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The Secret to Getting Rid of Tear Stains for Good What are Canine Tear Stains? Lassie’s beautiful face is marred by weeping lines from her eyes. She looks like she has lost her best friend. Tear stains are reddish-brown streaks under your pet’s eyes. They make him look like he is weeping or he has an eye infection or allergies. What Causes Tear Stains? Actually tear stains are seldom the result of sadness, allergies or even an eye infection. There are a number of causes: 1. Irritants to the eye Just as the human eye is affected by harsh light, dust, pollen, particles blowing in the air, so too your dog’s eyes can become irritated by any or all of these things. 2. Improperly draining tear ducts The tear duct is the eyes natural drainage system. When tear ducts are working properly it is their job to drain the tears from the eye. With these tears dust particles, eyelashes, or pollution is flushed out of the eye. Excessive tearing may indicate that the tear duct is partly or completely blocked. If the tears cannot drain properly, the eye or eyes may become irritated, leading to chronic tearing and hence tear stains. 3. Glaucoma Glaucoma might irritate the eye causing it to tear. 4. Styes or other eyelid problems Just like humans, dogs can get styes, eyelid inflammations or ingrown eyelashes that will cause continuous tearing. 5. Sensitivity to light Dog’s eyes—particularly if they are light blue—can be more sensitive to light which may cause tearing. Cataracts can also cause eyes to be sensitive to light. 6. Shallow eye sockets If your dog’s eye sockets aren’t large or deep enough, tears may spill onto his fur. 7. Eyelids turned inward Normally eyelids roll outward. However if eyelids roll inward toward the eyeball, the puncta (the drainage holes for tears) can get blocked. 8. Excessive hair growth around the eye. If your dog is a breed (like an old English sheep dog or a schnauzer for instance) where Hair grows too close to the eye; all that hair can carry tears out of the eye and onto the face. 9. Blocked puncta If your dog has experienced eye infections or eye damage scar tissue may have formed. It can blocks the puncta or drainage passages for tears. 10. An eye infection If your dog has yellow or greenish goopy stuff around his eye or eyes, take him to the vet. Chances are this is an eye infection! 11. Environmental Change If there have been changes in your dog’s environment like a new brand of dog food or a new antibiotic or a new home, chances are your dog’s tearing is the result of a new condition in his environment. 12. Bacteria Just as humans can get eye irritations or infections so too dogs can get a bacterial infection. 13. Teething Teething can cause pressure on your puppy’s tear ducts. Tears overflow onto his cheeks. This will remedy itself when he is done teething. In the meantime, an icy dog toy would be appreciated. 14. Parasites Fleas suck moisture from your dog's tears. They cause irritation with their feces. Ear mites, another common parasite, infest your dog's ears and can cause infection. This can lead to excessive tearing. 15. Genetics Some dogs are naturally more inclined to teariness than others. These breeds include: Akita, American Bulldog, American Eskimo Dog, Bichon Frise, Brussels Griffon, Cairn Terrier, Chihuahua, Chinese Crested, Cocker Spaniel, Corgi, Dachshund, English Toy Spaniel, French Bulldog, Golden Retriever, Havanese, Japanese Chin, King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, Lhasa Apso, Lion Dog, Maltese, Maltipoos, Miniature Schnauzer, Papillion, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Saint Bernard, Sharpei, Shih Tzu and West Highland White Terrier. Quite a list to avoid if tear stains offend you! 16. Ill Health Your dog's tear stains may be merely a symptom of a health problem or inattention to hygiene. How Can You Get Rid of Tear Stains? If the problem is with the tear duct system, the best course of action is to seea canine eye specialist right away. This is not something your veterinarian is trained to deal with just as your GP is not equipped to deal with special eye problems in humans. If the problem is glaucoma or cataracts or styes or light sensitivity, an ophthalmologist can detect these conditions. Ophthalmologists know more about eyes. They can detect, or rule out, conditions immediately. Certain breeds are naturally predisposed to tearing. It’s just “the nature of the beast”. See Genetics above for a comprehensive list. In this case, the veterinarian will suggest you keep your puppy’s eyes clean—sort of liked wiping a child’s perpetual drool of runny nose. Indeed, the tools are similar! If the issue is long hair around the eyes, trim around his eyes to keep your puppy from having soggy eye hair that could stimulates a yeast infection. Think about your dog’s diet. His dog food may contain additives to which he is allergic. If you’ve changed his dog food recently, that may be an indication you need to change back, read the labels and/or consult your veterinarian. Sometimes the best answer is to take away that food, find one that agrees with him. This may mean a dog food that is as natural as possible and contains as few ingredients as possible. When he tolerates that food for two or three months without tears, you know he was allergic to something in his other food. Gradually introduce ingredients one at a time. This is a long and frustrating process but it is worth it to find a diet which eliminates Rover’s doggy tear stains. Food allergies are quite common.Ten percent of dogs have food allergies. Others have food intolerances. Most dogs with allergies are allergic to more than one ingredient. Common allergens include beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb, soy, pork, rabbit, and fish. One you know what Fifi is allergic to; become a master at reading labels. Avoid food items that start to make Buddy look sad again! You might also start creating your own dog food. Then you know exactly what is in it. You will be assured there are no additives and that the ingredients are free of pesticides and other chemicals. If Rover’s water dish has water high in minerals, you might try switching to filtered or bottled water. If tearing started when dog food was changed or a new bed was introduced, a new pet arrived, or you moved, this could be the root of the tearing. Become a clever detective at tracking down what caused the tear stains and eliminate the cause if possible. Products are available at pet stores, pharmacies, online pet supply stores, or natural food and remedy stores. You may wish to explore these alternatives like eye drops. Home Remedies for tear stains My grandmother used to say, “Soap and warm water go a long way to curing ills.” She was right. Keeping your dog’s eye area clipped, clean and dry avoids yeast infections and bacteria. Use warm, soapy water with no tear baby shampoo or doggie shampoo. Gently wipe the eye area with a soft damp cloth and pat dry. Your pooch will look and feel better! Baby wipes are also a good in-between eye bath solution. A variation on Grandma’s soap and water is boric acid solution. It makes a safe and effective eye wash. The pharmacy sells boric acid powder—often used in human eye washes. Use ¼ teaspoon of boric acid powder dissolved in ½ cup of boiling water. Cool to room temperature before using to wash out Lassie’s eyes two or three times a day with a cotton ball dipped in the solution. Throw out cotton balls each time to prevent infection. If your dog is teething this may be the cause for tears. Offer him a frozen flexible teething toy safe for dogs. You might also try a teething product like “Tear Stain Away”, “Eye Envy”, or “Angel Eyes”. Become a master of reading dog food labels. Avoid dog foods with beet root, sweeteners, gluten, wheat or any other grain fillers. Your dog may have allergies or intolerances to these items. When you find a food that doesn’t cause tearing, stick with it! The problem may be with Rover’s food and water dishes. Metals can leach into the food or water and add to his tear stains. Use only plastic or stainless steel dishes. The problem could be parasites. Make sure your dog is on a good flea protection program. Strangely the tears could be the result of an ear infection or ear mites. Learn how to clean Rover’s ears the same way you’d clean baby’s ears with a gentle swab and baby wipes. If it is an ear infection you may notice Rover scratching at his ear. He may be shaking his head or tilting it. His ear may look red or swollen and he may be irritable. If you try to look in his ear, he may avoid you. Watch for discharge from the ear. If the problem seems to be an ear infection, get Rover to the veterinarian immediately. He may need antibiotics. If you have a show dog and he’s weeping, desperate times require desperate measures. You may have to get out some makeup and blot those tear stains—at least until after the show. Just don’t get any makeup in Fifi’s eyes. Sometimes a change in your dog’s diet just isn’t enough. You might try boosting Buddy’s immune system. Talk to your vet about this. A good diet is the best first step but your best friend might benefit from supplements like: • Neem oil boosts the production of the immune system. • Vitamin C is antiviral and antibiotic. • Omega fatty acids aid in your dog's digestion and are good for his hair, skin, eyes, and internal organs. • Zinc supplements boost the immune system by increasing white cell production and increase healing. • Making your best friend’s environment—particularly food and water—less acidic is a good strategy. To do this use distilled water instead of tap water for Lassie to drink and to wipe her eyes. You can also fight acid in water by adding 1/2 tablet of Tums once a day to water. This will make Lassie’s tears less acidic and more alkaline. That will eliminate then rusty red color of the stains. You can also add 1/2 cap of apple cider vinegar in Lassie’s drinking water to make it less acidic. Never start supplements without discussing it with your dog’s vet! Be wary of using any home remedy unless the vet says it is harmless. One suggested remedy is Teramyacin another is hydrogen peroxide. Veterinarians and professional groomers warn against these compounds unless you have been instructed to do so by your dog's veterinarian. Teramyacin is an antibiotic. It should be used exactly as the package instructions state and only if medically recommended. Antibiotics such as Teramyacin are only a temporary, solution and only if the cause is an infection. Treating the staining—except in unusual situations like dog shows and pet portraits—is going after the effect. Tear staining is caused by excessive tearing. You need to work with your vet to discover what cases Lassie’s excessive tearing. Otherwise the problem will always persist. Conclusions Causes of excessive tearing may well be many and varied. These could include: genetics, health, diet, fleas, bacterial infection, and ear infections, cutting teeth, environmental irritations, and high mineral content in the dog's drinking water, or blocked tear ducts. It is important to work with your dog's vet to determine the cause(s) of the excessive tearing. Once you have discovered probable causes, you can start to devisea plan for getting to the root of the problem. Until then, keep the eye area wiped clean daily. Consider having your dog's groomer shave the area so as to prevent excessive red yeast bacteria build-up which will only make the problem worse. Try to be as patient and understanding as you can. Rover didn’t ask for those tear stains and probably feels as badly about them as you do! http://www.amazon.com/Betta-Bridges-Pets-Dogs-More-Effective/dp/B00HQOBA5C/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1417742435&sr=1-1&keywords=betta+bridges+pets

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