How to Get Rid of Your Dog's Tear Stains

Light colored dogs are sometimes prone to a condition called tear staining, wherein, on an otherwise well-groomed pet, the fur around the eyes has unsightly dark stains. The tear stains may start gradually or very quickly, but once they take hold, seem almost impossible to remedy.

Trust me, I know about this problem because I have a white dog that is a Maltshipoo (Maltese, Shih Tzu, Poodle Mix) named Sugar Pie. She is my furry little canine daughter that I love very much, and she has been plagued with tears stains for most of her two years on this planet. But I think I have found a cure for her!

Tear stains are most noticable on white or light colored dogs, who might be otherwise well groomed and well cared for. Sugar Pie started out with beautiful white fur everywhere, but the area around her eyes started to show dark discoloration once the tear staining started. In researching tear stains, I discovered many possible reasons she might have developed this aggravating conditon:

• Genes - Maltese, Lhasa Apso and Shih Tzu breeds seem to be most prone for tear stains.
• Excessive tearing - Wet fur around her eyes can be a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast.
• Blocked tear ducts - Her tear ducts could be blocked or completely closed.
• Irritation - Long hair around her eyes could be irritating her eyes.
• Cutting Teeth - Cutting teeth can put pressure on her tear ducts.
• Ear Infections - Water can get into her ears during bathing and cause ear infections that result in excessive tearing.
• Allergies - Just like me, she may be allergic to smoke or other allergens in our environment.
• Diet or Water - Minerals in the water or additives in her dog food could be the culprit.

As soon as those tear stains started showing up, I consulted her Veterinarian about the condition. He told me that tear staining was very typical in Maltese breeds, so at first, I decided to try to live with it.

At every subsequent appointment I brought it up again, so he checked her tear ducts, and even gave me eye drops and a bottle of antihistimine tablets once. I thought meds for dogs seemed kind of silly, so I researched online about home remedies for tear staining and tried different wipes and diet addictives. I even read that adding vinegar to her drinking water might help, so I tried it. However, when I mentioned the vinegar to the Vet, he advised against it and I stopped.

I have Sugar Pie groomed regularly every 2-3 months and always ask the groomer to trim closely around her eyes. She is an inside dog who sits with me on the couch and sleeps on the covers of my bed almost every morning after she wakes up from her doggie bed. She even gets a shower with me once a week, which I find easier and less messy than bathing her. Okay, 'm I bad?

I am admitting how much I spoil her to prove the point that I love her, and have been diligent about keeping her clean and trying to resolve this tear staining problem. Yet as hard as I've tried, her tear stains have persisted and nearly driven me crazy! In fact, before I'd post a picture of my Sugar Pie on my Facebook profile, I would touch it up so her tear stains didn't show as bad!

There are lots of online articles about how to treat tear staining with products and home remedies, so I am not going to cover all the methods that I had researched over the years. Instead, I am going to tell you what is working for me. And I am even going to be as product-specific as I can!

First of all, I didn't change her diet or water. She still drinks tap water and eats the same quality brand of dog food that she has been eating since a puppy. I reward her with pet treats and dog jerky, as well as pieces of veggies that won't hurt her, such as red bell pepper, broccoli, green beans and carrots. I was glad to find out that I wouldn't have to make changes to these things to get rid of those tear stains!

1. Regular Bathing (or in Sugar Pie's case, showers) - Sugar Pie's fur is thoroughly washed once a week. I use the product, Perfect Coat, White Pearl, Shampoo & Conditioner, that I bought at Petco for around $10.00. You can often find it on sale online. It rinses out easily, smells like coconut and brightens her white coat. The instructions say to avoid the eyes, so I wash around her eyes in the shower with baby shampoo. (One bottle lasts me for 3-4 months.)
2. Face Washings - If I notice heavy crusting or discoloration in-between showers, I wash the area around her eyes with a product my dog groomer told me about, Espree Facial Cleanser. I LOVE this product and it works great. I couldn't find it in a pet store so I shopped around online to find the best deal. It is a foaming cleanser that comes in several fragrances, and I bought Plum since it was on sale online. I paid around $8.00 for 5 fl.oz. Shipping was almost as much as the product, so next time I'll buy more than one bottle. Sugar Pie seems to actually appreciate me washing her face with it...or could it be the treat she gets afterward? (This bottle will last me a few years!)
3. Eye treatment - After accepting that my dog might need eye drops and an antihistimine to clear up the problem, I asked the Vet for them again and decided to be religious about their use. He also suggested a new wipe product called Lid’n’lash™. I left his office with 100 wipes, plus the Opthalmic Solution (NeoPolyDex) and 30 antihistimine tablets (Chlorpheniramine). This purchase set me back somewhere around $50, but has lasted for three months now. The Vet's instructions were: 1 wipe daily, 1 drop of solution in each eye, 3 times a day, and 1/2 tablet 2-3 times a day until the conditon improves. After I started to see positive changes, I reduced this somewhat. Now approximately every other day, I use one wipe around her eyes, place 1 drop of the solution in each eye, and give her 1/2 of each allergy tablet wrapped in a piece of sliced turkey lunch meat. Since her condition has improved so much over the past few months, the Vet said I should probably use the eye drops and antihistimine now only when her allergies seem to flare up and back off once they are better. He said I could use the wipes every day, all year long.

Okay, this article is about what is working for Sugar Pie and me. I want to make it clear that I am not a Veterinarian, nor do I guarantee success, or have any financial interest in any of these products. I am simply sharing my excitement over finally finding a solution for my dog's two year tear staining dilemma. I admit, my solution does take a little time, money and effort, but my precious little dog companion is worth it.

You should still see your Vet and listen to his advice, but it doesn't hurt to share this information with him and see what he thinks, does it? And since I've accepted that my dog's tear staining will have to be kept under control, I've done some research and started shopping around.

I've discovered that all three of the products I got from my Vet are available online, so once your Vet has assessed your dog's situation, compare his prices with the cost for the same product online at stores such as 1-800-PetMeds, PetCareRx or PetScriptions. Check your local drug store too, because my Vet's office told me that the antihistimine they provide is the same one used for humans, and that I could check Walgreens or CVS for a similar product.

After her weekly shower, Sugar Pie runs around like a happy puppy, feeling pretty no doubt. Each time I say, "Let's do your eyes," she comes to me and gently lays her head in my lap, whereby I quickly run through her eye routine. She then races expectantly to the kitchen for her "treat" in which her antihistimine is hidden.

Yes, Sugar Pie and I have become a cooperative team, fighting that ugly tear staining that plagued us both for years. It's been just over three months now, and her tear stains are SO much better, as you can see in these "before" and "after" pictures! Isn't she gorgeous now that those tear stains are almost gone? Hollywood, she does tricks too!