[daabor]

Sammy had very minimal tear stains when I brought him home. They have gotten SO bad in the 1 1/2 years he has lived here. He is a very white toy poodle. He frequently uses his right paw/arm to rub his eyes - so I'm thinking maybe a eye specialist? My generic vet says his eyes/lashes etc. are fine.

Sammy is in a situation where he lives with another dog now and I noticed rough play increases his eye discharge. I am also going to work now, so he is confined to a room ( for his safety ) and when I return, he gets SO overly excited, which increases the fluid from his eyes.

I wash his face at least 2 times a day. It does help. I will not put him on meds for a cosmetic isuue, but I'd really like for these stains to go away.

Both his vet and his groomer basically told me that I have a white toy poodle and there is nothing that can be done, because he is a white toy poodle, so I have to live with it. i'm fine with "living with it", but would prefer not to.

If you have any tips/tricks that are safe, I'd love to hear them.

 

[kontiki]

Interesting. I have a white/cream standard. When I feed him a raw diet, mostly organic, I have no problem with staining. Unless it is cheap meat from a local store that must put an additive in the meat to make it look redder. (The butcher there refuses to answer my calls.)

If I feed him kibble, there is staining. Some brands are worse than others. I think some of them must put an additive that makes them browner. I recently fed him hugely expensive Wellness Core. Not only his eyes, but his mouth and rear end were stained! But that has happened with other treats and cheaper foods also.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I was warned by my vet not to wash Gracie's eyes frequently, as it could cause irritation or even yeast infections, and actually make the tear stains worse (in addition to causing physical discomfort).

Is Sammy's face kept short? I found that helped. Then a gentle weekly wipe with warm water sufficed.

It's also worth giving his diet a tune-up if you haven't recently done so, especially if he shows any signs of allergies (GI upset, frequent biting, nibbling, or scratching, etc.). Taking a close look at the products you use around him could also be beneficial. Fragrance especially is a common irritant in modern homes.

 

[fjm]

Clean and dry and no irritants worked for Sophy, but hers were mainly caused by teething I think. I did bathe them, but took care to dry the area thoroughly afterwards. She has mild allergies to pollen, and I am aware that her eyes are a bit watery after summer walks, but not enough to cause staining these days. I would start by looking at his environment, as PtP says, then food if that does not make a difference. Meanwhile keeping the hair short and a daily wipe with a warm damp cloth and thorough drying may help. No soap or shampoo, just warm water.

 

[Dechi]

It could be the water, the food, or allergies. Start with one and eliminate until you find the cause. Sometimes we never do.

 

[twyla]

Keeping the face clean and dry, clipping facial hair short does wonders. My Pia has distichiasis or inward growing lashes , food intolerances and environmental allergies so I have to work hard to keep her face clean or tidy. All my poodles get their faces trimmed weekly if I go two weeks the staining is there.
Small dogs have shallow eye sockets, so their tear ducts tend to have blockages.

 

[Dogs4Life]

My Jasper has had bad tear stains all of his life, and I just learned to accept this. Definitely make sure to keep a clean face on Sammy as had already been mentioned (my Jasper always fought me on this). Also make sure to keep Sammy's food and water dishes clean.

 

[Mufar42]

Renn has one eye that runs and stains. I wash the fur where it is stained and use baby shampoo , usually I use a soft toothbrush in the area, or a flea comb to gently comb the area as it will get out any discharge that is unnoticeable in the fur. It helps the stain go away and I will clip any leftover stained fur off. Look each morning for small eyeboogers and get them off the fur. I have noticed since I am grooming him myself now there is much less eye staining or runny eye. Also Angel Eyes makes a chewable treat that may be helpful.

 

[lily cd re]

Excessive ear wax production and tears that leave stains can both be signs of food intolerances. After doing NutriScan analyssis on our dogs and switching them to limited ingredient home cooked food I noticed improvement in both f those issues within a matter of days.

Everyday at home grooming maintenance like twyla and Mufar suggested help a lot too.

 

[Newport]

You probably already know this, but once the hair is stained it is stained. You can cut it off but you can't humanely make it white again. With one exception, I guess. Bio-Groom makes a tear stain cover up called Under Eye Stain Coverup cream. It is basically makeup for your dog, and it comes with a tiny comb to blend it in, available on Amazon and pet stores. This doesn't solve the root problem of course.

Everyone else has given great options for discovering real solutions.

 

[daabor]

Thank you all for your replies.

Maybe I wash his face too often ( 2 X daily ) and do not dry enough. I do keep his muzzle trimmed short and use a small trimmer around the eye area between groomings

All his bowls are stainless steel and I give him purified water. The other dogs do drink from his bowl. I have noticed that when multiple dog's drink from the same bowl a film developes.

Sammy is around cigerrette smoke alot and I'm wondering if this is causing him some issues. He also appears to be allergic to being outside, especially when the grass is freshly cut. I'm at the point that I don't care. His eyes do get crusty and the fur right under his eyes is crusty every night if I don't wash it off.

I have heard of Angel Eyes, but am hesistant to put my dog on medication for something that is purely cosmetic. I may just go for the suggested cover-up ( ha-ha- make - up for dogs ). It's been so long since I've put make-up on me, I'm not sure I remember how to do that!

 

[Dechi]

Sammy is around cigerrette smoke alot and I'm wondering if this is causing him some issues.

Cigarette smoke can lead to a a whole range of problems, both for dogs and humans. I would really fix this as soon as possible and give him a clean air environment.

I have heard of Angel Eyes, but am hesistant to put my dog on medication for something that is purely cosmetic.

Angel eyes used to have Tylosin in it (antibiotic) and that’s what fixed the problem. It is now illegal so Angel eyes had to remove it from it’s product. As a result, it no longer works.

You haven't said anything about food. It’s something that can be easily changed and might make a real difference. When I changed foods, Merlin (who was treated with micro doses of the old Angel eyes) had no tear stains at all. Then he started having some but lately I’ve been trying different food for allergy problems and the stains seem to be fading.

 

[For Want of Poodle]

I have had success using diamond eyes for removing tear stains. Doesn't solve the issues causing them, but doees make them look nicer. Also using a small flea comb to remove deposits from longer facial hair helps.

 

[Newport]

Since the issues of smoking has come up, let me recommend an air purifier. It’s not as good as smoking cessation but would lower the level of pollutants in your home. Even if all smoking is done outside, nicotine gets on your hands and clothing and is carried inside.
I am not a smoker, but I do have allergies. I use a Blueair air purifier. My mother uses an air purifier she got at Costco (unsure of the brand). It is amazing how much dirt the filters pick up, and HEPA filters also filter bacteria and viruses. I can’t say for sure that an air purifier will help with tear stains.

edited to add that it is recommended that smokers wash their hands before picking up a newborn human, so you might consider a similar approach with your little dog.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

All his bowls are stainless steel and I give him purified water. The other dogs do drink from his bowl. I have noticed that when multiple dog's drink from the same bowl a film developes.

That slime is caused by bacteria. More dogs means it builds up even faster.

I hope you're giving Sammy's bowl a good scrub every day, but if not, time to start.

 

[For Want of Poodle]

That slime is caused by bacteria. More dogs means it builds up even faster.

I hope you're giving Sammy's bowl a good scrub every day, but if not, time to start.

Speaking of bowl washing... Pro tip i discovered today . We have awful hard water and dog bowls get coated in rough mineral deposit. I was at the "i am going to have to throw these out" stage. Then i decided to put a goodly glug of vinegar in the water filled bowls while i cleaned them, let it sit for a few min, and it wiped right out . We use vinegar for everything else, why didn't i think of the dog bowls before now?! I know we have thrown out a bowl because it was too minerally... Dumb human!!!

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Speaking of bowl washing... Pro tip i discovered today . We have awful hard water and dog bowls get coated in rough mineral deposit. I was at the "i am going to have to throw these out" stage. Then i decided to put a goodly glug of vinegar in the water filled bowls while i cleaned them, let it sit for a few min, and it wiped right out . We use vinegar for everything else, why didn't i think of the dog bowls before now?! I know we have thrown out a bowl because it was too minerally... Dumb human!!!

We've got some stubborn water, too. It's done a number on our dishwasher! Good call on the vinegar.

 

[daabor]

The majority of Sammy's food is home - made. Boneless/skinless boiled chicken breast ( about 70 % ), spinach, zucchini, carrots, brown rice, sometimes edamame, tofu .. he does get some kibble, but not much. I've switched between blue buffolo, wellness complete and generic pedigree (which he likes the most) and others. Diet doesn't seem to matter. Activity level does seem to correlate with increased staining. If he is outside and running around after the grass has been cut, his stains are horrible. If he plays roughly with the very mouthy dog that is living with us ( other dog's saliva get on Sammy's face ) the staining is horrible. If I leave the house unexpectedly and he is distressed because of it, the staining is horrible.

I don't want to over-wash, but really, at the end of each day, he has crusty fur under his eyes. I can't just leave the crustiness.

I will try all the suggestions, but really think I have tried them all, ommitting the medications. I'm also thinking I should insist on all smoking being done outdoors ( afraid family members may not be okay w/ that ). I think Sammy's tear stains have gotten worse since there has been an increase in smoking ( vaping) in the house.

Or, I just live with the stains. It doesn't bother him. It doesn't bother anyone else. It just bothers me.

Thanks all for your replies. You make me feel less lonely.

 

[daabor]

BTW, we have an air purifier and HEPA filters in the house. I do worry about the long term affects of cigerrette smoke and vaping around him. I know if he ever develops tumors or cancer, I will think it is because of these issues.

 

[Dechi]

BTW, we have an air purifier and HEPA filters in the house. I do worry about the long term affects of cigerrette smoke and vaping around him. I know if he ever develops tumors or cancer, I will think it is because of these issues.

What about you or other family members getting cancer, or emphysema ? I would definitely enforce a « no smoking in the house » rule.

Also, if the house is yours (maybe this will help convince your family to smoke outside), it is very hard to sell a house that smells like cigarette smoke. When I bought my house a few years ago, there was this house I really liked, but oh my, the cigarette smell made me turn around as soon as I set foot inside. Only a smoker who smokes inside the house will buy such a property, and there are less and less of those...