Dog thread: Need help with tear stains!
 

Violet used to never get tear stains ever, so I'm going bonkers trying to figure out why she is now and what I can do to help prevent them.

I've tried all of the "cleaners" found at pet stores with no luck.

Any advice?

Maybe this will help:

http://www.petgroomer.com/grooming10...ns-revised.htm

texas*princess, there's a product called Angel Eyes that's supposed to be good for the tear stains - assuming that it's not genetic or diet related. I haven't been able to find it (yet) but I do know that it's important to keep the staining to a minimum. It could be an eye infection. I use just plain water to loosen the night stains, then an over the counter "whitener" for tear stains afterwards.

I haven't used this, but it comes highly recommended: All Systems Super Whitening Gel 8 oz



www.petedge.com has a LOT of the same items as the pricier sites, but is much less expensive.

Please stop making your dog cry. :(

:D :D

I assume you have a maltese, right?

My parent's maltese breeder (they have two malteses, besides the one they put down last month because he was old, blind, deaf and three-legged) said that basically tear stains are genetic, and there's nothing that can really be done about them, besides the aforementioned products that attempt to clean them.

I have a buff cocker spaniel puppy (just turned six months old). I've found that the products I have used help some, but not really. I'm afraid of using a bleaching solution on her though....

I concur!!!!

I didn't know that cockers got tear stains. Hmm. Learn something new...

Cockers, poodles, most toy breeds....

The Super Whitening Gel that I mentioned above is suitable for humans, so I doubt very much that it would hurt a dog. Dogs don't cry the same way humans cry, it's more of a tearing to keep their eyes cleaned. My brother raises Dobermans, and some of them have a tearing problem, too - it's just easier to see on the little dogs with a lot of white in their cute little faces.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!!

Have any of you found the "eye drops" that are supposed to flush out the eyes work to prevent them?

I thought about getting a bottle at PetSmart to try it out, but I can hardly keep her still enough to clean out her ears. I don't think she will sit still and watch a few drops being aimed at her eyes :P