Removeing tear stains

[kowwgurl]

Merlin is done loosing teeth now but when he was "teething" his eyes got runny and now he has stains any ideas on how to remove them? He has dry eye but I need the staining gone for show they are not as dark anymore but they are still there

[Cearbhaill]

In this thread
http://www.prodoggroomingsupplies.co...ad.php?t=35952

I wrote:
I think tear stains are a multi-faceted problem, and not a one remedy fits all situation.
First, have the ducts checked and make sure they drain instead of spill over. Keep hair out of the eyes. Don't let them hang their heads out of car windows. Keep floors dust free, and so on.

The pH of the dogs body has always been suspect to me- what with all the commercial foods used I would think they become much too acid just like humans. I collected data on tear pH in my grooming client dogs for years but never did anything with it. The ones with the worst staining did have lower pH's, though, which I found interesting.

If the staining is a result of food additives/preservatives (dyes, beet pulp, whatever) then eliminating them is the answer. This is trial and error but a lot of people have had success just by controlling the diet a bit better.

Unfortunately once the area remains moist for any length of time bacterial and yeast infections take hold and that is where it gets complicated. The red crusty type stain is usually red yeast and Eye Envy works really well for that. I never found clipping out hair to be as crucial in this type stain.

Bacterial stains IME usually do not crust as easily and the exudate is more yellow to green. Usually clipping these out very closely and using an antibacterial salve can control the infection, but it will continue to lurk and be ready to flare up again if you get slack about care.

I have also seen many dogs with crusty cream/yellow eye stains, and this type gets very thick and is impossible to clip out. I babysat a client dog with this type eye stain and I tried Panalog on it daily and it went away and never returned.

I did work for a handler who bleached out eye stains. This requires a steady hand and a cooperative dog, but is effective. The problem is that the bleaching renders the hair shaft quite porous and so it stains again much more easily and is a never ending cycle.

And last but not least- eye staining definitely has a genetic component so careful shopping in the first place is always suggested.

So I do not think there is any sort of magic bullet for dealing with stains. You try everything and hopefully something works. If you are lucky you figure it out and if not you keep trying. But there in't much that can't be helped by diligent daily cleaning with a slightly soapy toothbrush or flea comb or even a rough washcloth. The key is daily.

I would also suggest checking with your breeder and finding out what works best on your breed.

[kowwgurl]

Thanks for that info but that's not my problem my dogs have dry eye the tearing was from teething

Clipping the hair is not an option also bleaching the hair is not an option my dogs are not white

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

I use Eye Envy and have had really good results with it. You need to use it everyday for a while, then as needed, if the problem is chronic.

Also, you need to liquid for cleaning and the powder for eliminating the stains. The usually sell a starter kit. EyeEnvy.com

[kowwgurl]

Thank you deb