# What is that brownish color around the eyes?



## Pushkin (Sep 28, 2005)

Hello everyone - this is my first posting! I have been reading and learning a ton on this forum as my husband and I are READY for a little maltese pup. 

Today I have visited a breeder here in Florida, and saw a little 4lbs little girl - she was 7 months old, and the breeder decided she was not able to show her...thus she was willing to place her to a pet home. 
Well - what I am concerned about was this brownish color around the puppie's eyes and mouth. The breeder said it was due to teething, and that when shampooed/bleeched...it would turn pure white. Is this the TRUTH? I really would like to buy a pure white doggie...and since I am still learning...this was a bit confusing to me.
Can anyone answer this question for me?


----------



## AJ (Jun 5, 2005)

Well, the brown is probably staining around her mouth, and tear stains around her eyes/face. It is usually not the truth, tear stans do not come out easily, in most cases, especially not in one bath. You have to use special products to get the tear stains out, and this can sometimes be a pain. If you work on them, the tear stains may come out, based on the case. Tear stains are very common in malts, most do have them. Teething is a cause, there are many causes though. Good luck!

Anyways, welcome!









P.S. Is it a dark brown color, or just light, off white?


----------



## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Hi, "tear stains" are a common topic among Malt owner.... we're always looking for ways to keep our babies white! There are a ton of posts on SM about them. Go to the Search section which can be seen at the topnav, under the banner ads. Key "tear stains" in to the search box and you will see lots of info!! I certainly wouldn't let some tear stains stop me from getting a puppy, if everything else was A-OK. Good luck and keep us posted!


----------



## miko's mommy (Feb 8, 2005)

K/C's mom, I am sure you meant to say "wouldn't", right?

I am not an expert at all on puppies. I don't think Miko had tearstaining or other staining when we got him at 12 weeks but since we got him from a much less than desirable breeder, I wouldn't go that route again. I don't think he had much staining at 6-7 months either, but I honestly can't remember. I think you can bleach the hair when the puppy is done teething and have a purely white dog. More importantly, does the breeder give a health gurantee? Does the breeder do testing on adults/puppies for liver disease and possibly joints (knees)?


----------



## Pushkin (Sep 28, 2005)

> _Originally posted by AJ_@Oct 11 2005, 09:55 PM
> *Well, the brown is probably staining around her mouth, and tear stains around her eyes/face.  It is usually not the truth, tear stans do not come out easily, in most cases, especially not in one bath.  You have to use special products to get the tear stains out, and this can sometimes be a pain.  If you work on them, the tear stains may come out, based on the case.  Tear stains are very common in malts, most do have them.  Teething is a cause, there are many causes though.  Good luck!
> 
> Anyways, welcome!
> ...


[/QUOTE]


Thanks so much for responding so fast! The stains were not just off white - ther were a few shades, the darkest being around the eyes, which was dark brownish. Then also around the mouth, which was lighter brown - but not just off white.
How long is the process of getting these stains out I wonder?


----------



## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

Hello and welcome to the forum. Yes, the brownish stains around the eyes are tearstains, and the mouth stain is caused from an enzyme in the salva. The puppies get their adult teeth from about 3--4 months onward to 6--7 months. So the staining you are seeing is most likely from the teething. However, some doggie's constantly stain throughout their years. Maltese owners are always looking for new and better ways of combating the tear staining issue. If in fact this baby is not genetically proned to constant staing the tear staining that you are currently seeing will grow out. If you feel that this person is a good breeder and not just a back yard breeder looking to sell a puppy then I would not let the staining keep me from obtaining this little girl. Did the breeder have the POP (parents on premises)? Did she have other dogs from the parents of this little girl? Were her dogs well taken care of? Did she offer references? Did she offer a health certificate? Vet Information?


----------



## charmypoo (Sep 11, 2004)

Tear staining is very very common in the Maltese breed. All my Maltese tear stain to different degrees. I work hard to keep their faces white. I know there are some Maltese that don't stain but I have never met one in my life yet and I have seen a lot of Maltese. A large majority of the maltese you see in the ring ... takes a lot of work to keep their hair so white.


----------



## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Here's a good article from Bhe Jei Maltese about tear staining:

http://bhejei.com/tearsta.htm

I'm not so sure there is such a thing as a the pure white doggie you describe! The degree of staining depends a lot on genetics (another reason to get your puppy from a good breeder), but even with great genes, preventing (or at least keeping it under control) tear staining requires daily work. 

The staining around the mouth can even be from minerals in the water. I have a wonderful ceramic "water hole" bowl that keeps the beard dry that I use in the winter when I let Lady's coat get a bit longer.

As you get to know those of here at SM, you will see pictures of our Maltese and realize that most of them don't have perfectly white faces. You will also read many, many posts about tips for staining, daily care, etc. It is just part of having a Maltese!


----------



## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

> _Originally posted by okw_@Oct 11 2005, 10:33 PM
> *K/C's mom, I am sure you meant to say "wouldn't", right?
> 
> I am not an expert at all on puppies.  I don't think Miko had tearstaining or other staining when we got him at 12 weeks but since we got him from a much less than desirable breeder, I wouldn't go that route again.  I don't think he had much staining at 6-7 months either, but I honestly can't remember.  I think you can bleach the hair when the puppy is done teething and have a purely white dog.  More importantly, does the breeder give a health gurantee?  Does the breeder do testing on adults/puppies for liver disease and possibly joints (knees)?
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=108654*


[/QUOTE]

Ooops... typo... yep... I meant "wouldn't"... I fixed it.. thanks for the heads up!!!


----------



## adorableaccentsdogbows (Aug 9, 2004)

How old is the puppy. The stains around the mouth can also be caused by not having or eating enough food.


----------



## Pushkin (Sep 28, 2005)

> _Originally posted by adorableaccentsdogbows.com_@Oct 12 2005, 11:21 AM
> *How old is the puppy. The stains around the mouth can also be caused by not having or eating enough food.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=108789*


[/QUOTE]

The puppy is 7 months old.


----------



## adorableaccentsdogbows (Aug 9, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Pushkin+Oct 12 2005, 10:32 AM-->
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The puppy is 7 months old.
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=108796
[/B][/QUOTE]
Oh then thats probably not the case. It would definately take a lot of work to lesson the staining. For some people the staining isn't an issue. But there's always an underlying cause. You should never settle if there's any doubt in your mind. Good luck


----------



## Pushkin (Sep 28, 2005)

> _Originally posted by LadysMom_@Oct 12 2005, 09:30 AM
> *Here's a good article from Bhe Jei Maltese about tear staining:
> 
> http://bhejei.com/tearsta.htm
> ...


[/QUOTE]


Thank you so much for recommending the article. I have learned so much from it, and it now makes much more sense why I see maltese with little brownish color around their mouths or eyes.


----------



## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

You are most welcome! The Bhe Jei site is a good one to bookmark. There is tons of information there, especially for someone just starting to learn about the breed.


----------



## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

First, welcome to the site...we have been dealing with tear staining a lot lately. Personally, I was my pup's face every day with a baby wash cloth and warm water. I then use Fresh Eyes eye wash to rinse her eyes and finish up with a spritz of Infusium 23 on a cotton ball wiped around her muzzle. This routine has really cut back on the amount of staining she shows. I think the key is to keep the area clean, and to keep the little hairs from the eyes. We also use filtered water. But if you look carefully, even at the show dogs, you will see tear staining. Creative combing/grooming can disguise a number of imperfections. One good question to ask the breeder would be about retained baby teeth. Often times these teeth that haven't fallen out (possibly creating 2 rows of teeth) are the cause of excessive tearing and staining. Another might be an ear infection. I would definitely ask about these concerns. Keep us posted on what you decide.


----------



## AJ (Jun 5, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Pushkin+Oct 11 2005, 10:34 PM-->
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks so much for responding so fast! The stains were not just off white - ther were a few shades, the darkest being around the eyes, which was dark brownish. Then also around the mouth, which was lighter brown - but not just off white.
How long is the process of getting these stains out I wonder?
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=108655
[/B][/QUOTE]

It definitely varies, but with darker stains it would probably take longer. My pup had some tear stains at the beginning but they were light, and were easy to handle. They were gone within a week. I know some malts who are still staining. You could also clip the area with staining so you could start brand new. Hope everything works out well!


----------

