Tear stains!

d1mitrov · Jul 14, 2017

Hey guys so my white frenchie girl has those annoying tear stains...she is currently teething as well and i read that can increase the amount of tears as well. I do the witch hazel and desetin treatment daily, i give her purified water only and grain free food and nothing seems to help...the stains are so dark and big its so frustrating. I was thinking about trying the NaturVet tear stain supplement? Any of you have any experience or recommendations about any supplements that might help lessen the tears and the stains? I would appreciate it!

2bullymama · Jul 15, 2017

Welcome to FBN... i have not used any supplements for tears stains.... some other members may have insight .

If teething as you said that can add to issue

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

davidh · Jul 16, 2017

I wouldn't use Witch Hazel every day, or that close to the eyes. Very bad if it gets in the eye, and will dry out the skin. You can use some Corn Starch on the stains to help keep them clean and use a non-scented baby wipes to clean them.

Cbrugs · Jul 17, 2017

It would be good to try and find the cause of the stains. Jax started getting tear stains when he was younger and then I switched from tap water to filtered water and that took care of the problem. I am dealing with excessive tearing with my bulldog who has an all white face so it is more noticeable. He doesn't have bad tear stains yet but I am constantly wiping his folds and trying to keep them dry. I have heard teething can cause tearing and it might even be from abnormally growing eyelashes. Also possible it could be caused by food.

Alice Kable · Jul 17, 2017

davidh said:
I wouldn't use Witch Hazel every day, or that close to the eyes. Very bad if it gets in the eye, and will dry out the skin. You can use some Corn Starch on the stains to help keep them clean and use a non-scented baby wipes to clean them.

I totally agree!

d1mitrov · Jul 18, 2017

ughh i read on another thread here where everyone recommended witch hazel....so youre saying dont use witch hazel now? I also have a product by 21st century essential pet for tear stain removing...any word on that? I want whats best for my baby but im getting conflicting information

Honeys Owners · Jul 18, 2017

I agree, tear stains can be caused by yeast infection, and switching to a different food may prevent his.Why not try a dehydrated raw dog food, or a locally supplied frozen raw food patty? That product you bought should be ok. You can also try wiping the tear stains with colloidal silver (from a health food store or amazon) on a cotton ball.

Cbrugs said:
It would be good to try and find the cause of the stains. Jax started getting tear stains when he was younger and then I switched from tap water to filtered water and that took care of the problem. I am dealing with excessive tearing with my bulldog who has an all white face so it is more noticeable. He doesn't have bad tear stains yet but I am constantly wiping his folds and trying to keep them dry. I have heard teething can cause tearing and it might even be from abnormally growing eyelashes. Also possible it could be caused by food.

d1mitrov · Jul 18, 2017

This is from 2bullymama on another thread Quote Originally Posted by hjjohnson0 View Post
Is witch hazel safe to use, it won't burn irritate the skin? I'm a new frenchie owner and want to be proactive. How often do you wipe down?

Answer: yes, it does not sting and it has natural dry agent too

Also i use Fromm food which everyone says is good and grain free and i also only give her bottled purified water.

Cbrugs · Jul 18, 2017

A lot of people do use witch hazel and then you also have people who wouldn't use near the eyes. So it's kind of a toss up and you'll have to do what you think is best. The import thing is to keep the eye folds dry and it would be best to try to figure out the cause.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Honeys Owners · Jul 18, 2017

A lot of the members here have to switch around the Fromm foods till they find one their pet can tolerate. Not all Fromm dog foods are grain free either, although yours might be.

d1mitrov said:
This is from 2bullymama on another thread Quote Originally Posted by hjjohnson0 View Post
Is witch hazel safe to use, it won't burn irritate the skin? I'm a new frenchie owner and want to be proactive. How often do you wipe down?

Answer: yes, it does not sting and it has natural dry agent too

Also i use Fromm food which everyone says is good and grain free and i also only give her bottled purified water.

d1mitrov · Jul 18, 2017

Yes mine is grain free, its the lamb and lentil one, I made sure its not chicken...puppy loves it, poops fine, no throw up no itching....just the darn tear stains!!!

Honeys Owners · Jul 19, 2017

I agree that the eyelashes can be ingrown or there could be excess hair around the eyes getting into the eyes, causing excessive tearing which leads to the tear stains. Wouldn't hurt to have vet check this out next time dog sees him. Are you using stainless steel or glass or ceramic bowls? Some people say adding 1 tsp apple cider or plain vinegar to water or food daily will help. Definitely puppy will have less tear stains once teething is done. Boracic acid will help bleach the stains, in Collyrium eye wash.

Cbrugs said:
It would be good to try and find the cause of the stains. Jax started getting tear stains when he was younger and then I switched from tap water to filtered water and that took care of the problem. I am dealing with excessive tearing with my bulldog who has an all white face so it is more noticeable. He doesn't have bad tear stains yet but I am constantly wiping his folds and trying to keep them dry. I have heard teething can cause tearing and it might even be from abnormally growing eyelashes. Also possible it could be caused by food.

Cbrugs · Jul 20, 2017

Honeys Owners said:
I agree that the eyelashes can be ingrown or there could be excess hair around the eyes getting into the eyes, causing excessive tearing which leads to the tear stains. Wouldn't hurt to have vet check this out next time dog sees him. Are you using stainless steel or glass or ceramic bowls? Some people say adding 1 tsp apple cider or plain vinegar to water or food daily will help. Definitely puppy will have less tear stains once teething is done. Boracic acid will help bleach the stains, in Collyrium eye wash.

Stainless steel. Actually going to vet tonight so he will look at eyelashes/eyelids.

d1mitrov · Jul 20, 2017

Im using ceramic as i read thats better than plastic or metal. As far as the eyelashes i cant see anything abnormal but i guess i can have the vet look at her.

Cbrugs · Jul 21, 2017

You most likely wouldn't be able to tell yourself if her eyelashes were causing issues. You can try a different protein or brand to see if that helps. Are her eye folds always wet? I brought my bulldog to vet last night and he said eyelashes were fine but he had a little bit of entropian which means his lower eyelids slightly roll inward. My guy is only 5 months old so still growing so it's possible as he grows it can get better or it can get worse. So I will reevaluate when he is 1 and for now, just wipe his eyes and try to keep them as dry as possible.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Honeys Owners · Jul 21, 2017

It would be great to apply hyaluronic acid eye drops for entropion, eg Optixcare Eye lubricant with hyaluronic acid is very good https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Lube-Hyaluron-15-g/dp/B0741T9ML8/ref=sr_1_12?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1500675281&sr=1-12&keywords=optixcare

Cbrugs said:
You most likely wouldn't be able to tell yourself if her eyelashes were causing issues. You can try a different protein or brand to see if that helps. Are her eye folds always wet? I brought my bulldog to vet last night and he said eyelashes were fine but he had a little bit of entropian which means his lower eyelids slightly roll inward. My guy is only 5 months old so still growing so it's possible as he grows it can get better or it can get worse. So I will reevaluate when he is 1 and for now, just wipe his eyes and try to keep them as dry as possible.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk