# Tear staining



## Melitx (Apr 25, 2014)

I feel like I’ve tried everything for tear stains and nothing is working. The tear stains are getting worse I’ve attached a picture. Other than giving bottled water from ceramic or stainless steel bowl, washing face every night, keeping hair out of eyes, probiotics sprinkled over food and a child’s Benadryl once a day what else is there to try?


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## Abella's Mommy (Mar 31, 2019)

Welcome to SM. Your little fluff is adorable. If you do a search here on SM you will find many many posts with good advise on tear staining.

Abella had tear staining and I had tried some of the things you have listed above and they did not work for her either. What finally worked for her was washing her eyes out every morning with Baush & Lomb Advanced Eye Relief (available at drug store), Using bottled Spring Water, Keeping her mustache,beard,face dry at all times - which for us meant using a water bottle (think bunny rabbit style) - I just posted a picture several days ago.

You should also look at the ingredients in the food you are feeding. Unfortunately, there is not one answer that works for every Maltese. There is much written here on tear staining. Good luck in finding the perfect combination that works for your cute little fluff!

:Welcome 2:

"Life is good - Life with a Maltese is better!"


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

Not sure if you mentioned how old your adorable little Fluff is, but she could be teething if she is just a little Puppy. Also, have you had your Vet check her teeth??? Chrissy had the most horrible tear stains and it was due having bad teeth. Once all of that was taken care of, she had no more tear stains.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

I won’t add anything than what the two lovely ladies already did, but I wanted to say “ that is one super cute malt, tear stains and all!”


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## Melitx (Apr 25, 2014)

Thank you everyone he is 10 months old and he had his teeth checked out and baby teeth pulled when we had him neutered. I’m going to try using the eye drops to see if that helps. I had Ollie drinking from a water bottle when I first got him but could never find a good quality bottle. The ones I bought would get stuck and only small amounts of water would come out. I was worried he wasn’t getting enough water, which is important since I live in Texas and we have very hot summers, so I switched him to a bowl. But yes I do believe since then the hair around his moth has had more stains. If anyone could recommend a good water bottle that would be great.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Melitx said:


> Thank you everyone he is 10 months old and he had his teeth checked out and baby teeth pulled when we had him neutered. I’m going to try using the eye drops to see if that helps. I had Ollie drinking from a water bottle when I first got him but could never find a good quality bottle. The ones I bought would get stuck and only small amounts of water would come out. I was worried he wasn’t getting enough water, which is important since I live in Texas and we have very hot summers, so I switched him to a bowl. But yes I do believe since then the hair around his moth has had more stains. If anyone could recommend a good water bottle that would be great.


I had the same problem with the water bottles, that round ball wld stick and barely any water came out. I tried every brand and maker I could find on the web and they all did the same.
I use the bayou bowl. There is a woman who used to make them, Sheila Herrmann.
Not sure if she still does but they are designed so the face never gets wet.
Here is her email: [email protected]
You can email her and ask. They really work very well and worth trying.
I had her make the matching dish that’s in the pix. Very good artist, she copied a picture I had sent her that is on my kitchen wall.


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## Abella's Mommy (Mar 31, 2019)

I know several very reliable contributors on SM have said they have had issues with the water bottles.......and concerns about them not providing enough water.

All I can say is that I have been successfully using them for Abella for 6 years - Maybe her little tongue just knows how to use them better as she has been using them all her life..... I live in Calif which is also hot but not high in humidity like Texas (and I don't have air conditioning). I also keep one in my car for our many road trips.

If you decide you want to give this option a try - I ordered Abellas from PawMarks on line. If you do decide to give this a try Email her and she can tell you which size etc you need. Best of luck in finding what works for you and your cute little fluff. :wub:

"Life is good - Life with a Maltese is great!"


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## lydiatug (Feb 21, 2012)

He's precious anyway! I had the same issues with Georgie in the beginning, felt like I was jumping thru all the hoops. I was doing so many things at the same time, I'm not sure which was the most helpful. You could try the "Always Bright Eyes" or "Eye Envy". The powder is a bit messy and you have to be careful not to get in the eyes, but I did find it somewhat helpful. Georgie didn't do well with the water bottle either, the bayou bowls are great! I hope you find a solution for Ollie!


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## Jeep's Mommy (Apr 7, 2019)

My Jeep was a rescue. He had just one eye staining and it was really bad. Jeep is my first Maltese. I hadn’t a clue what to do. The SM members offered different suggestions and I was trying them all. Although he was approximately 12 months when I got him he had multiple milk teeth still in his mouth. And that can be one of many reasons causing the staining. They were removed when I had him neutered. But since it was just one eye I thought that the tear duct might be clogged up. My vet has two Maltese and he thought it might be allergies and gave me an an antibiotic for his eyes. I can’t say with certainty if that helped or not but the tearing was beginning to slow down. I started using Spring water too. I already was using stainless steel bowls for years. But over time the tearing stopped completely. I slowly removed the stained hair a few at a time. He now has a totally White cheek. He was fed grain filled dog food for months before I got him. I use only grain free. I know others have already spoken about all these triggers. But one or more of them worked for me.


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## Abella's Mommy (Mar 31, 2019)

Jeep's Mommy said:


> My Jeep was a rescue. He had just one eye staining and it was really bad. Jeep is my first Maltese. I hadn’t a clue what to do. The SM members offered different suggestions and I was trying them all. Although he was approximately 12 months when I got him he had multiple milk teeth still in his mouth. And that can be one of many reasons causing the staining. They were removed when I had him neutered. But since it was just one eye I thought that the tear duct might be clogged up. My vet has two Maltese and he thought it might be allergies and gave me an an antibiotic for his eyes. I can’t say with certainty if that helped or not but the tearing was beginning to slow down. I started using Spring water too. I already was using stainless steel bowls for years. But over time the tearing stopped completely. I slowly removed the stained hair a few at a time. He now has a totally White cheek. He was fed grain filled dog food for months before I got him. I use only grain free. I know others have already spoken about all these triggers. But one or more of them worked for me.


Mare, I love Jeeps new picture - He looks so good! His tear staining is completely gone and his ears are looking like a true Maltese.......I also like his longer hair! :wub:

"Life is good - Life with a Maltese is Better!"


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## maltesebouncr (May 31, 2019)

Sorry, life and work had kept me away. Just sharing my experience, exchanging notes if you may. 

I've been hearing others tell me that the staining tears is bacteria related and I just couldn't understand how those 2 things were related. 

Momo had has been struggling with skin problems and the vet thought she might be having a bacterial skin infection. Antibiotics were prescribed and taken faithfully. (turned out it was dermodex population explosion)

The tear stains vanished while the antibiotics didn't take care of the skin infection.

How about that?! Do I relate the 2 (bacteria x tear stains) or do I not?


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## Jeep's Mommy (Apr 7, 2019)

It would depend on the type of bacteria. Gram positive or Gram negative. Some antibiotics are full spectrum which covers a wide variety of bacteria. Others target only a few bacterium. If indeed bacteria plays a role in tear staining (IDK)
then it’s plausible that the type of antibiotics used was appropriate for any bacteria growing in the stains. But not for the skin infection. That’s a very interesting angle and worth researching. Thanks for sharing that. Sorry it didn’t resolve the skin problem.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

My current foster, Gucci had really bad tear stains. She always had wet eyes. I tried everything mentioned to no avail. She was getting her dental and I asked them to flush her tear ducts during it. Well what a difference. I think her tears used to overflow her bottom eyelids because of the clogging they would back up. She looks great now several weeks later. I had the same issue with Tyler and his have been gone for 8 years since his tear duct flush.


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## Melitx (Apr 25, 2014)

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! The bayou bowl sounds great hopefully I can find one. I’ve tried eye envy but didn’t find it helpful. I asked my vet about flushing the tear ducts but they said they didn’t do that and they didn’t think that was the problem and that I would be wasting my money if I went to an eye specialist to have it done. My Ollie does have skin issues. His skin gets really itchy and he scratches to the point that it causes bad scratch marks that scab. We’ve started to use medicated shampoo and it seems to help greatly. I wonder if his skin issues have something to do with his constant watery eyes.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

maltesebouncr said:


> Sorry, life and work had kept me away. Just sharing my experience, exchanging notes if you may.
> 
> I've been hearing others tell me that the staining tears is bacteria related and I just couldn't understand how those 2 things were related.
> 
> ...


Demodex mange is not related to tearing. The mites live in the hair follicle and eat away at the skin. 
Tearing is usually from teething, blocked tear ducts, diet, auto immune or bacteria.
You need to strengthen the immunity to control the mites. If the dog has an autoimmune disease, you must balance the immunity vs. strengthen.
The dips and meds are too strong for our fluffs.
I used benzoyl peroxide shampoo every two days. You must flush the skin with the warmest water possible, scrub the skin with a nail brush and flush them out again with warm water.
It could take up to 6-12 months, but it works.
With that being said, dogs that suffer with mange are prone to skin bacterial infections, usually on the body, not necessarily the face.


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## sanlyd (Oct 23, 2017)

*tear stains top knot or short between the eyes*

OMG, she is adorable. One of the things I do with Zoey is I feed her only grain-free, gluten-free food. I really think that helps. I am curious is it better to grow the hair between the eyes to put in a top knot or keep it really short. I have always kept it short. I am trying to grow it out because I heard that it helps with preventing the tear stains. But, I am noticing a little more discoloration and I am getting ready to go short. But before I do I want to know if people think I should ride it out and let it grow, does it really help, or should I keep it short?
Thank you. Peace... Sandra, Zoey's mom.


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## Deborah (Jan 8, 2006)

There is an Esty Store that sells the bayou bowls.


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## kayanne (Sep 15, 2018)

I bought this bowl/water bottle combo on Amazon. I like that it is free-standing. Zita gets plenty of water from it, in fact, she drinks more from this than she did from a bowl. I have to refill it every other day! It has helped a lot in keeping her face dry, although I am still fighting tear stains around her eyes. 

https://www.amazon.com/Dispenser-Multifunctional-Adjustable-Detachable-Self-Feeder/dp/B07S1GWFW8


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## Kilo (Mar 5, 2019)

I think i must be one of the few maltese owners who dont mind the tear stains one bit. I make sure their eyes are free of gunk, or any time of buildup and clean all the time. I don't mine the actual rust color on the fur as long as the actual hygiene is in tip top condition.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Kilo said:


> I think i must be one of the few maltese owners who dont mind the tear stains one bit. I make sure their eyes are free of gunk, or any time of buildup and clean all the time. I don't mine the actual rust color on the fur as long as the actual hygiene is in tip top condition.


I think there is usually an underlying problem when there is stain so probably a good idea to eliminate that for the sake of the pup, IF it is possible. Sometimes it can also involve a hidden problem w/the ears---so just good to check & recheck.:wub:


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## Deborah (Jan 8, 2006)

*Tear Staining*

This may be of some help.



Factors to eliminate Tear Staining
by Tonia Holibaugh - Rhapsody Maltes

In showing Maltese for my clients as well as being a breeder/owner myself, tear staining has always been an annoying aspect of having white dogs. Although, genetics do play a part in tear staining, I find environment and stress play the biggest part in dogs staining. Any dog CAN have a tear staining issue .... no dog is immune to this problem. 

Let me preface this discussion with a disclaimer:

The information here is for the use of encouraging education in caring for your dogs. I am not a licensed veterinarian. All medication given to your dog should be under the consultation of a licensed veterinarian.

Most tear staining is due to a low grade systematic infection. This can cause the enzyme levels in the dog's bodily fluids to be "off" and therefore cause excessive staining. This systematic imbalance can be caused by simple stress or it can indicate an underlying health issue. 

Tear Staining is the red/brown discoloration that can usually be found on a dog under the eyes and around the mouth. In some more progressed states you can also find staining on the feet or around the genital areas. Although this is primarily an aestetic problem, it is an issue that should be addressed as it is always a medically based. A small staining problem in the beginning can end up being the first signs of a more serious underlying health issue that could surface at a later point.

If you have not had the experience of dealing with this issue previously, at this point I would discuss this issue with your veterinarian. Unfortunately, some vets do not think tear staining is an actual problem. If your vet responds this way, either change vets or talk to your breeder or someone with more experince.

As a first attempt to treat mild tear staining, many vets/breeders treat tear stain with an oral antibiotic. The most prevalent antibiotic used intially is Tylan Soluable Powder. Tylan powder is an antibiotic that is not commonly used with dogs. This is helpful, has most dogs will not have built up an immunity to this anitbiotic. It can be dissolved in their drinking water or be given orally daily. Different people use different doses. I would talk to your vet and breeder friends to see how they dose their dogs. Tylan is also a very mild antibiotic that has a secondary benefit of being useful in the treatment and prevention of some gastro-intestinal infections that can be picked up at dogs shows or other places with many dogs present. Although safe for dogs of all ages (except nursing puppies, mothers in whelp or nursing, and dogs on other medications), I would not recommend using it continuously. I would give them at least a week off every 3 weeks, to be on the safe side. Results do not happen overnight, but if after a 3 week period of time you don't see an improvement there probably is an underlying cause for the staining. Remember that the existing stain will not disappear but the hair will start to grown out white around the staining area.

If you have a darker stain that is resistant to a mild antibiotic treatment, you will need to more directly identify the specific health issue. First, visit your veterinarian to have a thorough examine, to look for ear infections, eye infection, blocked tear ducts and teeth issues. No antibiotic can fix some of these underlying health issues by themselves.

If you are having problems with tear staining and Tylan doesn't work, I suggest having a Culture and Sensitivity test run on the tearing residue. By just putting them on random antibiotics at the wrong doses, you could eliminate many common antibiotics by desensitizing the dog's system to them. Tylan is primarily made to battle microplasma in poultry and swine. This is not a commonly used canine antibiotic so if desensitizing occurs towards Tylan, it is not as damaging as it could be with other more commonly used canine antibiotics. Having the tearing cultured almost always is successful because the sensitivity report that tells your veterinarian what exact antibiotics the bacteria will respond to. This takes the guesswork out of the equation. In bad cases, I have found the bacteria to be resistant to most commonly used veterinary antibiotics. Tear staining can be attacked in two ways, with both oral antibiotics and with eye medication. Consult your vet for the proper doses.

Bad tear staining can be communicable. Constant wetness under the eyes is the perfect environment to develop a secondary baterial infection. This tends to turn into a form of Staph. Dogs licking each, other sharing water, using the same brushes can pass the bacteria. I Lysol my brushes every so often, or have dedicated brushes for certain dogs. I clean my dog room and puppy room with a bleach based solution and at completely other times an ammonia based solution, either can be mixed with Fabulouso. Many health issues (i.e. coccidia) are only killed by ammonia not bleach and vice versa. For day to day cleaning of my doggie areas, I use Odo-Ban or Simple Green. Regular washing with anit-bacterial dish washing liquid of all dog's water and food bowls is very important. Water and food bowls should be either ceramic, glass or stainless steel. Plastic and other materials can harbor bacteria. Once a month, the bowls can be soaked in a weak bleach solution for true sanatation and then washed in a normal fashion with soap and water.

Tear staining is usually has an environmental basis, too. In addition to antibiotics, I also use more holistic solutions:

**Using filtered or distilled water.

**Using ionizers in the rooms with the dogs for air purity, good ventilation for example exhaust fans, ceiling fans, open windows etc.

**Exposure to sunshine is crucial. Being outside with sunshine and clean fresh air is healthy for everyone, including dogs.

**Keeping your dogs clean with their hair out their faces is also important.

**Keeping your dogs environment clean is imperative.

**Keeping the filters in your air conditioning and heating systems clean.

Genetically, there are some bloodlines that are more prone to tearing then others. Hair growth on the eyerims, and more protruding eyes can be indicators. Prevalent problems with related dogs in different environments is also another good indicator. The predisposition to having health issues that cause tear staining can be genetic in origin. Look for trends in the dogs of that particular bloodline.

As for cleaning up the already stained hair. The key is to eliminate the cause of staining first and then you will find the stained hair will slowly fade and be much easier to whiten. There are ways to remove the stain once the staining has stopped. But, unless there is a crucial reason to remove the stain, always remember that staining is just a superficial thing and the ways to remove the stain are harsh to say the least. Tearing is always a medical issue, with environment, care and genetics playing a part in the mix. Consistancy and time are always the keys to the best solution!

I hope this helps.

-Tonia Holibaugh - Rhapsody Maltese


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

Deborah said:


> This may be of some help.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


:goodpost: I am showing this to our vet, I have been fighting tear staining for almost a year :w00t::w00t:, I am so glad you posted this Deborah


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## Deborah (Jan 8, 2006)

You are more than welcome. Tylan used to be sold over the counter now you need a prescription. I have never had a vet not write a script for me.


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