# What's best product to use for tear stains?



## euna78 (Mar 30, 2006)

My Lina has quite bad tear stains. Her left side is always wet and it looks really bad. 
I've tried few products but it doesn't seem to work. Does anyone has tried tear stain remover that actually works? And I also heard there is some kind of supplement that will reduce the tear??


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

It sounds as if your little one has perhaps a blocked tearduct since it's on one side. You probably need to take her to the vet.


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## euna78 (Mar 30, 2006)

actually she has tear stains on both sides but her left side is worse then her right...


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## Carla (Aug 30, 2005)

There are several things and products you can try but if Lina is a puppy, her tear stains could be caused by teething. If that's the case I would wait until she's a year old before trying any commercially made products specifically for tear stains.

Some suggestions are to use only stainless steel or ceramic dishes for food and water (never use plastic) and avoid foods that contain red food coloring and red beets (sugar beets are O.K.). I have heard of people giving their Malts only distilled water (not bottled water) as well. It seems that the minerals in tap water could be causing the problem for some.

Others on SM have used Angel Glow & Angel something else that I can't remember. It can be ordered online and is a little pricey from what I hear. It contains Tylan, which is an antibiotic, that you sprinkle on their food.

I have tried a few tear stain removers without any success. What worked for Shotzi (and I mean really  worked) was the stainless steel dishes, Nutro's Ultra dog food, and rinsing Shotzi's eyes with a human eye wash that contains Collyrium daily. The eye wash ( not for contacts) should be warm or tepid. I usually find the cheapest at Walmart, store brand is fine.

Please keep in mind that each dog is different and will not necessarily respond to techniques or products that others have. You should try each method for at least a few weeks before moving on to or adding another. I hope this helps and that I haven't forgotten anything.

Carla & Shotzi


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## euna78 (Mar 30, 2006)

Thanks Carla!

I must be doing somthing wrong cause when Lina was a puppy she didn't have tear stain problem, but she's now 3 and for some reason she started to tear a lot. Hmmm....

She does use stainless steal bowl for food and water. Like you said I'm gonna change her water. I've been giving her filtered tap water but I'll try distilled water. And try the eye wash.

Thanks for the tip!


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## lacey (Oct 17, 2005)

I need to find something to do for Toby. He doesn't have them very bad. They are gone after he comes back from the groomer's for about 2 weeks or so. His aren't red either. I think his eyes water too much or something.


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## ekbakernow (Feb 6, 2006)

> My Lina has quite bad tear stains. Her left side is always wet and it looks really bad.
> I've tried few products but it doesn't seem to work. Does anyone has tried tear stain remover that actually works? And I also heard there is some kind of supplement that will reduce the tear??[/B]



I give Stuart Tums. Half of one in the morning and half at night. It seems to work. It was suggested on another maltese website.


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## euna78 (Mar 30, 2006)

Tums? heartburn relief Tums? Is it 100% safe?


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## ekbakernow (Feb 6, 2006)

> Tums? heartburn relief Tums? Is it 100% safe?[/B]


Yes....heartburn relief Tums. Apparently it has something to do with controling the acid in the tears. As for it being 100% safe, I would say yes. If pregnant women can eat as many as they want for heartburn without hurting the fetus I would say that it couldn't hurt. Stuart's tear staining has decreased. That could be because of the tums or that could be something else. He seems to like them as he feels that they are a treat. If nothing else, he is getting calcium which I am sure isn't negative. I will surf the net to see if I can find a link to post.



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Here it is 

http://www.bhejei.com/tearsta.htm


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## chloeandj (Apr 1, 2005)

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Here it is 

http://www.bhejei.com/tearsta.htm
[/B][/QUOTE]

Many breeders give their nursing mommas tums as a calcium supplement to prevent eclampsia. So I think it would be safe too, although I've never heard of using it for tear stains. I learn something new everyday. And I've looked at that bhejei site a hundred times, never did notice the tums information. LOL


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

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Tums have a lot of calcium in them... is it OK to give them that much calcium ?


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## ekbakernow (Feb 6, 2006)

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I haven't heard anything negative about it, so I figure it is ok. And in regard to it controling the tear staining-it just makes sence.







Perhaps a vet would be better suited to answer this question if there is still some concern.


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

I can't say enough about Angel Eye's, 3 weeks of Wilson being on half the dosage they recommended and his tear staining was gone. His had gotten so bad that he had tear staining "burns", where the wet hair was irritating his skin and the hair was falling out. He has been off of it for a month now, and the tear staining hasn't returned. The 1 oz bottle lasted us the full 3 weeks, and there is enough left to do another round if it's ever needed.


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## euna78 (Mar 30, 2006)

I've been giving my Lina DingGo (raw hide with meat in the middel) about 2 a day...the small ones. She just loves it so much!
Do you think the meat in the middle might have some kind of effect on this tear stains?

Reading about Angels Eyes, it said to stay away form any food coloring dye. And now when I think about it, that meat in the middle does look quite red.


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

My experience (14 yrs. so far) is that the red staining from tears and saliva is caused by a mild infection or irritation. It could be many things like ear infection, tonsillitis, tear ducts, etc. If you don't want to use an antibiotic product like the powders that contain Tylan--Angel's Eyes, etc. which have to be mixed in food (it's very bitter) and used over a long period of time, the easiest and quickest is to have your vet prescribe a week of Amoxicillin tablets. The hair will start to grow out white very quickly. It does have to grow out or be cut off. Bleaching is about the only other effective way to get rid of already stained hair, and it's hard on the hair and could be really bad if it gets in the eyes.

It will help, but not cure, if you wash the face and clean the eyes every day. Don't let the hair get in the eyes to irritate. I use Missing Link as mentioned in the BheJei website link Stuart's Mom gave you. It's a good food supplement that tastes good. I've never seen any proof, nor has it been my experience that plastic bowls or red dye in food has anything to do with it. It has to be an antibiotic to cure the problem causing the organism that makes the red. I'm not a vet, so I don't know the mechanism that actually causes the red. Actually I've never met a vet so far that knows anything about it. Most will just say white dogs have that problem and ignore it. A breeder had told me to get a prescription of Amoxicillin so I asked the vet for it and it worked like magic. It is only a week or ten days and doesn't have to be repeated but maybe 2-3 times during a life time, so it isn't like giving antibiotics over a long period of time. I personally would not give anything like Tylan over a long period.

Do a search here for tear staining. There has been a lot written about it.


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## eyespy (Jan 31, 2006)

I like AngelGlow--works really well!


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## dolcevita (Aug 3, 2005)

Angel's Glow has really done the trick for Dolce too. Her tearing had gotten so bad that the hair under her eyes had a bad smell. I've heard that yeast grows there when the face is always wet, and the yeast causes the stain and also the smell. After just a week using Angel's Glow, the smell was gone and her hair was growing in white.


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## M&M's MOM (May 10, 2005)

I think we've tried about everything for Maggie ......and Angel's Glow DOES WORK....but something just nags at me about giving her an antibiotic without the vet prescribing it. Know what I mean? I mean, she looks beautiful when I give it to her..and I only have to use a teensy amount but I just can't bring myself to continue that regime, even if it does make her BEAUTIFUL outside. I'm thinking more about what it's doing to her insides...so I quit.

The Collyrium (eye drops) really does work. It is safe....and can be found at Walmart under their name as well. One doesn't have to use it every day..maybe once a week...and it will stop those runny eyes right away. 

All I can say is to try it. It's a personal choice. Some choose tylan and feel it's right for their dog and I'm sure it is........You just gotta go with your "gut", if you know what I mean. I think we all just want our little ones to be healthy. It's nice if they have no eye stains.........but I personally will not risk Maggie or Molly's long-term health to get a "pretty dog"....and maybe those of you who use it feel you aren't risking anything at all. LIke I said, it's a personal choice. I prefer drops. Maybe someone else will say those are detrimental, too. The vet told me they're just fine, if they work..and they do for mine! (Although I'm lazy and don't put them in half the time so my babies both are stained the majority of the time). My fault!


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## dolcevita (Aug 3, 2005)

I totally understand being concerned about using antibiotics, because I was concerned too. But it was more than a cosmetic issue for Dolce. Not only did her face smell from the yeast, it was irritated too. She was always rubbing her face on the rug to try to relieve the itching. I tried everything else, but nothing worked, and I felt so bad for her with her face being so itchy. The vet was no help at all, so I thought I might as well give the tylan a try, and she has no itching or bad smell anymore.


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## Tanner's Mom (May 27, 2005)

AFter hearing all the wonderful results of Angels Glow, I e-mailed them and asked if they recommended Tanner use it since it is beef based and Tanner has liver problems and needs to stay away from the beef. They promptly replied and suggested Eye Envy and I have been very pleased with that product. The stains aren't completely gone, but they're more gone than they were before! I try to make wiping his eyes part of my morning routine, and when I do it daily, the results are very good.


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## euna78 (Mar 30, 2006)

So much information!!
More then what I expected.








Thank you so much everyone!!


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## LisalovesRocco (Mar 28, 2006)

I use a product called Angel Eyes. It is a supplement that you sprinkle on food. I mix it with vanilla custard baby food. Rocco loves it. He has no tear stains at all.


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## LMJ (Feb 16, 2006)

> I need to find something to do for Toby. He doesn't have them very bad. They are gone after he comes back from the groomer's for about 2 weeks or so. His aren't red either. I think his eyes water too much or something.[/B]


Jeff's eyes stay white for a while after the groomer too. I think it's because she shaves the hair between his eyes and trims all the other hair around his eyes keeping it out of his eyes for a while.


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## luvmymacy (Mar 18, 2005)

It is Angels Eyes for Macy all the way and the her vet has told us it is very safe due to the very low dose of tylosin in it. We are very happy. I have cut her dose down way under the recommeded dose she is 6lbs but the stain has not come back. Good luck.


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## gattirenata (Jul 28, 2006)

> It has to be an antibiotic to cure the problem causing the organism that makes the red. I'm not a vet, so I don't know the mechanism that actually causes the red. Actually I've never met a vet so far that knows anything about it. Most will just say white dogs have that problem and ignore it. A breeder had told me to get a prescription of Amoxicillin so I asked the vet for it and it worked like magic. It is only a week or ten days and doesn't have to be repeated but maybe 2-3 times during a life time, so it isn't like giving antibiotics over a long period of time. I personally would not give anything like Tylan over a long period.
> 
> Do a search here for tear staining. There has been a lot written about it.
> 
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Interesting...
Mac was in Amoxicilin for 10 days... his tears nearly stopped!!! I thought it was the eye wash... but maybe it was the antibiotic because it kind of came back. Not as bad as it was efore. Really!!!! his whole entire face used to be wet, now just a lttle and it does seem to nor stain the hair as much because it's growing out. He looks like those people who are way due to dye the roots of their hair!!!!

thanks for the info!


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## wagirl98665 (Jan 5, 2006)

> I've been giving my Lina DingGo (raw hide with meat in the middel) about 2 a day...the small ones. She just loves it so much!
> Do you think the meat in the middle might have some kind of effect on this tear stains?
> 
> Reading about Angels Eyes, it said to stay away form any food coloring dye. And now when I think about it, that meat in the middle does look quite red.
> ...



My dogs are CRAZY about those Dingo meat in the middle ride hide treats! I went through a
whole bag of 18 in just 3 days. All 3 of my dogs are wicked chewers and have to always have
something to chew on plus 2 are still puppies. I haven't noticed any tear staining since giving
them the Dingo ride hide. Long before I discovered the Dingo treats I had a tear stain problem
and used Angels Glow, they were gone in a week. Of course the old stains had to be trimmed
away, but after that they never came back. that's the only tear stain remover I've ever used.
I hear Angel Eyes is also effective.







This is an old thread, you've probably solved your tear
stain problem by now.


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## MissMelanie (Feb 13, 2006)

> My Lina has quite bad tear stains. Her left side is always wet and it looks really bad.
> I've tried few products but it doesn't seem to work. Does anyone has tried tear stain remover that actually works? And I also heard there is some kind of supplement that will reduce the tear??[/B]


 *That is so odd, I have had this talk with other Maltese owners, Aimee and Chandra being two of them. And they also had found that the left side seemed to tear more at times.

I wonder what is up with this.

We used Angel Eyes to get the tearing to stop and then Polident to clean up the staining. That is after trying MANY products that didn't work for us.

Good luck!
Melanie
*


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## gattirenata (Jul 28, 2006)

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mac's worse side is the right one!!!!!


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