# to trim lower, inner eye hair or not?



## fach (Jun 27, 2005)

I have always been torn about trimming the inner, lower eye hair. My vet thinks it's a good idea b/c it's easier to keep the area clean and dry. With her advice I have kept the area trimmed. I still wonder if I'm doing the right thing, so I wanted to know what everyone else thinks.

a] yes, I trim the area
b] nope, I prefer it long

[I don't know how to do a poll, but I'm giving it a go. If it doesn't work my apologies :embarrassed:


----------



## CeeCee's Mom (Sep 14, 2006)

Do you mean the inside of the lower eye??? Oh gosh, if that is true, the way mine jerk around, I would probably stab their little eyeball~~~~I am guilty of trimming hair around the inner eye on the outside. I know some people don't like that but I do.............


----------



## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I think she means the hair at the inner corner of the eyes, Dianne. Yes, where you trim. Inner meaning not the sides of the eyes near the ears. Inner meaning the corners between eyes.


----------



## fach (Jun 27, 2005)

CeeCee's Mom said:


> Do you mean the inside of the lower eye??? Oh gosh, if that is true, the way mine jerk around, I would probably stab their little eyeball~~~~I am guilty of trimming hair around the inner eye on the outside. I know some people don't like that but I do.............


No, I mean outside the eye on the lower, inner eye area


----------



## fach (Jun 27, 2005)

fach said:


> No, I mean outside the eye on the lower, inner eye area


Sorry, I should have worded it better. I told you I wasn't good at this poll stuff, :blink: LOL


----------



## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

leila came to me with that hair trimmed, but i prefer it long, so i'm growing it. for now, it's taking a lot of vigilance to keep it out of her eyes, but it's almost long enough now where it stays out of the way. i'm shocked leila ever stayed still for her eye hair to be trimmed safely.


----------



## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

I prefer to grow it out and leave it long.


----------



## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

grow it out!


----------



## fach (Jun 27, 2005)

I wonder how long it would take to grow? And how do you keep it out of their eyes while it grows?


----------



## myfairlacy (Dec 28, 2007)

I wouldn't cut anything around my dogs' eyes. It will probably take several months to grow all the way out and lay flat, but it's definitely worth it


----------



## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

fach said:


> I wonder how long it would take to grow? And how do you keep it out of their eyes while it grows?


 A few months at least! We just tried to tolerate it somehow..but be patient and it'll be there. I think it took Bisou around 4/5 months for it to happen. here she is during this time! yikes. Somedays I tried to pat it down but mainly I just let it be.


----------



## roxybaby22 (Feb 25, 2009)

myfairlacy said:


> I wouldn't cut anything around my dogs' eyes. It will probably take several months to grow all the way out and lay flat, but it's definitely worth it


I agree!


----------



## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

i cut it myself at the beginning n now its in that in between stage where i think im going to just let it grow out.


----------



## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

Seriously, why would anyone start cutting those little hairs? Just ANOTHER thing to groom bi-weekly! :smilie_tischkante: LOL


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Well I just recently started trimming closer around the eye, muzzle area. As some SM members know we had a terrible staining problem. When I got Tyler he was trimmed and no tears (at 8 months). I then let it grow out for the past 5 months. When I went to the vet she said that his hair was poking into his eyes and causing the tearing. She suggested I cut it. I had also sent a photo to Chris and he said it looked like the hairs were causing the problem. I tried Tylan from the vet for several weeks and that didn't work. Then I got him trimmed and I have to say his eyes aren't tearing like they were. They look big and bright and stray hair free. The tears aren't pooling or streaking like they were. My groomer (who lives in my building) trims him and he stays completely still. We're all happy right now so I'm staying with that. That's what worked for us.


----------



## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

If Maltese don't have topknots, I think it looks better to trim the inside corners of the eyes. If they have a topknot, it looks better not to trim the area.


----------



## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

LJSquishy said:


> If Maltese don't have topknots, I think it looks better to trim the inside corners of the eyes. If they have a topknot, it looks better not to trim the area.


I agreee!


----------



## cleex1004 (Aug 2, 2008)

I've been growing louis out for about 9 months now. Its taken a while but his hairs finally lay down. Its a pain to grow out but definately worth it!


----------



## fach (Jun 27, 2005)

ilovemymaltese said:


> Seriously, why would anyone start cutting those little hairs? Just ANOTHER thing to groom bi-weekly! :smilie_tischkante: LOL


The vet suggested it because the tearing leads to wet hair and then causes bacterial infection. Dixie has had a couple of those now. I have kept the area trimmed. I wash her eyes AND DRY THE AREA every morning. I want to grow it out but worry it will be a health issue. No one else has this problem with tearing and untrimmed hair?


----------



## Gabby (Feb 21, 2009)

fach said:


> The vet suggested it because *the tearing leads to wet hair and then causes bacterial infection*. Dixie has had a couple of those now. I have kept the area trimmed. I wash her eyes AND DRY THE AREA every morning. I want to grow it out but worry it will be a health issue. No one else has this problem with tearing and untrimmed hair?


that's what my vet told me also so I ask the groomer to trim it.... when she had long hair that area was all wet, when it was trimmed it was dry... now she has it long, she has never had an infection, I clean her eyes* every day*, with a wet cotton ball, then I dry it with a towel and finally I brush her... as I told you before she has never had an infection and doesn't have that area stained also... but if your pup has had a couple of infections maybe it will be better to maintain the area short, just my opinion....


----------



## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I've always trimmed it as I don't like it stabbing them in the eyes and it does reduce tearing. I also like that nice neat look. Sometimes I see dogs with it grown out and in a topknot and it looks like they have inner blinders on. LOL I don't think Cosy would have a muzzle at all if I grew it out. She'd look like a pekamalt. LOL!!! (made myself laugh)


----------



## fach (Jun 27, 2005)

Gabby said:


> that's what my vet told me also so I ask the groomer to trim it.... when she had long hair that area was all wet, when it was trimmed it was dry... now she has it long, she has never had an infection, I clean her eyes* every day*, with a wet cotton ball, then I dry it with a towel and finally I brush her... as I told you before she has never had an infection and doesn't have that area stained also... but if your pup has had a couple of infections maybe it will be better to maintain the area short, just my opinion....


Well, another train of thought is that maybe bacteria was introduced to the area via clipping it short....seeing how yours is long and has had no issues. Just a thought.


----------



## Gabby (Feb 21, 2009)

your pup had the infections while having the area short or long??... if it was while having the area short, I would think that bacteria was introduced to the area via clipping it (as you said) so I would give it a try to growing the area and see how the pup is doing...


----------



## almitra (Apr 24, 2009)

I have trimmed before---waaayyy back in the day, but no more.


----------



## fach (Jun 27, 2005)

Gabby said:


> your pup had the infections while having the area short or long??... if it was while having the area short, I would think that bacteria was introduced to the area via clipping it (as you said) so I would give it a try to growing the area and see how the pup is doing...


Yes, she had it when I was keeping short. I agree. Maybe trimming is a bigger problem.


----------



## Gabby (Feb 21, 2009)

yes, it could be... let the hair grow now, and be careful with the cleanliness... As I told you before I clean her eyes area every day with a wet cotton ball (I use boiled water or bottled water), once a week I add to the water a cleaning product (Lagripet , :::Home Dragfarma::: ) then I dry her with a clean towel and finally I brush her very carefully... I'm very carefull with her eyes, 'cause she always has the area wet during the day, sometimes I clean her twice a day, and if I see some hair in her eyes (I mean inside, sorry for my bad english) I apply some artificial tears to remove it.

hope this helps!!


----------



## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

Staining results in the tears making the hair wet creating an environment for a yeast infection...thus red yeast. It can be itchy, if you've ever let your dog's face get really messy and they start pawing at it, it could be the bacteria causing an itchy feeling. I don't think cutting or not cutting has much to do with staining other than while the hairs are growing out they can irritate the eyes causing excess tears. I trim for neatness and I like the clean look it gives.


----------



## fach (Jun 27, 2005)

sent the girls to the groomer today and plan to start growing out the eye hair. Are there any products or tricks out there to help keep the area dry. Those pesky hairs will be poking in their eyes for a while. How about a light dusting of cornstarch?


----------



## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

fach said:


> sent the girls to the groomer today and plan to start growing out the eye hair. Are there any products or tricks out there to help keep the area dry. Those pesky hairs will be poking in their eyes for a while. How about a light dusting of cornstarch?


Cornstarch is the only thing I can think of too.


----------

