mcq Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I'm wondering what I can use on a 3 month old Chi pup with tear staining under one eye. She is white around that eye hence staining on only one side (other side is blue coat). Her eyes are clear, no discharge, healthy etc but just where the eye waters is browning her white coat. I've been trying aristopet tear stain remover daily for a couple of weeks now but have had no improvement. Is there a product out there that's better? Would vaseline under that eye help? Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Have you had her eyes checked by a vet? Tear staining isn't normal for a dog. There will be a cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I second a vet check. Could be entropion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I second a vet check.Could be entropion. Or a blocked tear duct.. or Distichiasis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PooMother Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I know in our show cats we found that depending on what we fed depended on what colour staining came out (persian and exotic) ie cat kibble we would get brown/red staining, chicken wings/meat no staining. I didnt know that wasnt normal in dogs though, however, if it is of any help we used and still do Kojo Eye Conditioner from Petnetwork and it is was marvelous, clean the whole eye area with a cotton ball soaked in it and it doesnt iritate the eye. I know of dog show people who use it also on their dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Always best to look at the cause FIRST and then worry about the cosmetic stuff after that. Definitely a trip to the vet needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessm Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Tear staining isn't normal for a dog. There will be a cause. I didn't know that. Seems pretty straight forward, though. Most swf's (said as a very general, generalisation) I have met had had tear staining, I just put it down to must 'just happen' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Tear staining isn't normal for a dog. There will be a cause. I didn't know that. Seems pretty straight forward, though. Most swf's (said as a very general, generalisation) I have met had had tear staining, I just put it down to must 'just happen' It's common. But it's not "normal". That brown colouring you're seeing is bacteria growing in excess moisture on the skin. Definitely get it checked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizT Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Have you had her eyes checked by a vet?Tear staining isn't normal for a dog. There will be a cause. Tear staining can be quite"normal" for a lot of toy breeds as their ducts are so tiny that there is often an overflow of the tear onto the face. The ducts become blocked and even if flushed by a vet will most often become blocked again in time. Particularly common with breeds whose eyes are quite rounded and protrude such as Cavs and Chis. There is not necessarily anything insideous behind tear stains but it is always best to rule out any problems with your vet as there are certainly many conditions that can make it worse. It is the composition of the tear itself that causes the staining and not bacteria although bacteria can be present if the area is not cleaned and dried regularly and this bacteria will cause the skin to go yucky (technical term LOL). It is always more noticable in white fur. At least this is what I have been told by a number of vets over a number of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 (edited) There is not necessarily anything insideous behind tear stains but it is always best to rule out any problems with your vet as there are certainly many conditions that can make it worse. It is the composition of the tear itself that causes the staining and not bacteria although bacteria can be present if the area is not cleaned and dried regularly and this bacteria will cause the skin to go yucky (technical term LOL).It is always more noticable in white fur. At least this is what I have been told by a number of vets over a number of years. I dont consider over flowing tear ducts to be "normal" in any breed. As I said, "common" and "normal" are not the same. That brown colouring is yeast and/or bacteria. The staining tends to indicate a depressed immune system issue IMO. Feed right, groom right and most importantly keep the teeth clean and many of those dogs with "normal" tear stains will become stain free. I don't think that people should accept that small dogs and tear stains are inevitable. There's plenty you can do to fix the issue. Edited October 15, 2009 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcq Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 She is only 3 months old... just bought her home from breeder. Other than "wet" eyes, she doesn't appear to have anything wrong! They aren't overly watery just the same as what I'd have in my own eyes - lubrication sort of. I hope it's not an ongoing thing as I'd like to try my hand with showing her. Booking for the vet to see what can be done - though loathe to think that I'll be sold the vet's grandmother once convinced that she's the only cure (not a fan of vets most of the time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atua Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 There is a product you can buy that will remove tear staining it is called Angel Eyes. It is a powder formula which is put in their food. It is very expensive but it does work. Reason for it being so expensive is its shipped from the US Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfin Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Tear staining is very common, and most certainly not normal. The powder you put in the food is actually a poultry antibiotic that kills the germs causing the staining, but does not fix the problem. I would not give it to my dogs in a million years. Oversized eyelid openings, distchiasis, ectopic cillia, blocked or "lazy" tear ducts, entropion, punctal atresia... theses are all causes of tear over-flow. Don't try to mask the stain - do something about the cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcq Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 I took her to the vet yesterday for her final puppy needle and to look at her eye... he can see nothing at all wrong with it. He agreed though that I won't be able to show her with the tear staining so he gave me some anti-bacterial viscous drops to put in her eyes twice a day to see if it helps and advised me to keep using the stain remover... he actually asked what everyone on here advised me LOL I think he was stumped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tivins Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 hi mcg, i followed the advice i got from this link. http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/conjunctivitis.html ACV (apple cider vinegar, organic from health shop), it works on Bourbon, who had bad tear stains n constant weepy/teary eyes.. at the same time, i also use Rudduck's tear stain remover.. hope it helps.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 What do you feed her? A holistic vet I've seen suggested that tear staining is often an indicator of issues in the head or neck. Given your pup's age, and the clean bill of health on her eye, the beginning of teething may be the cause and it may clear up once she has her adult teeth. Has she been under any unusual stress - that also impacts on the immune system. I would be very wary about managing this condition in the longer term with anti-biotics - it's the fastest way I know of to build anti biotic resistance. Check her food for colourings and preservatitives and eliminate those. If she does not already have access to raw meaty bones like chicken wings, I suggest they be added to her diet. In the meantime, the Kojo eye treatment availabe from Petnetwork DOES work. Many of the topical treatments don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcq Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 She gets chicken wings, greenies and fed advance puppy food. She's not a big eater - more of a grazer but those are the only foods she has access to now. I've only had her 2 and a half weeks and the lady I got her off was feeding her cooked chicken and I think just a generic dry food. She's had the tear stains since before I got her. It could be diet if she's going through a clean out now that I have her on better food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Yep, a better diet may produce results. So may her settling in with you. I'd rrecommend you cease feeding Greenies by the way - they aren't all that good for dogs and if she's getting chicken wings, she doesn't need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcq Posted October 17, 2009 Author Share Posted October 17, 2009 Yeah... she's not all that big an eater and sometimes she only wants a greenie... other times, just a wing, other times her kibble... fussy bloody thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Yeah... she's not all that big an eater and sometimes she only wants a greenie... other times, just a wing, other times her kibble... fussy bloody thing! Don't LET her be fussy! Dogs don't eat to live, they live to eat. A fussy dog is the result of an owner who has given in. If she won't eat what you put down, when you put it down....take the food away and do not offer anything else until next meal. As for the eye staining...did the vet do any testing other than just looking at the eyes? Did they use an opthalmoscope or do anything to specifically address the question or did they just take a cursory glance at it. Eyes don't just weep. Think about it. If your eyes were teary all the time and making your face wet, wouldn't you think it strange? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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