# Tear stains won't go away



## m_n_m84 (Jun 13, 2012)

I have a maltese. She is 5.5 months old and weighs 3lbs. I bought her from a woman that shows maltese, and she has lots of akc champions in her bloodline, including her mother. The breeder I bought her from told me that she has never had any issues with tearing unless they were teething or when they are puppies and the momma is licking them to clean their faces constantly. Ever since I got her, I have had issues with tear staining and have tried everything (except food additives) because the breeder strongly advised me to avoid these. I am giving her distiller water, have tried MOM, eye envy, and other topical wipes sold at petco. Can anyone please help me? She is on the same food she was on when I got her which is Purina pro plan. She has a beautiful white coat, very strong blacks, perfect eyeliner, but I just can't get rid of the tear stains. I keep her hair pinned up out of her face and check her eyes frequently to make sure she has no hair in her eyes. Her tear staining is not "crusty" just dark red coloration u der the eyes. Any help would be great! This is my first maltese.


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## ckanen2n (Jan 2, 2012)

Who is the breeder and what does she say?


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

If she's only 5.5 months old, she is likely still teething. I wouldn't worry about it until all of her baby teeth are gone and adult teeth are in.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

maggieh said:


> If she's only 5.5 months old, she is likely still teething. I wouldn't worry about it until all of her baby teeth are gone and adult teeth are in.


I agree. She will be teething for a few more months so expect staining. If it doesn't clear up after that you could have her eyes checked by an opthamologist. Sometimes there are physical reasons like blocked tear ducts, eyelashes growing inward, etc. that cause tear staining and can be corrected.


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## m_n_m84 (Jun 13, 2012)

Thanks so much guys, hopefully it is teething and she will phase out of it


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

Hi and welcome to SM. I agree with everyone that she is still young and teething. the only thing you can do is to keep her face clean and dry. After her face is washed and dried you can also put a little corn starch or powder under the eye area to maintain dryness for a little longer. Good luck!!


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## m_n_m84 (Jun 13, 2012)

Chanen2n - The breeder was from tennessee. She has a web page called annalisemaltese.com


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