# Tear Stains



## VioletVera (May 10, 2010)

Please have patience with me, I'm sure there are many threads on removing tear stains, in fact, I've read some, but I still have questions.

I heard great things about Angel Eyes on this forum, from the pet food store, and from a friend. So I spent $20 on a small bottle of Angel Eyes, added it to Violet's food (dry holistic food with some wet food mixed in), and she refused to eat the food. A few hours later, I stirred up the food, and she still refused to eat. I set down a new bowl with the dry food/wet food mixture and no Angel Eyes, and she ate :blink:... so I'm guessing it's the Angel Eyes b/c I tried this for 5 days in a row, and wasted 5 days worth of that expensive Angel Eyes, and wasted the food too.

I've been cleaning her eyes the best I can, first with a dry cotton ball to get out the gookies, then on the stains only with Crystal Eyes from Four Paws, but there are still pinkish-brown stains. I stopped in at the groomer on Wednesday to see if she sold anything for the stains and she didn't, but recommended Cain & Able Eye Wipes. Has anyone ever used this? Does it work? If yes, can you please tell me where to order it online as I'm having trouble finding it.

I'm also open to other suggestions for other products that will remove the tear stains- if you have links to online shops, please share.

Thank you for your help!


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## Sandcastles (Jul 7, 2010)

Interesting - - - about tearing.

Every year I store my oriental carpets at the "Fur Storage Center" - because we live at the beach - and because we have company nearly every weekend - certainly, I don’t want sand in the carpets.

This year I left them in storage longer - because of Lucy being a puppy and training.

While Lucy was away last week - I had the carpets returned and had them laid down - (because Lucy is now fully trained) - well, I noticed that Lucy now has some tearing - I’m not sure if this is from surgery (apparently they use a gel around the eyes during surgery) or the carpets - if it continues, back into storage the carpets go - if the carpets are the cause - they are history!

I’ll keep you posted.


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## VioletVera (May 10, 2010)

And what's interesting about Violet's tearing is that it started only after I left her with a dog sitter... and that was only for 5 days; and it hasn't stopped since, about a month already. She's SOOOO cute, but I know she'd be even cuter without her tear stains.

If you find out anything or have a recommended product, I'd love to hear abut it.



Sandcastles said:


> Interesting - - - about tearing.
> 
> Every year I store my oriental carpets at the "Fur Storage Center" - because we live at the beach - and because we have company nearly every weekend - certainly, I don’t want sand in the carpets.
> 
> ...


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Don't ask me. I've been fighting the battle for ages with Tyler. It's so frustrating. I really think it might be Tyler's tear ducts but in the meantime try to keep his eyes as clear and clean as possible especially watching that stray hairs aren't getting into them.


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## Starsmom (Jan 31, 2009)

How many carrots does she get in a week? Beta carotene is in carrots, beets sweet potatoes, yams, etc. If you eat allot of these they will give you a glow, in Malts it will come out in the tear ducts=staining.


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## Sandcastles (Jul 7, 2010)

Starsmom said:


> How many carrots does she get in a week? Beta carotene is in carrots, beets sweet potatoes, yams, etc. If you eat allot of these they will give you a glow, in Malts it will come out in the tear ducts=staining.


Marsha, Marsha, Marsha -

Wow! I feed Lucy sweet potatoes everyday! Lucy is almost eight months old - would it be just starting now, after all these months of eating sweet potatoes and butternut squash? 

Thank you for the information,

Allie


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

I've given Spookie Angel Eyes in just a small spoonful of wet food, pumpkin, yogurt, cottage cheese, or a spoon of meat drippings from our meal. I always stir it in well, goes right down. She does seem to like the chicken flavor more.


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## VioletVera (May 10, 2010)

Starsmom said:


> How many carrots does she get in a week? Beta carotene is in carrots, beets sweet potatoes, yams, etc. If you eat allot of these they will give you a glow, in Malts it will come out in the tear ducts=staining.


Woah, what's weird is that I bought the Angel Eyes sweet potato formula b/c Violet LOVES sweet potatoes... and she eats it maybe 2-3 times a week? But oddly, she would not eat her food with the Angel Eyes sweet potato formula mixed in. 

And she LOVES baby carrots, I give her maybe 1 or 2 max a day as a treat, and maybe almost but not everyday. I will try not giving her carrots and sweet potatoes and see if it stops.

But in the meantime, how do I remove the stains that are there? Any suggestions?


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## VioletVera (May 10, 2010)

spookiesmom said:


> I've given Spookie Angel Eyes in just a small spoonful of wet food, pumpkin, yogurt, cottage cheese, or a spoon of meat drippings from our meal. I always stir it in well, goes right down. She does seem to like the chicken flavor more.


Maybe I'll try the chicken formula next; she wouldn't eat the sweet potato formula. And mixing it into yogurt or cottage cheese is a brilliant idea- she gobbles up either whenever I give her a spoonful!


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## Tina (Aug 6, 2006)

The Tylan in the Angels Eyes is very bitter. Most dogs won't eat it unless you mix it in something they really really like.
While you were gone your little one was stressed and stress can contribute to tear staining. 
And carpets can really cause eye irritation and thus tear staining. The fun of trying to figure out the cause of tear staining.




Experience The MAGIC


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## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

When my dog had tear stains, it came after her being stressed out- like keeping her at the pet sitter's/boarding place. I think probiotics help to clear it up (if it was caused by stress).


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## daryl (Mar 14, 2009)

I can confirm that Angels eyes tastes very bitter- or at least the tylosin in it does. I has been a few years since I tasted it but it wont have changed.

The carpet fibres might well be acting as an irritant, perhaps you could try to vacuum them vigorously for a while?

Incidentally the natural tear stain removers tend to be better tasting but they do take a bit longer to work.


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

It saddens me that with all the discussion on Angel Eyes on this forum, that what seemed to be the overall feel the OP found was good. Many MANY of us on this forum do not like Angel Eyes and don't recommend it. It's actually banned in a lot of other countries. 

There is an undisclosed amount of Tylan (an antibiotic) in Angel Eyes so you have no idea how much your dog is getting. Antibiotics kill off the bad bacteria but also kill off the good bacteria/flora in your digestive system, which can cause digestive problems. Vets who are taking the time to really look into Angel Eyes are concerned about antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria now in dogs. 

If the tear staining is enough that it requires an antibiotic, go to your vet and get some Tylan prescribed for a regular dosage of 10-14 days. Then put your baby on some good probiotics to build up the good bacteria in their digestive system. No need to keep them on an antibiotic every single day for the rest of their lives...or however long you choose to keep giving them Angel Eyes.


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## VioletVera (May 10, 2010)

Crystal&Zoe said:


> It saddens me that with all the discussion on Angel Eyes on this forum, that what seemed to be the overall feel the OP found was good. Many MANY of us on this forum do not like Angel Eyes and don't recommend it. It's actually banned in a lot of other countries.
> 
> There is an undisclosed amount of Tylan (an antibiotic) in Angel Eyes so you have no idea how much your dog is getting. Antibiotics kill off the bad bacteria but also kill off the good bacteria/flora in your digestive system, which can cause digestive problems. Vets who are taking the time to really look into Angel Eyes are concerned about antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria now in dogs.
> 
> If the tear staining is enough that it requires an antibiotic, go to your vet and get some Tylan prescribed for a regular dosage of 10-14 days. Then put your baby on some good probiotics to build up the good bacteria in their digestive system. No need to keep them on an antibiotic every single day for the rest of their lives...or however long you choose to keep giving them Angel Eyes.


Crystal, thank you for your feedback regarding Angel Eyes. After my personal experience with it, I was reluctant to try a different formula, but there were posters who were saying that it's very bitter, so I doubt a different formula would be something Violet would even eat.

But what's surprising to me is that even with all the posts and good feedback, not one person even said a word about how to REMOVE the stains... that was my original question. I appreciate hearing about what the causes may be, and I'm planning on trying no carrots, no sweet potatoes, and "less stress" (which I cannot guarantee; she has to be left alone sometimes or with a sitter) but how on earth do I remove the ugly stains???? Does anyone use the Cain & Able Eye Wipes like I asked originally or can you recommend something else that DOES work? Or should I start a new thread?


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

Dr. Bill Miller, a board-certified-veterinary ophthalmologist from Jackson, Miss., discusses tearstaining here:




http://www.avmamedia.org/display.asp?sid=310&NAME=Tear_Staining:_A_Cry_for_Help?


Joy


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## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

VioletVera said:


> Crystal, thank you for your feedback regarding Angel Eyes. After my personal experience with it, I was reluctant to try a different formula, but there were posters who were saying that it's very bitter, so I doubt a different formula would be something Violet would even eat.
> 
> But what's surprising to me is that even with all the posts and good feedback, not one person even said a word about how to REMOVE the stains... that was my original question. I appreciate hearing about what the causes may be, and I'm planning on trying no carrots, no sweet potatoes, and "less stress" (which I cannot guarantee; she has to be left alone sometimes or with a sitter) but how on earth do I remove the ugly stains???? Does anyone use the Cain & Able Eye Wipes like I asked originally or can you recommend something else that DOES work? Or should I start a new thread?


There really is no one good way to remove the stains once there. You want to try and prevent as much as possible but what works for one does not always work for another. There is just no easy answer. Finding the right food for your particular baby, adding probiotics seem to be the most common answer for preventing, as well as using stainless steel dishes or ceramic vs. plastic, no food coloring in treats or food of any kind, keeping the face clean and dry. The only way to really remove them is to bleach them which can be very drying to the hair and very dangerous around the eyes. The safest method of bleaching is to use the M.O.M. formula, which is to make a paste of equal parts Milk of Magnesia & regular medicinal grade Hydrogen Peroxide, and enough cornstarch to make a paste. You can apply that at night to the stained area and then wash off in the morning. Be sure to use a good conditioner at that time. I would not recommend doing this very often. Most of us try to find the right combo for our babies and wait for them to grow out. And sadly, once you find the right combo, some unknown force comes along and upsets the delicate balance and you have tear stains again. My Jett is a perfect example. We went almost a full year with no staining at all. His beautiful face was perfectly white. Then last fall, once the furnace kicked on, he started tearing and the stains have been there ever since. I'm experimenting with grain free foods and raw to see if that helps mine.

btw...I'm not 100% sure that carrots, sweet potatoes are a cause. My Callie's really cleared up when I put her on Grandma Lucy's Artisan food which is grain free and I always used the formulas that had sweet potato in it. So again, what works for one fluff may not work for another.

If they are bad enough, you might want to go to your vet to have a round of Tylan prescribed for your little one.


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## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

I agree with Crystal on a lot of things here...not using Angel Eyes and I'm not so sure if sweet potatoes, carrots cause staining either- but who knows. I do think that dyes in the treats can maybe cause it..so maybe carrots/sweet potatoes can too...but I would think it would take a lot of them to cause staining.

Personally I would use give 10-14 days of Tylan instead of using Angel Eyes..if you need to use any of it. If it's not a blocked tear duct issue or whatever..the tylan should clear it up. 

After the tearing has stopped - and you've quit using the tylan, I'd start on the probiotics. I've used Eye Envy (both liquid and powder) and just washing every day to help lighten the actual stains left over. For us, this is what worked..it wasn't overnight..but over a few weeks/months.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

vjw said:


> Dr. Bill Miller, a board-certified-veterinary ophthalmologist from Jackson, Miss., discusses tearstaining here:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great link!


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## VioletVera (May 10, 2010)

UPDATE:

On another thread I asked what people use to remove the tear stains, and someone suggested Eye Envy. I found it on Tear Stain Remover | The Safe and Effective solution for Cats and Dogs by Eye Envy and I ordered the starter kit. I'm a little scared to use peroxide on my puppy, so I hope this works! I will keep you all posted.

Meanwhile, I stopped giving Violet carrots and sweet potatoes. She is given filtered water always, never from the tap. Her holistic food is dye-free, corn-free, wheat-free, soy-free, and contains probiotics. She does not eat any store bought treats (she sniffs and walks away) but she does eat very healthy treats, mostly small pieces of veggies or chicken. 

Having said that, I guess I'm doing everything right feeding-wise, but someone suggested that stress is a cause of the tear stains. She is stressed on occasion, especially if I leave her alone for a few hours or if I take her in the car. She whines and squeak-barks when I leave her confined in the kitchen even though she has toys, a chicken filled kong, her bed, food & water bowls, and wee-wee pads. How do I make leaving her alone less stressful? It's impossible to take her with me always... and when I do take her with me, she hates approaching the car, so I have to pick her up to put her in the car and tether her to her car booster seat. For short trips (10 minutes or less) I don't give her dramamine, but longer trips I have to give it to her so she doesn't vomit. 

Does anyone have ideas on how to make going in the car more fun??? She's taken fun places like the dog park, grandma & grandpa's, or a friend's house usually. I also put her in her car seat 2-3 times a week and take her nowhere, just feed her a few treats. She's still afraid, so any advice would be appreciated!


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## Stelkia Maltese (Jun 3, 2008)

I use the #1 All Systems Super Whitening Gel when there is a problem. I put a little just on the stain 15 minutes before the bath. I don't have much problem with staining, but I do admit to, from time to time, the controversial use of a small dose of prescription antibotics for a short time under a veterinarian care. It can be hard to find a vet that will prescribe antibiotics for tear staining. I have used Angel Eyes and Tylan and had the same problem as you. The 1/4 pill once per day from the vet was easier to adminster hidden in their favorite treat. And I also had Rascal's tear ducts flushed when he had to have a couple baby teeth removed, the vet didn't have much faith that it did any good, but I don't think it hurt, and everyone always asks me what I do to keep them so white. Of course I try to keep the hair out of my dogs eyes as much as possible and feed them high quality food, Innova puppy.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Stelkia Maltese said:


> I use the #1 All Systems Super Whitening Gel when there is a problem. I put a little just on the stain 15 minutes before the bath. I don't have much problem with staining, but I do admit to, from time to time, the controversial use of a small dose of prescription antibotics for a short time under a veterinarian care. It can be hard to find a vet that will prescribe antibiotics for tear staining. I have used Angel Eyes and Tylan and had the same problem as you. The 1/4 pill once per day from the vet was easier to adminster hidden in their favorite treat. And I also had Rascal's tear ducts flushed when he had to have a couple baby teeth removed, the vet didn't have much faith that it did any good, but I don't think it hurt, and everyone always asks me what I do to keep them so white. Of course I try to keep the hair out of my dogs eyes as much as possible and feed them high quality food, Innova puppy.


Can you tell me what ingredients make up this gel? I live overseas & don't know the company. Thanks!


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## Stelkia Maltese (Jun 3, 2008)

It is glycerin based.


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## Stelkia Maltese (Jun 3, 2008)

edelweiss said:


> Can you tell me what ingredients make up this gel? I live overseas & don't know the company. Thanks!


I can tell you that it is glycerin based. From what I can gather, I believe it contains Sodium percarbonate, the stuff that's in OxyClean. So it has a mild bleaching effect. Pet companies in the United States don't have to list the ingredients so it can be difficult to know for sure.


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## Stelkia Maltese (Jun 3, 2008)

Here are the ingredients of the #1 All Systems Whitening Gel. It is listed right on the container. I could see it as soon as I put on my reading glasses. Oops!

Deionized Water, Sodium Carbonate Peroxyhydrate, Glycerin, Carbomer, Treithanolamine, Cetrimonium Chloride, Methlychloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Stelkia Maltese said:


> Here are the ingredients of the #1 All Systems Whitening Gel. It is listed right on the container. I could see it as soon as I put on my reading glasses. Oops!
> 
> Deionized Water, Sodium Carbonate Peroxyhydrate, Glycerin, Carbomer, Treithanolamine, Cetrimonium Chloride, Methlychloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.


Has anyone else used this or any thoughts on it?


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## joanastancu (Aug 11, 2010)

:chili::chili::chili:I used Angel Eyes for a month the chicken formula mixing it with meat.Now I don't use it anymore.I use once a weak Eye Envy the liquid and powder formula and it works well !


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## Aarianne (Jul 22, 2005)

Snowbody said:


> Has anyone else used this or any thoughts on it?


I recognize at least 3 of those ingredients as ones I now totally avoid for myself and dogs (in shampoos, etc.)... Triethanolamine, Methylchoroisothiazolinone, and Methylisothiazolinone.


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## jenniferhope423 (Jun 25, 2007)

My Sophia has staining. I had her vet look at it and he prescribed Tylan after we tried everything else (changing food, water, topical cleaners, etc) I used the Tylan for about 6 days before we left for vacation. I noticed her stains cleared up very well. I haven't used it since and her hair is already growing out white. The stains that are there are the ones that were there before the Tylan. I mixed it with peanut butter and she ate it right off of my finger


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