# Yet another tear stain thread!



## Kina_A (Jun 8, 2009)

I know this subject has been discussed over and over again.

I have to ask. I've noticed in the last couple of weeks Kina has been loosing her baby teeth. since she's been loosing them, I've noticed that her tear stains have gotten worse.

I've read that there maybe a link to the two.

I've never ever had any problem with tear stains with Sadie, so I'm not sure how to manage them.

I'm trying to keep her face clean. When I clean her face, should I shampoo it? Should I dry her face with a blow dryer afterwards? Should I clean it every day?

I've also trimmed the hair the best that I could (boy is she squirmy) around her eyes. 

I'm not too keen on using products like Angle eyes, nor do I really want to put vinegar in her water (seriously would you want vinegar in your water?). TUMS I may do, but is it really safe to give to a dog?

And one last question, and I don't know if you can answer this here, but once she gets all of her adult teeth will the tear stains go away?


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## Maltese321 (Aug 14, 2009)

I have 3 maltese and they have the tear stains too. With the oldest one we would just cut the hair out and eventually he grew out of it and doesnt have any tear stains anymore!I am going to try Angel Eyes for the youngest one to see if it might help a bit. All I do now is wash their faces a bit, and carefully cut of the hair. I am sorry to say I don't have the best answer except the oldest of my dogs did eventually grow out of tear stains and no longer has them. and I don't know if Tums help with tear stains I have never heard of that but they are safe to give to dogs like one a day.


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## michelleboston (Feb 25, 2009)

My Cavalier x Bichon had tear staining when I got him and it became worse as he was teething. I tried using saline solution to clean his eyes but wasn't successful. I started using Angels Eyes and the stains cleared up within 2 weeks. I use much less than the recommended amount--about 1/4 teaspoon once or twice a week--and the stains haven't returned. I know that it contains an antibiotic but our vet told me that it's such a low dose that I shouldn't be concerned.


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## Kina_A (Jun 8, 2009)

I'm going to get Kina fixed on the 1st of September so I'll wait and speak with teh vet about Angle eyes. (who knows, maybe she'll out grow it). I've trimmed most of it out from around her eyes, but noticed that she has a bit around her mouth. I don't really want to trim around her mouth because then she'll look funny.

I've been cleaning her eye area and mouth with shampoo. Hopefully this will help as well.

Michelle,

When you started your Cave x Bichon on Angle eyes did you always have him at the low dosage?


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## michelleboston (Feb 25, 2009)

I believe at first I used the puppy dose every day (1/8 tsp). As soon as the stains went away I cut back to every other day but increased the dose slightly as he'd gotten so much bigger. I then cut back again to once or twice a week.


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## Kina_A (Jun 8, 2009)

Thank you!!


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

The only thing that ever worked for me is Angel's Eyes. I gave it for a couple of months and then stopped after I ran out of it. My dogs tear stains didn't come back for a year! I've just now started him back on it for a little while. My vet thinks that it's perfectly safe. He used it when he showed white faced Bulldogs.

Edited to add that IMO whatever is going on internally to cause the tear staining is probably not healthy. So I have no problem using an antibiotic to clear it up.


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## Kina_A (Jun 8, 2009)

I've noticed she's getting it more around her mouth too. I just going to go ahead and get some and start her off on a low dose. 

I find it strange that you can have one white dog with no tear stains and then another with them.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

I used to always recommend Angel Eyes first thing, but after I read this blog post on it by a vet, I had some second thoughts. Angel Eyes works well, but it just stops the stains from forming, it doesn't treat the possible health problems that might be _causing_ the staining to begin with. So I would have to say now, that making sure your dog isn't tearing up a lot as a result of an underlying health/diet issue before using it, would be a good thing. If they're a symptom of a problem, you don't want to be just covering it up with antibiotics without actually solving it.


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## Kina_A (Jun 8, 2009)

Thanks for the link Pai!! When I brought Kina to the Vet about a month ago for her last series of shots, the vet did check her eyes because one of them had a real bad tear stain. She couldn't find anything wrong with her eye except for a little irritation in the eye that had the tear stain.

Now, the food that she is on does not contain any beef, but I am giving her bully sticks, so I wonder if this could be causing them.

Again, she's getting Spayed on the 1st of September, so I'll speak to the vet about it then to see what she has to say about the whole situation prior to putting her on Angle Eyes.

Again Thanks for the link Pai!!


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

I'm glad it was helpful to you. =) The comments thread of that post also discusses some alternative products that reduce tear staining.


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