# Wellness causing tear stains?



## BradyLily

Hi everyone! Happy New Year! 

I haven't been on in a while, but always refer back to this forum when I'm having any issues with my babies. It's about food. My babies will eat just about any canned food I've tried. I only feed canned, not dry. I was feeding them Blue Buffalo (different proteins) and they loved it but their poops were soft. A friend suggested Wellness. They love it!! Again, I feed different proteins except chicken & turkey. My Brady has an issue with poultry. They really like Wellness, poops are good, but Brady is starting to get tear stains. Has anyone had an experience with feeding Wellness and developing tear stains? I wipe/dry his eyes 2-3 times per day and they really water. I'm working in the Simple line of Wellness. I'm wondering if it's the sweet potato that is giving him the tear stains. That is the common ingredient in the canned food. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 🐾







Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Chardy

I can suggest that you can go to Dog Food Adviser and google what you are feeding and take a look at the ratings to see how many stars etc it is receiving and why. You also can look on the approved "Whole Dog Journal" List of foods that are the best. 

I have had years and years of experience of the maltese breed. My first malt had horrible staining and I took her everywhere to find out why. Some said it was the ducts so I had them flushed and antibiotic only for it all to come back again. Finally, after 9 years, she had to go on home cooked diet and never ever again did she have a tear stain. 

Even the best kibbles and canned will make for stains-- 

I feed Stella and Chewy freeze dried and Frozen Never ever do I have any staining. 

Hope this helps.


----------



## BeautifulMaltese

I always had pretty good luck with Wellness...as far as commercial foods go, it's one of the best (my opinion only) never had staining due to food issues with Zoe, but when she was puppy had staining until she was treated with antibiotic for Lyme....

I eventually started giving her organic home cooked meals, mixed with some kibble (she ended up on Royal Canin prescription for pancreas issue which I was sad to have to do as I am not a fan of that food at all).

As Carol said, could very well be an issue with the tear ducts (common) but also just as likely could be food! Always best to try the food route and consult with vet, could be a simple diet issue or even if it is due to ducts, simple flushing and/or short term antibiotic might do the trick!

Good Luck!


----------



## maddysmom

Chardy said:


> I can suggest that you can go to Dog Food Adviser and google what you are feeding and take a look at the ratings to see how many stars etc it is receiving and why. You also can look on the approved "Whole Dog Journal" List of foods that are the best.
> 
> I have had years and years of experience of the maltese breed. My first malt had horrible staining and I took her everywhere to find out why. Some said it was the ducts so I had them flushed and antibiotic only for it all to come back again. Finally, after 9 years, she had to go on home cooked diet and never ever again did she have a tear stain.
> 
> Even the best kibbles and canned will make for stains--
> 
> I feed Stella and Chewy freeze dried and Frozen Never ever do I have any staining.
> 
> 
> 
> Hope this helps.


I agree with this. My last 2 malts had tear stains and did the same as Carol, flushing tear ducts. antibiotics.
I now feed S&C and don't have any staining!


----------



## BradyLily

BeautifulMaltese said:


> I always had pretty good luck with Wellness...as far as commercial foods go, it's one of the best (my opinion only) never had staining due to food issues with Zoe, but when she was puppy had staining until she was treated with antibiotic for Lyme....
> 
> I eventually started giving her organic home cooked meals, mixed with some kibble (she ended up on Royal Canin prescription for pancreas issue which I was sad to have to do as I am not a fan of that food at all).
> 
> As Carol said, could very well be an issue with the tear ducts (common) but also just as likely could be food! Always best to try the food route and consult with vet, could be a simple diet issue or even if it is due to ducts, simple flushing and/or short term antibiotic might do the trick!
> 
> Good Luck!


Thanks so much for the info. Brady will get a little staining in the fall, but it's usually gone by December. It's been pretty cold so I've been using our fireplace frequently. Wondering if maybe his eyes are getting dry and then tearing. Brady is 6 & Lily will be 6 in February. It's pretty warm today and I've noticed a couple of times today, a little tear on his eyelid. I feel bad because he does rub his face on the rug a couple times a day. Funny, my vet never mentioned flushing his tear ducts for his staining. I took him for his shots in early December and mentioned the staining and asked if it could be the food and he said it could be. That was it. Was always curious about Stella's but not sure if they would be satisfied. I wouldn't want them to be hungry. Then there is the issue of high protein diets in small dogs. Have you ever tried Canine Caviar? Curious about that one also. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## RileyDC

I have been feeding Riley only Stella & Chewy's breakfast and dinner since December 14th. He has been doing Great!! :thumbsup: I feed mainly the frozen, but if I forget to lay the days serving in the fridge to thaw, I use the freeze dried. He has Never been more Happy to eat!! :chili:

I was feeding Canine Caviar before and he did really well on it, for about a year... after having issues with the last few bags, as well as issues with their customer service, I decided to stop feeding it.


----------



## BradyLily

So I woke up yesterday morning and was loving up my Brady and felt a little something above his eye. I usually comb the gooey stuff away from his eyes twice a day. I combed away the stuff from his eye and noticed his eyelid was bleeding! It was a scab on his eyelid. I called the vet right away and took him in to see her. My vet retired in January and I hadn't met the new one yet. Seemed nice. She checked him out and said it was an abrasion on his eyelid. Looked like it happened a few days prior. She shaved his eyelid(poor guy was so scared) and applied an ointment. I need to apply it twice a day and NOT get it into his eye! Ugh!! So, she asked if he's been scratching and he does roll around on the floor and rub his face on the rug, the deck and even the side of my house. She said he's obviously allergic to something and asked if I changed his food recently. Yes, I switched to Wellness canned. She said maybe I should try Science Diet SD or Royal Canin. Not really happy with either of those foods. Went to the store and I'm thinking about getting Freshpet Vital in the pouch or rolls. Not sure yet. My babies love Wellness! As long as it's canned food, they'll eat pretty much anything! Spin in circles when we are getting their food ready. Brady likes his food cut into chunks and Lily needs her food mashed up because she eats so fast that she barely chews! 
Any thoughts on Freshpet? Is the protein level too high? I hate switching them again, but with the tear stains starting and Brady's itchiness, I'm afraid I'll have to do it. Also, the poops are good and small on Wellness and I can't have Brady on one food and Lily on another. It just doesn't work out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## CrystalAndZoe

I agree that there is something (food sensitivity or allergy) that is causing the excessive tearing and now staining if that is the only thing that has changed. Although environmental allergies can develop too so you can't rule that out. If suspecting a food allergy, always go with a food that is limited in the number of ingredients. Go with a food that does not have anything in it that can cause inflammation such as sweet potatoes, white potatoes, grains, etc... Once you get the allergy under control, you can start adding various foods and observing. If the tearing and staining crop back up again, go back to the basic food you had luck with for a few months and then try something else. Since Brady can't do turkey or chicken, my 'go to canned foods' is not going to help. You will most likely need to go with a raw food. Which is better for allergy sufferers anyway. You will want to have a CBC done, or at least a liver panel, before starting and then another liver panel after a few months to make sure he's ok with the protein amount.

As for DogFoodAdvisor.com, the 5 star ratings are not only indicative of quality foods with no questionable ingredients, but also higher protein levels. There are some excellent 4 star and even a few 3 star ratings that have great ingredients but earned lower stars due to the protein level. Some dogs do better or simply need lower protein levels. So don't shy away from a 4 star if there are no questionable ingredients. Dog Food Advisor and WDJ are great resources, but it's also important to remember there are some pretty crummy 5 star foods on there as well because they have not gone far enough into their reviews to rate quality of ingredients.


----------



## shellbeme

I think wellness is a great food, it didn't cause tear stains for my boys but they did have major eye boogies while on it.


----------



## edelweiss

Crystal, can you recommend a food I can get in US (when stateside) for Kitzi & Lisi (I normally home cook but won't be able to do that this trip). Lisi is probable MVD & I have kept her protein lower. I would prefer to feed them both the same.


----------



## CrystalAndZoe

edelweiss said:


> Crystal, can you recommend a food I can get in US (when stateside) for Kitzi & Lisi (I normally home cook but won't be able to do that this trip). Lisi is probable MVD & I have kept her protein lower. I would prefer to feed them both the same.


My favorite canned is Addiction. But not very many places carry it. Party Animal is probably easier to find and all organic. Lisi should be fine with the protein amount since it's canned and all the moisture. But if it seems to be too high for her and she has either loose stools or starts to regurgitate, lower the protein by adding some canned pumpkin or other veggies to it. :thumbsup:


----------



## mysugarbears

Crystal&Zoe said:


> My favorite canned is Addiction. But not very many places carry it. Party Animal is probably easier to find and all organic. Lisi should be fine with the protein amount since it's canned and all the moisture. But if it seems to be too high for her and she has either loose stools or starts to regurgitate, lower the protein by adding some canned pumpkin or other veggies to it. :thumbsup:



Addiction is a nice canned food and well as their dehydrated food. You can order from Dog - addiction canned food - Free Shipping at Chewy.com and you get free shipping on orders over $49 or more and that includes canned food as i order my cat's Luna's food from them and they are super fast too.


----------



## N2Mischief

Misha has mild MVD so has to have low protein. She can't eat chicken (gets itchy). Her tear stains have been awful on both Solid Gold Holistique Blend, and Dr. Dodds home cooked liver diet. I recently went in search of a dog food that was lower protein, lower fat (for my dog with pancreatitis), no chicken, and no grain or potatoes so it would be low glycemic as Misha seemed to also be getting yeasty ears and I suspected the tear stains to be yeast.

I switched two weeks ago to California Natural Kangaroo and Red Lentil. Her ears are clearing up and her tear stains are less, but not gone. This is the first time she is grain free because it is hard to find grain free with lower protein. 

I will let you know how it goes in a few weeks. I know it takes time to see a difference.


----------



## BradyLily

Thanks so much Crystal. I feed Brady & Lily a different protein every day. I've been giving them lamb, venison and white fish. The common ingredient in all three is sweet potatoes. Maybe he's having an issue with that. I feel so bad for him. Poor little guy. I guess I've got some homework to do. I tried the Wellness Simple and it's a bit mushy, even after it's been in the fridge. Maybe I'll check out Addiction canned. There are so many options! Where do I start? 
I fed them about 2-1/2 hours ago and he rolling around & rubbing his face on the rug and of course his eyelid started bleeding a little. 
I better go and give him some Benadryl. Any advice is greatly appreciated. 🐾 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## mysugarbears

BradyLily said:


> Thanks so much Crystal. I feed Brady & Lily a different protein every day. I've been giving them lamb, venison and white fish. The common ingredient in all three is sweet potatoes. Maybe he's having an issue with that. I feel so bad for him. Poor little guy. I guess I've got some homework to do. I tried the Wellness Simple and it's a bit mushy, even after it's been in the fridge. Maybe I'll check out Addiction canned. There are so many options! Where do I start?
> I fed them about 2-1/2 hours ago and he rolling around & rubbing his face on the rug and of course his eyelid started bleeding a little.
> I better go and give him some Benadryl. Any advice is greatly appreciated. 🐾
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



Michelle, it could very well be the sweet potatoes. I have two that are prone to yeast and feed foods that do not have any type of potatoes and it has helped quite a bit with the staining and feet chewing. Hopefully you'll be able to find something that works well for your baby.


----------



## BradyLily

mysugarbears said:


> Michelle, it could very well be the sweet potatoes. I have two that are prone to yeast and feed foods that do not have any type of potatoes and it has helped quite a bit with the staining and feet chewing. Hopefully you'll be able to find something that works well for your baby.


Thanks Debbie! Are you feeding your 2 Addiction? Brady rolls around and Lily chews her feet. Sounds very similar. What proteins are you feeding?


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## mysugarbears

BradyLily said:


> Thanks Debbie! Are you feeding your 2 Addiction? Brady rolls around and Lily chews her feet. Sounds very similar. What proteins are you feeding?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



Michelle i feed mine the frozen raw Stella and Chewy's and rotate through the proteins, except the chicken. I just recently switched back to Stella and Chewy's, i had misread the ingredients and could have sworn i saw sweet potatoes in there and stopped feeding, there was a post recently and i found out that Stella and Chewy's does not have sweet potatoes so we went back to it. What kind of shampoo do you use for the pups when bathing?


----------



## BradyLily

mysugarbears said:


> Michelle i feed mine the frozen raw Stella and Chewy's and rotate through the proteins, except the chicken. I just recently switched back to Stella and Chewy's, i had misread the ingredients and could have sworn i saw sweet potatoes in there and stopped feeding, there was a post recently and i found out that Stella and Chewy's does not have sweet potatoes so we went back to it. What kind of shampoo do you use for the pups when bathing?


We use Tropiclean 2 in 1 Papaya shampoo/conditioner. Their hair seems nice and not dry. I check their skins when I'm brushing them and it doesn't seem dry. I wanted to give them a bath over the weekend but it's been so cold I thought I'd wait for this weekend. I think it going to warm up into the 30's. Our heat is hot water baseboard heat, so not as drying as forced hot air. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## BradyLily

Crystal&Zoe said:


> My favorite canned is Addiction. But not very many places carry it. Party Animal is probably easier to find and all organic. Lisi should be fine with the protein amount since it's canned and all the moisture. But if it seems to be too high for her and she has either loose stools or starts to regurgitate, lower the protein by adding some canned pumpkin or other veggies to it. :thumbsup:


Hi Crystal, I picked up a few cans of Grandma Mae's Country Naturals Grain Free Beef & Liver dinner and beef dinner. Do you know anything about this food? I buy B&L's food at a small boutique near my house. They said the food is pretty new and they are trying it. The ingredients look good and I fed it to them this morning and they both loved it! I also picked up Freshpet Vital complete food roll. Maybe I'll try that in a couple of days. I am staying away from chicken, turkey and sweet potatoes. B&L aren't very picky. They'll eat any canned food, they don't like kibble. Any thoughts? 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

