# Quick Tear Stain Question



## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

_When Pearl came home her little face was as white as snow but today I noticed a very small amount of tearstaining. Could this be caused by the stress of a new home and strange surroundings? Temporary? Is there anything I can do to prevent it from getting worse? _


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

How old is she? If she's a puppy teething is often the cause.


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## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

jmm said:


> How old is she? If she's a puppy teething is often the cause.


Thanks for the quick response. Pearl is a little over 2 years old so teething isn't the problem.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Then you might consider allergens in your house. Any products with fragrance (laundry detergent, shampoo, air fresheners). Any carpet powders. Cleaning products. Inhaling an allergen will make their eyes water. A wet face stains.


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## munchkn8835 (May 23, 2010)

I was using Angel Eyes but stopped since it is an antiobiotic...it does work, however. Today I was given a 14 day supply of probiotics to try. I was told it would work and it was free so I'll give it a shot. Ollie was doing really good with no stains until about a month ago when he all of a sudden started with them again. Vet want to put him on a low dose of antihistamines in the Spring.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Have you tried running a humidifier? Ideally an air purifying and a humidifier.

Sometimes when we turn the heat on in our homes it gets very dry as well as blowing all sorts of crud into the air for a while. 

I would also consider removing as many allergens as you can and washing all bedding frequently in hot water. 

Our dogs run around so close to the ground. A small bit of debris in the air or fragrance that is bothersome is often more of a problem when your face is 10 inches from the floor. It all settles on the floor. Cleaning products go on our floor. Dust mites in carpet. Etc. Etc. Etc.


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## FluffysMom (Jan 9, 2011)

I've also read that food allergies can cause tear staining. Has anyone experienced this?


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## littledog (Dec 7, 2006)

my little guy had a beautiful clean face when I got him at 4 mos. He started to tear when we got home and still does a little bit. I do believe stress does affect this. Just a trip to the vet or groomer increases it a bit.


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

Food allergies can cause tear staining as well has household allergies. When I switched to Honest Kitchen food and coconut oil Izzy's tear stains cleared up. It may not work for every dog but that is what worked for Izzy.


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## nekkidfish (Aug 25, 2009)

wooflife said:


> Food allergies can cause tear staining as well has household allergies. When I switched to Honest Kitchen food and coconut oil Izzy's tear stains cleared up. It may not work for every dog but that is what worked for Izzy.


I'm still dealing with Poppy's staining (having tried Tylan, then Angel Eyes and now iStain) ... and nothing seems to work. They have all helped, but not worked.

Now I am wondering if it is either our home ... and yes, I do have air freshners around ... or his food. :mellow:

If I try and change his food, is Honest Kitchen something that local shops carry, or do I get it online?

How much coconut oil, and how often?

Thanks bunches! Jules


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## mcaldw01 (Jan 12, 2011)

Hemi was also staining really bad. Based on information I read on here....i changed his food to New Balance Sweet Potato and Fish and started giving him a little bit of dried buttermilk with organic plain yogurt. His tear stains are better...but not gone. I've only been doing this for about 3 weeks...I'll give it about another month and report back!


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## myfairlacy (Dec 28, 2007)

I have a question about teething and tearing/staining. Does the teething actually cause more tearing? Or does it just cause more staining?


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

I think it causes more tearing and the face being constantly wet from the teething and tearing on some pups causes it to stain.


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## myfairlacy (Dec 28, 2007)

mysugarbears said:


> I think it causes more tearing and the face being constantly wet from the teething and tearing on some pups causes it to stain.


Thanks. I was wondering because London's eyes have teared a lot since I got her and she's been teething. Seems like it might be slowing down just a little. Her sire's eyes watered a lot though too so I dont know


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

myfairlacy said:


> Thanks. I was wondering because London's eyes have teared a lot since I got her and she's been teething. Seems like it might be slowing down just a little. Her sire's eyes watered a lot though too so I dont know


Most dogs do actually tear more while teething, I believe it is due to the pressure. If her sire has excessive tearing of course she may inherit that but I'm thinking right now the majority is from the fact that she is teething. If she is still tearing badly by the time she turns 1 you can always have her tear ducts checked.


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## daryl (Mar 14, 2009)

I agree that the gums being inflamed when teething often puts pressure on the ducts, misshaping them and leading to more tears falling onto the face.

Even though I am a fan of some of the natural food supplement tear stain removers I would not recommend them during the teething period- for no reason other than the fact that whilst they may have limited success they will be fighting an up hill battle. The danger is that owners will think that they don't work and then eventually switch to one of the (many) illegal tylosin products.

Many dogs will no longer tear/stain after teething.

Other than trying some of the very good pastes/lotions, diet change may be a big help.

Many dogs are intolerant to grains- they have never been part of a dog's natural diet. Some dogs produce more tears because of these grains, so eliminating the grains can lead to less tears in the first place.


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## puppy lover (Dec 25, 2007)

nekkidfish said:


> I'm still dealing with Poppy's staining (having tried Tylan, then Angel Eyes and now iStain) ... and nothing seems to work. They have all helped, but not worked.
> 
> Now I am wondering if it is either our home ... and yes, I do have air freshners around ... or his food. :mellow:
> 
> ...


Even if the fresheners are not the cause of Poppy's teething they emit toxic chemicals that can cause cancer, etc. Here is a study that just came out in Science Daily.
Toxic Chemicals Found In Common Scented Laundry Products, Air Fresheners

But regarding the staining, I met a woman with 4 malts who swears by buttermilk powder.


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