# Tear stains !!!!



## nickjr000 (Jan 19, 2011)

My bulldogs face is white so of course he has big brown tear stains down each side now. I do wipe his face occasionally but is there something to remove them? Anything to do with food? I feed him Acana prarie and he loves and does great on it.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

My dog has lots of tear stains. Her allergies are environmental and I don't believe are food-related at all, although I'm sure food causes it alot of times.

We use something we got from the vet with enzymes to soften the stains, because they become hard as a rock. My husband is the face cleaner - if he wipes her stains off four times a day he can normally keep her from getting the hardened, crusty stains on her face.

That's hard to keep up with, and so a few times a week he puts the enzyme cleaner on, leaves it a little while, and then goes back with a damp rag to wipe it off.


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## nickjr000 (Jan 19, 2011)

Did some research, a lot of people saying bottled or filtered water helps a lot


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

nickjr000 said:


> Did some research, a lot of people saying bottled or filtered water helps a lot


Bottled water is just water. If water helps, bottled water will help.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

I've read that filtered water can help. Also try adding braggs apple cider vinegar to water( 1 tbsp per bowl) plus probiotics, a friend of mine has a while bulldog and its worked wonders on his tear stains. She uses acidophilus capsules and ACV

here are some before and afters


















you can see the yeasty paws in that one










after


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

I've heard the bottled/filtered water thing as well. The theory is for some dogs the minerals/metals in tap water contribute to the stains. Food can play a role, certain ingredients could likely increase tearing. But breed plays a role too, bulging eyes are bound to tear. I've also heard the apple cider vinegar and it sounds like it works extremely well. It changes the pH of the tears so that the red bacteria that normally grows and creates the staining cannot survive. However it might be difficult to get your dog to eat/drink the ACV, but it's definitely worth a try. I've heard feeding Tums can also alter the pH and have the same affect, you'll have to look up dosages. There are products on the market for tear stains however the ones that the dog ingests contain antibiotics which I would not feel comfortable giving long term. As soon as you stop using them the stains return. There are also products that you can wipe under the eyes onto the stain, not sure how they work but it would also have to be applied daily to kill the bacteria/yeast causing the stain.

Whatever you do it'll have to be a permanent change. I'd try bottled/filtered water first, then probably the ACV.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Maxy24 said:


> I've heard the bottled/filtered water thing as well. The theory is for some dogs the minerals/metals in tap water contribute to the stains. Food can play a role, certain ingredients could likely increase tearing. But breed plays a role too, bulging eyes are bound to tear. I've also heard the apple cider vinegar and it sounds like it works extremely well. It changes the pH of the tears so that the red bacteria that normally grows and creates the staining cannot survive. However it might be difficult to get your dog to eat/drink the ACV, but it's definitely worth a try. I've heard feeding Tums can also alter the pH and have the same affect, you'll have to look up dosages. There are products on the market for tear stains however the ones that the dog ingests contain antibiotics which I would not feel comfortable giving long term. As soon as you stop using them the stains return. There are also products that you can wipe under the eyes onto the stain, not sure how they work but it would also have to be applied daily to kill the bacteria/yeast causing the stain.
> 
> Whatever you do it'll have to be a permanent change. I'd try bottled/filtered water first, then probably the ACV.


you mean DRINKING the water? My dogs drink water filtered by the fridge sometimes, but our tap water is extremely soft - probably less minerals than bottled or filtered water. We haven't lived here very long, maybe it will help in the long run.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

yes, drinking the bottled water. I'm sure it does depend on region, my area has very hard water. In any case it'll only help if it's causing/contributing to the staining in the first place.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

it depends on the cause. my foster has terrible tear stains. raw, purified water, acv, helped marginally at best because his underlying problem is overactive tear ducts. nothing you can do for that. if you're diligent, you can soak up the tears several times/day with a cotton ball. it will help but not alleviate the problem.


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## nickjr000 (Jan 19, 2011)

Yea im gonna get a brita pitcher with the filter for him. Atleast we can drink it too. Lots of people on the bulldog forum say it works well. Maybe stick to it a month and then try the vinegar


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

Over a year ago Yogi, my French Bulldog, was having some tear staining and talked with my vet concerning the issue. I have since used Ophthalmic Oxypol .5% ointment for his eyes...works unbelievable. It is a very small tube for $25 and last 6 months for us. Also, I apply very lightly on a cotton ball...Crystal Eye tear stain remover. It took prob around 2 weeks and they were completely gone. You do have to continually maintain and may still get stains after a long day of outside exercise/play but will clean right up. 

Until, starting raw Yogi had absolutely no tear stains but his system is changing/detoxing. We are just starting our 6th month feeding raw, so once we get thru this transitional stage should be all clear again.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Have you had the vet check her eyes? 

My boxers eyes water because she had a rolled eye lid in both eyes. The bottom lid was rolled in causeing the eye lashes to scratch the eyes causeing watering/tearstains ect. It was a simple surgery to pull the eye lid back to a normal place. They did it when she was spayed. I was told it is common in smushy faced breeds.

When my family had bull dogs, they washed their face and rubbed a bit of baby powder in their wrinkles three times a day. I don't know if it really made a big difference.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

frogdog said:


> Over a year ago Yogi, my French Bulldog, was having some tear staining and talked with my vet concerning the issue. I have since used Ophthalmic Oxypol .5% ointment for his eyes...works unbelievable. It is a very small tube for $25 and last 6 months for us. Also, I apply very lightly on a cotton ball...Crystal Eye tear stain remover. It took prob around 2 weeks and they were completely gone. You do have to continually maintain and may still get stains after a long day of outside exercise/play but will clean right up.
> 
> Until, starting raw Yogi had absolutely no tear stains but his system is changing/detoxing. We are just starting our 6th month feeding raw, so once we get thru this transitional stage should be all clear again.


I hope that's what it is with Snorkels. But I think it's environmental. Some days you can literally see the gunk running out of her eyes. And it turns into this hard crusty brown stuff that will run completely down her face if it's not taken care of - it's not tears coming out.

i wash her off with a damp rag after we go outside, but I think that's like dipping the ocean with a teaspoon.


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

xellil said:


> I hope that's what it is with Snorkels. But I think it's environmental. Some days you can literally see the gunk running out of her eyes. And it turns into this hard crusty brown stuff that will run completely down her face if it's not taken care of - it's not tears coming out.
> 
> i wash her off with a damp rag after we go outside, but I think that's like dipping the ocean with a teaspoon.


Sounds like Yogi...he does have environmental allergies but the tears had cleaned up and were long gone before starting raw. Now, it's like gobs and tears drain from his eyes and turn into a thick crust also. It started second month on raw...hoping eventually it will clear up.

ETA: I have to say with the mentioned products above if I stay on top of it profusely it's much better but one day skipping...all dark brown crust.


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## nickjr000 (Jan 19, 2011)

Ill ask the vet to check him out on our next visit


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

Like Brownie said, it all depends on the cause, which could be many things. My guy had tear stains when we got him, but they went away shortly. If I had to pick something, my guess would have been the filtered water was what worked for us. Of course, he could have also just grown out of them...


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

I should add that Yogi has always drank filtered water...so for us no help.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Unosmom said:


> I've read that filtered water can help. Also try adding braggs apple cider vinegar to water( 1 tbsp per bowl) plus probiotics, a friend of mine has a while bulldog and its worked wonders on his tear stains. She uses acidophilus capsules and ACV
> 
> here are some before and afters
> 
> ...


The difference in her white bulldog is amazing! I want to try this for Ruby because she gets yeasty ears. And my friend wants to try it for her papillon who gets tear stains. Does it have to be the acidophilus or just any probiotic?


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

> The difference in her white bulldog is amazing! I want to try this for Ruby because she gets yeasty ears. And my friend wants to try it for her papillon who gets tear stains. Does it have to be the acidophilus or just any probiotic?


I would go with accidophilus since thats what shes using and it seems to do the trick, or you could try a probiotic that has accidophilus as one of the main strains.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

frogdog said:


> I should add that Yogi has always drank filtered water...so for us no help.


If you touch the affected area and it feels moist, you might try blotting the area with a cotton ball twice/day. You won't totally get rid of it, but you will minimize it. This is the only solution for those breeds with hyperactive tear ducts that don't drain well on their own.


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## lily (May 16, 2011)

i was giving my bulldog acv but read that sometimes if a dog is prone to yeast then acv can make yeast worse,how true that is i dont know ,i just wipe down my bulldogs face with a dry paper towel,raw feed and give emu oil,







,she does get damp but has no tear stains ,i also think that too much wiping and lotions actually make the staining worse,karen


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