-Fire"....where do you get those AKC handy-dandy tear wipes and do you know if they really work or not? Any other ideas or are they all here already??? Thanks...I'm just a bit discouraged about this.


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## Abbylynn

I have just switched to distilled water for my dogs as of yesterday due to bladder stone issues ... I will be watching to see if this does anything for Leeo's tear stains,... though they are fairly under control with grain-free food and me washing them every day and keeping the hair trimmed short around the eyes. Vinegar in the water they will not EVEN touch. I am wondering if the lack of minerals in distilled water will work? The tear stain thing is a never-ending battle it seems. I have not tried eye wipes with the exception of a brand I cannot even remember the name of now ... and it did not work either.


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## hungover

grayan said:


> I have a black and white cockapoo. When I lived in Florida I was advised by a salesperson to use Blue Buffalo food to help with the brown tear stains and brown stain around her mouth. Within a few weeks the brown staining disappeared. For four years she was stain free then.... I brought her to Scotland and could not get Blue Buffalo here, the staining has returned with a vengeance! I have tried different foods but to no avail. It is very upsetting to see her cute little face all covered in the brown stain but unless I pay hundreds of pounds to get the food sent here there seems be be nothing I can do to help remove it. So, if you live in the US and have this problem, please try the Blue Buffalo food, it worked for my little Macy. If anyone living in the UK can give me the name of a food that is compatible to Blue Buffalo please can you let me know. Thanks.


There are a number of decent foods, such as taste of the wild or orijen, being lower in commercial bulking agents, they seem to help a lot of owners. Or just go down the hard route.


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## godfreygirl143

I feed my Missy Blue Buffalo and she STILL has those ugly tear stains really bad....and if I don't wash her face every day, it will cake in her hair. So I'm still at a loss as to what is causing this....AARRGGHHHH!!!!


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## hungover

hungover said:


> There are a number of decent foods, such as taste of the wild or orijen, being lower in commercial bulking agents, they seem to help a lot of owners. Or just go down the hard route.


Curses!!!! :redface:

Autocorrect on my phone changed "Or just go down the BARF route" Or just go down the hard route".

BTw godfreygirl143 if you don't want to use any tear stain products then petroleum jelly under the eyes will prevent the hairs from turning red as a short term "cure"


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## ioreks_mom

i feed only raw (prey model, no veggies etc) and freeze dried liver/other meat as treats. i don't give filtered water anymore but i did for quite a while. my sammy still has tear stains. i just don't know what to do for him. but, since it is just a little staining and he doesn't seem to have any other issues i will just have to live with it.


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## godfreygirl143

I don't get the "BARF route" or the "hard route" part.....but I would have never thought of petroleum jelly. I'd have to put it in the hair under her eyes...couldn't she get it IN her eyes??? The stains don't even go away after I have her groomed and they trim all the hair....another AARRGGHHH!!! I feel like ioreks_mom....I've tried about all I know with food. I give her skinless chicken breast, calves liver.....she eats broccoli, loves carrots, celery....even red peppers (just small amounts). I pay more for Blue Buffalo because I thought it was the best in terms of nutrition. I just found out today my electric bill just went up $75 a month.....DRAT it anyway. It may just be something I'll have to live with too. :-(


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## ioreks_mom

have you tried orijen? i think that food is VERY good. 

i think the above poster was saying they were trying to say BARF route but their phone changed it to the hard route. personally, i would not go the BARF route since it contains veggies. i don't think that dogs need veggies. if you want to feed your dog raw food i would look into prey model raw.


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## godfreygirl143

No I haven't tried Orijen.....but I've changed her food four times since I've had her....from 8 weeks to now and she was 7 months old Feb. 19th. If I keep changing it, she will be eating better than me. I love my Missy dearly, but it doesn't change the fact that we are in a recession, money is very tight and I'm on a very tight budget. I don't know what the "BARF route" is...I've never heard of it. But I think she's doing very well with what I'm doing although I appreciate all the suggestions. I would JUST like to get rid of the horrible tear stains. I'm beginning to think that many small breeds are just subject to this since so many have posted about it. Thanks for all the great suggestions and ideas.


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## Abbylynn

godfreygirl143 said:


> No I haven't tried Orijen.....but I've changed her food four times since I've had her....from 8 weeks to now and she was 7 months old Feb. 19th. If I keep changing it, she will be eating better than me. I love my Missy dearly, but it doesn't change the fact that we are in a recession, money is very tight and I'm on a very tight budget. I don't know what the "BARF route" is...I've never heard of it. But I think she's doing very well with what I'm doing although I appreciate all the suggestions. I would JUST like to get rid of the horrible tear stains. I'm beginning to think that many small breeds are just subject to this since so many have posted about it. Thanks for all the great suggestions and ideas.


I once asked my vet about this tear staining business ... and he said that " You can clear it up with antibiotics ... but you can only do that so many times ... as the dog cannot live on antibiotics. " Those were his exact words. I believe this tear staining business is a very common thing. It is not life threatening .... but if you keep your dog on antibiotics for something superficial like tear stains for the way the dog looks ... when the dog really needs antibiotics for a real emergency or illness ... he will be immune and the antibiotics may/may not cure what ails him and in some really severe situation may/ may not save his life ... IMHO. 

I will stick to the old fashioned way by good diet, distilled water, grooming, and daily face washing ...... Just me though.


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## ioreks_mom

the BARF diet is a raw food diet for dogs. it usually contains things like grains and fruits/veggies. i feed my dogs prey model raw. it is only raw meat, bones, and organs. it takes a lot of work at first to get it right. lots of research.


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## godfreygirl143

I never thought of it that way, but you're very right. Yep...those products ARE antibiotics and could cause others not to work when they needed them most. I agree with you....she might have the red streaks on her little face, but none of us are perfect and I think it's kind of "cute"....it gives her some character. I just don't want HER to be uncomfortable, so I'm going to do just what you're doing....I'm thinking with Leeo or Blu boy since they are white....and keep washing her face daily and keeping her comfortable. Thanks for sharing that wisdom...it makes very good sense.


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## TerrierDaddy

I think my dog’s tear stains cleared up after we switched from grocery store food to natural balance food. He used to have dark brown stains all the time and no matter what I did – clean them, use products specifically for tear stains, he’d get them immediately after. But he doesn’t have them anymore and I fell like maybe it was the change in food? Just my observation...


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## DarKevs

have not read all this thread so if these links has already been provided............ ..... sorry!

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/grooming/grooming4.htm

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/grooming/grooming5.htm


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## Vickchick

I have a shih-tzu pup as well and after exhausting myself researching like you guys have done, I found that the active ingredient in angel eyes, which is also in Orijen's Regional Red recipe, is beef liver. I've actually put my dog on Regional Red and found this out to be a convenient side effect, but when I rotate him off of it I will be sure to give him beef liver supplement for sure!


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## Abbylynn

Vickchick said:


> I have a shih-tzu pup as well and after exhausting myself researching like you guys have done, I found that the active ingredient in angel eyes, which is also in Orijen's Regional Red recipe, is beef liver. I've actually put my dog on Regional Red and found this out to be a convenient side effect, but when I rotate him off of it I will be sure to give him beef liver supplement for sure!


This is extremely interesting!  ............. any other info on this?


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## Coulee

Hi everyone, this is my first time posting. I usually just read and agree or disagree, however as a groomer AND a vet tech, I couldn't pass this one up. First off, by all means, get the eyes checked out by your vet, see if theres a way to treat the source than to cover the symptoms of a problem. Second, teramycin products are antibiotic in nature which has been pointed out already. There are many products out their that do not contain this ingredient. Please if thats the way you choose to handle the problem, choose a product without. Third, and my reason for adding my two cents, using products that change the ph of the secretions to stop the staining will change the ph of more than just the tears. Many urinary tract problems are due to an upset ph, and while you are killing the "bad" bacteria causing the staining there are also "good" bacteria in the body which may also be killed causing further problems. Whatever method you choose, go into it informed, and discuss with your vet.My two cents.


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## a.an

i'm not suggesting this..just sharing what i did

minnie and max both had TERRIBLE stains. they were on a high-quality dry food diet and we even tried changing the water .. or adding yogurt
in the end i ordered tylan 40. gave them it once a day for 14 days and stopped. it's been about 3 months and there is little to no staining.. i sitll give them a spoonfull of yogurt once a day though... and they regularly have their faces washed with a warm wash cloth.

HPH!


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## johnc

After hearing a pet store owner tell me (without provocation) that my dog's tear stains were a problem and that I should only give them filtered water (which he gets half the time anyway, which drops the TDS of said water about 50% or 40 ppm), I decided to look online to see where people get this information. The water where I live is very low TDS to begin with.

I will say there is a huge issue of misinformation on the internet. Anecdotal evidence and home remedies are not science. Period. I won't sit on the sidelines and listen to wackos tell me my tap water is poisoning me with chlorine, and that my dog's tear stains are definitely from minerals in water until I see peer-reviewed evidence saying so. It didn't help that the next day a lady in a dog park went on a random rant about how vaccinating dogs kills them. Enough with the voodoo remedies and pseudoscience from internet forums and blogs. Be gone!


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## godfreygirl143

Thank you very much for this advice. I looked it up and found it on amazon.com and it had 5 stars from others saying it was a much better substitute for Angel Eyes, it's cheaper and it works. I put it on my wish list until I see if I can get it locally. My Missy's tear stains are very bad and she hates.....and I do mean HATES.....for me to wash her face, so it's almost impossible for me to clean her eyes every day. I'm going to get some. Her stains make the hair mat around her eyes in-between groomer visits and it's embarrassing....I feel it looks like I don't take care of her well.....and I know it's uncomfortable for her.


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## tobys2ndmom

I see advice to mix boric acid powder and starch into a paste and leave it on til morning, but i don't see how that could not at some point end up into the eye. If they're lying down, and then move around with their face on the pillow or whatever, wouldn't it somehow migrate into the eye? I want to use the powder idea because it seems like it would do double duty, absorbing the tears AND treating the stains. But i'm concerned about migration. Any thoughts?

i too have done distilled water, removing chicken from treats and foods for 6 weeks, zero grain diet, raw with limited ingredients, etc, all to no avail. I'm happy to generally leave them alone except for the fact that they get crusty or horrible. 

I do have the eye drops by born called "eye clear", (which have boric acid in them btw, the vet recs that what i use) using them every day actually does help a bit, but it's such a pita for both him and I that i eventually give up. So i'd love to lay a powder over the stain after i treat the stains with his tear stain pads, otherwise it's wet as can be, even after i dry with a paper towel. but am concerned about potential issues.


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## godfreygirl143

I too would not be at all comfortable leaving a paste of boric acid and starch on my pup's eyes at night. For one things, she's a puppy and eats anything she things she can get away with, AND the thing about it getting in her eyes....I'd not be able to sleep. Lets go t step B.....whatever that is. As for me, I'm going go order tylan 40 premixed power. I read great reviews on amazon.com about it taking the tear stains away. You have to be patient because it may take a couple of months.....but you just sprinkle a teeny bit on the food....they seem to like it.....and it will take the tear stains away. Sure hope it works.


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## godfreygirl143

I'd like to ask any and everyone here if they have tried Tylosin Powder (Tylon 40) for tear stains. I'm so frustrated. They are very bad, the vet says there's nothing wrong health-wise and Missy HATES to have her face washed. I have to rub pretty hard to get at it even when I have the hair shaved by the groomer. It grows back out very fast and I'm afraid to get scissors around her eyes. I found this on amazon.com....but it's almost $20 with S&H for 12 ounces. It's WELL worth it IF it does indeed work. I'm sure it would last a long time. So, I'm asking for anyone else who may have had success with this. It got 5 stars from five people there....mostly about removing the tear stains. Thanks in advance.


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## Janine

Angel Eyes works because it contains Tylosin. Tylan, tetracycline, panmycin drops (liquid tetracycline) are antibiotics. You should not use those products on a puppy who is teething. They will discolor the adult teeth coming in. Wait until all the adult teeth are in. On some dogs the tearing goes away after the adult teeth are out. So be patient. I have used panmycin drops on my deceased dog and it worked great. Recently I used Angel Eyes with my new dog Charlie and it worked great too. His staining is almost gone completely. I have not finished the bottle. Maybe I am going to finish the bottle to get it cleared completely.


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## godfreygirl143

*Re: Remove Dog's Tear stains....I found something promising*

I have had this same excessive tearing & staining problem with my mini schnauzer/shih tzu since I got her at 8 weeks....she's now 9 months old. I didn't get the Angel Eyes because I read various posts that it doesn't always work and I didn't want to give her anything with antibiotics in it if it may not work. I've just been doing the face washing....which she HATES....and trimming the hair around her eyes. But, I did some more extensive searching and found "*Angels' Glow Tear Stain Remover*"....lots of great reviews that it works AND has NO antibiotics in it.....and I ordered it on amazon.com for $14.90. That's a LOT less than Angel Eyes. I read on another website that Tylosan can be dangerous for a dog so I was glad I didn't buy it. I have not received this yet....I just ordered it, but I will update later and let everyone know if it works. I just thought I'd write and give you a heads up on something that has no antibiotics in it and people posted reviews that it worked for them....but like anything, it may work for some and not for others.


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## hungover

*Re: Remove Dog's Tear stains....I found something promising*



godfreygirl143 said:


> I have had this same excessive tearing & staining problem with my mini schnauzer/shih tzu since I got her at 8 weeks....she's now 9 months old. I didn't get the Angel Eyes because I read various posts that it doesn't always work and I didn't want to give her anything with antibiotics in it if it may not work. I've just been doing the face washing....which she HATES....and trimming the hair around her eyes. But, I did some more extensive searching and found "*Angels' Glow Tear Stain Remover*"....lots of great reviews that it works AND has NO antibiotics in it.....and I ordered it on amazon.com for $14.90. That's a LOT less than Angel Eyes. I read on another website that Tylosan can be dangerous for a dog so I was glad I didn't buy it. I have not received this yet....I just ordered it, but I will update later and let everyone know if it works. I just thought I'd write and give you a heads up on something that has no antibiotics in it and people posted reviews that it worked for them....but like anything, it may work for some and not for others.


Sorry but *angels Glow does use Tylosin*!!!

I understand why you would have thought otherwise. the site is far from clear.

Angels Glow was the first tylosin based tear stain product. The woman that makes it partnered up with another couple. There was some kind of falling out and they went off and set up Angels Eyes (the second tylosin based product). Court cases ensued, tbh I am not aware of the outcome.

As far as I know Angels Eyes outsells Angels Glow, probably because of better marketing.

Interestingly the makers of Angels Eyes have tried pushing their antibiotic free Angels Eyes Natural (which looks like a clone of an old version of the natural NaturVet Tear Stain supplement. I suspect that they know that the FDA will eventually start to uphold the law in the USA and ban all of the illegal tylosin based products. It has always been illegal to give dogs tylosin without a prescription!!! (only livestock can be given tylosin for sub-theraputic reasons).

By contrast Angels Glow is being re-branded as Pets Sparks, yet another tylosin based product. 

To date ALL of the tylosin based makers have been less than honest about making it clear that their products use an antibiotic and they all forget to mention that Tylosin tartrate has not been sufficiently tested on dogs or cats, hence it is not on the approved dog drug list. 

The more that I discover about these firms the more I dislike them and the more I am convinced that they are ONLY interested in making money, hang the health of your loved ones, be they four or two legged. Antibiotic abuse and bacterial resistance affects us all...


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## Samoya

I have been told but not tried it but to rub the area every day with a warm wet tea bag of regular tea, it is supposed to reduce the stains that exist and prevents new staining from forming. Again this is only what I was told.


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## godfreygirl143

Thanks for the tip but, if I tried putting a wet tea bag on Missy's eyes, she would definitely NOT like that at all. I was using "Angels' Glow" and the tear stains and watering eyes are totally gone. So I quit using it. She will be one year old this month (July) and she may (just may) have outgrown it....I guess I'll see. BUT....she absolutely LOVES taking a bath. She will get up on the edge of the tub every morning to get a bath. So I put her in every morning just to wash her face, eyes, butt and feet (it's after her morning walk) and she thinks she 'got a bath'. As long as I don't see the tearing and stains, I won't use anything. If it comes back, I'll use the "Angels' Glow" again for a while until it's gone. I never used the amount they said to on the bottle....almost a whole teaspoon full seemed like WAY too much for at 9-pound puppy.....so I only put about 1/4 tsp. on her food and that worked fine. I think I'll save the warm tea bags for MY eye bags.
:-D


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## Samoya

haha no doubt. thats great that it went away  



godfreygirl143 said:


> Thanks for the tip but, if I tried putting a wet tea bag on Missy's eyes, she would definitely NOT like that at all. I was using "Angels' Glow" and the tear stains and watering eyes are totally gone. So I quit using it. She will be one year old this month (July) and she may (just may) have outgrown it....I guess I'll see. BUT....she absolutely LOVES taking a bath. She will get up on the edge of the tub every morning to get a bath. So I put her in every morning just to wash her face, eyes, butt and feet (it's after her morning walk) and she thinks she 'got a bath'. As long as I don't see the tearing and stains, I won't use anything. If it comes back, I'll use the "Angels' Glow" again for a while until it's gone. I never used the amount they said to on the bottle....almost a whole teaspoon full seemed like WAY too much for at 9-pound puppy.....so I only put about 1/4 tsp. on her food and that worked fine. I think I'll save the warm tea bags for MY eye bags.
> :-D


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## SophiesDad

My wife and I have a 2 year old La-Chon that we adopted from the Humane Society. She had a terrible case of rust colored tear stains. It was so bad that the fur under her eyes was always wet and very dark in color. The best thing we did was to give her only distilled water as mentioned in this post. It has been a month since we switched her to distilled water and you'd never know that she once had a terrible problem. She does have a little staining but not very noticable and her fur is not wet under her eyes. I would say we noticed a 95% improvement.


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## Shanti

Just wanted to put in my two cents. My puppy had saggy eyelids before his ears went up and was weeping/tear staining quit a bit. His eyes and eyelids were getting irritated from all the crusties. I didn't want to give him Angel Eyes because he was so young, so I did a little research and read about colloidal silver, which I have taken before and know it is quite safe when used in moderation. I bought a bottle of 10ppm and used an eyedropper to put a few drops in and around his eyes (I tried it out on myself as well for the first week to see if there was anything to be concerned about). The crusties and irritation cleared up completely within a few days. I let the tear stained fur fall out/grow back in, as I didn't feel comfortable scrubbing around his eyes with commercial tear stain remover. Its been about 8 weeks since I started using the colloidal silver and no negative side effects. I only use it once every few days now, since his ears are up and his eyelids are no longer saggy...probably will be able to stop using it soon unless his teething messes with his eyelids. Problem solved, I didn't have to spend a fortune, and he didn't have to take any internal antibiotics (something I am against if not absolutely necessary).


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## chuckief

I have a little white toy poodle/maltese. Tried this....tried that. Then a natural vet told
me to make strong "black" tea, let it cool and wash her eyes with that. I sometimes do this
once or twice a day. I dip a cloth in the tea and wash her eyes using a different part of the
cloth for each eye. I don't know why it works but it does! After all the money and fuss of
trying different products! I hope you try it and it works well for you also.


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## psdaengr

tiffanyj said:


> Hi all. I have a 1 1/2 year old bichon, and here's some interesting things I have noted about her tear staining: . . .
> 
> two months ago, the tear stains started to return! H. . . at the same time she started to get tear stains, she also started to get stains of the same color on her fur immediately around her genitals . . . She is bathed weekly. . . . when she wasn't having the tear stains, her urine wasn't staining her fur either. . . . Any ideas on the cause?


It sounds like a generalized yeast infection. Yeast infections can be hard to clear, generally require changing the body pH to acidic through diet, or adding something to the diet that has digestive byproducts that kill mold and mildew. 

If your bichon was human, I'd suggest oil of organo, which has a strong bitter flavor, or a crushed leaf product like Oreganax. I'd be hestitant to use the latter with a dog, becasue it also contains onion and garlic. Perhaps feeding her cranberries or unsweetned cranberry juice would help, at least with the urine. An intermediate term term high meat protein diet could also help, as could adding real, unflavored yogurt or a probiotic supplement to her diet.


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## aussiegirl6

Kerry said:


> I've heard from several sources now about vinegar in the water. But half a cup of apple cider vinegar into about how much water? And will she still want to drink water with vinegar in it? Yuck.


That was 1/2 a CAP full not a cup full.

LOL


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## JRW

My dog had unbelievable staining, I tried the works, ACV, I bought a water purifier, nothing worked. I then read about Angel Eyes and he has just finished taking it. I didn't give it him every day but certainly 5 times a week and all the staining has gone. He also is on Orijen that I read on here can have some bearing on reducing stains.


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## taquitos

Grain free foods has been known to help with reducing tear staining in dogs (like Orijen)... but it will help only to a certain point. My dog has been on raw for 3 months now, and he still gets tear staining (except you can't see it on him because he's black/brown). You just have to stay vigilant and keep the area cleaned.

I personally don't like Angel Eyes because it has antibiotics and I don't want to give antibiotics unnecessarily.


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## CoverTune

My dogs have been raw fed for over a year and have pretty bad tear staining, though it wasn't until we moved to BC (from Alberta) last summer, so I believe environment must have something to do with it. The only thing I've found that helps is a daily drop of 10ppm colloidal silver in each eye.


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## Maryanna

I wrote an article for PupCulture magazine about Coping with Tear Staining (pupculturemagazine.com see April/May 2012 issue at https://pupculturemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/PC_AprilMay_LR.pdf) Hope this helps!


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## aussiegirl6

My beagle mix Katie had tear stains that got worse on grain free Freedom by blue buffalo dog food. In fact, she passed away 2 days ago from kidney disease and should have never been on a grain free with a high alk phos lab a year ago, the vet never told me. She was showing a metabolic acidosis trying to compensate at that time. I will never trust a vet again to read labs, that went through 3 vets, and they ALL missed it.
That is 2 dogs in 7 weeks that have died on grain free, make sure you check lab work for early signs of kidney disease. Their little kidneys cannot handle the nigh phosphorous content.


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## PoodleDuo

For me they're on a supplement. I feed grain free(topnof the line or raw)non chicken formula with no sweet potatoes, beets, food dyes. I also give them a tbsp of Greek yogurts twice a day as well as daily wiping. It's slowly getting better. The puppy is cutting teeth so his are acting up a bit. We also use only distilled water..

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Kathyy

I had read this long long thread even though I didn't have a dog with tear stains at that point. Ginger came home last year with monster stains that did vary through the seasons. I wasn't about to do vinegar or Angel Eyes or some such thing but looked through vet sites as to causes. She looks like a double sized toy dog with very prominent eyes and many toys can have incomplete tear ducts so first thing I asked to have her tear ducts flushed when she was under getting a rotten tooth removed. No go, still had sticky residue under her eyes. Vet thinks a lot of this is allergy. Well Ginger is on a simple home cooked or raw diet with no change in her eye goo but I did end up trying 1/2 tablet of an antihistamine 3x a day. After a month the goo has completely changed its texture and is much drier and takes several days to build up rather than a single day. Hoping this is why and if we keep it up there won't be any ugly uncomfortable eye stains. She takes her tiny bit of pill in cheese and if the pill container is rattled she comes running!

aussiegirl6, I am very sorry about you losing your dogs. As well as having regular blood panels done have the specific gravity of the first urine of the day checked regularly. Dogs with failing kidneys cannot concentrate urine properly. First urine of the day is the most concentrated urine as it has been excreted from the kidneys over many hours. Other causes of kidney disease are poor dental health and tick disease. I don't think either caused Sassy's kidney disease nor did her high quality kibble but she did end up living 3.5 years past diagnosis on home cooked food with reduced phosphorus and increased egg and chicken protein. I don't know which of her liver enzymes was raised but one or another was wonky from the age of about 8 years old and she lived to be 17.


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## aussiegirl6

Kathyy said:


> I had read this long long thread even though I didn't have a dog with tear stains at that point. Ginger came home last year with monster stains that did vary through the seasons. I wasn't about to do vinegar or Angel Eyes or some such thing but looked through vet sites as to causes. She looks like a double sized toy dog with very prominent eyes and many toys can have incomplete tear ducts so first thing I asked to have her tear ducts flushed when she was under getting a rotten tooth removed. No go, still had sticky residue under her eyes. Vet thinks a lot of this is allergy. Well Ginger is on a simple home cooked or raw diet with no change in her eye goo but I did end up trying 1/2 tablet of an antihistamine 3x a day. After a month the goo has completely changed its texture and is much drier and takes several days to build up rather than a single day. Hoping this is why and if we keep it up there won't be any ugly uncomfortable eye stains. She takes her tiny bit of pill in cheese and if the pill container is rattled she comes running!
> 
> aussiegirl6, I am very sorry about you losing your dogs. As well as having regular blood panels done have the specific gravity of the first urine of the day checked regularly. Dogs with failing kidneys cannot concentrate urine properly. First urine of the day is the most concentrated urine as it has been excreted from the kidneys over many hours. Other causes of kidney disease are poor dental health and tick disease. I don't think either caused Sassy's kidney disease nor did her high quality kibble but she did end up living 3.5 years past diagnosis on home cooked food with reduced phosphorus and increased egg and chicken protein. I don't know which of her liver enzymes was raised but one or another was wonky from the age of about 8 years old and she lived to be 17.


Thank you for your kind words, I am still not over it at all.
I am going to copy this note from you for me to remember in my doggie's bin where I keep there lab work so I don't for get. 
God Bless you


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## meenfa

Thank you for this post. It was extremely helpful for me. 
I have a cream Chow Chow. And when he was a puppy, his eye lids were growing inwards, which caused him to tear a lot. The vet said this is very common in Chows and asked me to wait till he is almost fully grown (his eye lids might stop growing inwards) and decide whether we want to have an operation.
My Chow is now 9 months old. Although the problem is not as severe, he is still tearing from his in-grown eye lids. And I have to constantly wipe his face very often to prevent him getting infected (the best I can do..).
I am going to the vet soon to decided whether an operation is needed or not.


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## Nin

This is all SO long ago, but for the sake of new readers such as myself, I wanted to draw attention to the fact that what was suggested was half a CAP - NOT half a CUP of apple cider vinegar. I'd hate to think people would give their dogs half a cup of vinegar in their water bowl, and the poor things have nothing else to drink but that!!


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