# Please help



## Isobel (Aug 7, 2012)

My new baby has tear stains so today I have bought and tried spa lavish.how long does it take to improve the stains please? Also what should I buy next?


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

How old is your baby? Tear stains can be caused by teething. I've had a few that had to have their tear ducts opened up, by the vet. People recommend using bottled water and a stainless steel or glass bowl.


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## LoveLucy (Mar 18, 2012)

In my experience Spa Lavish is a nice facial wash, but it doesn't help to remove tear stains. I don't think ANYTHING actually cleans the stains off of the fur once they are there. You have to try to stop the eyes from tearing so much and then the stains gradually fade/get cut away. Of course my experience includes the fact that I've been fighting tear stains on Lucy for months with very little success. I wash her face frequently with Spa Lavish, I rinse her eyes and wipe around them with saline solution daily and the best I can do is sort of keep them from getting worse. I will, as usual, be watching the thread faithfully to see if anybody has any new tricks. I would love to get rid of them but I'm not ready to try Angel Eyes. Especially now that my vet has told me that he doesn't think tear stains are a "valid" reason to use antibiotics.  But I have to say that every time I see a malt with nice white fur around her eyes, I get kind of jealous. lol


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

Welcome to SM. Both posts above are correct. How old is you furbaby? Teething is a primary reason for this in malts. A vet can better recommend if your baby is not teething for what else you can do. Hope this helps.


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## luckylacy (Aug 7, 2012)

So if my babies eat out of ceramic bowls, could that contribute to the stains?? Goodness, im wore out trying to figure out all the "do's and dont's" for my new little ones!!!!


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## lmillette (Apr 23, 2012)

luckylacy said:


> So if my babies eat out of ceramic bowls, could that contribute to the stains?? Goodness, im wore out trying to figure out all the "do's and dont's" for my new little ones!!!!


No, ceramic bowls are fine. It's really plastic bowls that are the issue.


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## lmillette (Apr 23, 2012)

As others have said, if your baby is still a puppy then teething plays a role in tear stains. Most Maltese owners struggle with tear stains. Below is an article I recently read on tear staining with some tips in it. You can also use the "search" function on top of the website in the black bar and search "tear stains" and will bring up all the threads on the issue.

Tear Stains on Dogs: Tips for Clearing Up the Streaks | Dogster

It's important to keep the eye area dry and some people try to keep the hair around the eyes short so they aren't poking the eye causing watering/tearing.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Personally I don't believe plastic bowls cause tear stains. I have always used them (food only, not water) & some of my dogs have stains/& some never did. Lisi was born w/tear stains. It is in her early on baby pix. I think her mom cleaned her religiously & that might be why she first had them. Then came teeth, then they disappeared & this summer reappeared when she started vomiting.

I do think some water may contribute to the worsening of stains. I have 2 dogs & they eat the same food, drink the same water, are half-brother & sister so almost same genetics yada, yada, yada. One has stains & the other doesn't. I do think Lisi's small mouth *contributes* to her stains as her teeth are very crowded. I don't think it "causes" stains.

It would make a great Ph.D. dissertation to figure out empirically what the cause is, but I don't think it will happen! Let me know if you are successful. I hope you will be!


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## Tija (Dec 26, 2011)

I use white clay(clay powder&water) near the eyes, clay absorb tears and doesn't let them go to hair. Only you need to put and put clay all the time if many tears several times a day but it really work! Brown hair you can paint with natural hair colour and keep white face with clay. I noticed my girl tearing only in the garden or when she is not at home I think because of dust or wind also could be because of water I will try water from shop I heard it help some dogs.


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## Isobel (Aug 7, 2012)

Thanks for all of the replies, she is nearly four months old and she eats and drinks from shallow stainless steel puppy dishes.i am feeding her royal canin at the moment but she is definately teething as she will have a sneaky chew on anything she can find!
We have decided to call her Lola and I will post some pics as soon as I work out how to upload them from iPhone or iPad.


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## lmillette (Apr 23, 2012)

Isobel said:


> Thanks for all of the replies, she is nearly four months old and she eats and drinks from shallow stainless steel puppy dishes.i am feeding her royal canin at the moment but she is definately teething as she will have a sneaky chew on anything she can find!
> We have decided to call her Lola and I will post some pics as soon as I work out how to upload them from iPhone or iPad.


 
Here is the thread on how to post pictures from the App. Hope this helps!

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/77-...l-about-sms-mobile-app-picture-tutorials.html


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Lola, welcome! Can't wait to see your face!


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## luckylacy (Aug 7, 2012)

Where do u buy the Spa Lavish at? I think ill try that next.


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