# Can dog food cause Weepy Eyes?



## dwchadw (Jan 19, 2013)

My dog Delilah has had weepy eyes since I got her. It's not that bad but I heard certain ingredients can cause weepy eyes but I don't know what ones or how much. Shes been on totw since before I adopted her. I just started her tonight to Infinia because my local feed store highly recommended it. I was wondering if anyone has advice that would help.


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## Sapphire-Light (Aug 8, 2010)

It appears that dyes affect the eyes, I read that beet pulp too, not sure on that one.

Pompadour was a short time in Proplan small breed puppy, and during this his eyes got a LOT of tear stains, it was nasty and red-brownish in color, it was solved wit angel eyes and changing the food.


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## dwchadw (Jan 19, 2013)

Angel eyes?


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## Kassandra (Jun 6, 2012)

Red dyes can cause this in a lot of dogs. Try feeding a food with no dyes in it. 

Not sure about the beet pulp as Sapphire said.


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## dwchadw (Jan 19, 2013)

I checked the totw bag and I don't believe it contains beet pulp or red dyes.


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## Kassandra (Jun 6, 2012)

It could also have to do with allergies. Not sure of the ingredients in totw or which one you were using. Maybe try a grain-free formula?? My aunts dog (a Maltese) can't eat grain inclusive foods or she gets terrible tear stains.


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## dwchadw (Jan 19, 2013)

Totw is grain free and so is Infinia. Totw is her old food and Infinia is the food I just started today transitioning her to.


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## Kassandra (Jun 6, 2012)

Sorry I am not of much help! Angel Eyes covers the problem. It doesn't fix it. While you use it, it gets rid of the tear stains but after you stop they will come back. It is great for people who show their dogs and can't figure out what is causing the stains however I don't usually recommend it to people to use. See how the new food does, it could just be an ingredient in the TOTW that was causing it. Have you been to the vet about it? It is possible that it could be yeast.


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## dwchadw (Jan 19, 2013)

I appreciate all the advice you've given me. I think ill try how the new food goes. If it doesn't work I'll consult a vet.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Could be environmental, could be food allergy. Have all the foods you've tried had potato? Some dogs can't handle that high starch ingredient; it drives my westie mix nuts! Alfalfa is something else I'd look at, esp. if your dog has a grass allergy (yup, my westie mix has that, too...).


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Could be environmental but more than likely a tear duct draining issue because of the breed or scaring from infection.

Its not a food issue.

Daily cleaning with a boric acid solution might help.


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

monster'sdad said:


> Could be environmental but more than likely a tear duct draining issue because of the breed or scaring from infection.
> 
> Its not a food issue.
> 
> Daily cleaning with a boric acid solution might help.


I have to kind of disagree with food not being an issuse because it could be. Not saying that the OP shouldn't get a vet's opinion because it could be a physical problem. But I have personal experience that sometimes it is the food that's causing "weepy" eyes.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

if it's food related, try a grain free/potato free food. The place I work at runs a bulldog rescue and most of them have pretty bad tear stains when they come in due to yeast overgrowth. First thing they do is put them on a raw or low glycemic food like nutrisca or horizon legacy. Plus add probiotics (accidophilus) and some coconut oil as well. 

I also heard that it can be caused by fluoride in the water, so you can try using filtered water instead.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Unosmom said:


> if it's food related, try a grain free/potato free food. The place I work at runs a bulldog rescue and most of them have pretty bad tear stains when they come in due to yeast overgrowth. First thing they do is put them on a raw or low glycemic food like nutrisca or horizon legacy. Plus add probiotics (accidophilus) and some coconut oil as well.
> 
> I also heard that it can be caused by fluoride in the water, so you can try using filtered water instead.



There is no such thing as a low glycemic dog food. There are no indexes for dogs, there are no standards for dogs and a food having what humans consider to be a highly glycemic ingredient like white potato doesn't make a kibble highly glycemic. Fat, fiber and other factors dictate the impact on blood sugar as much or more than one or two starch ingredients.

Dog foods that advertise a glycemic benefit are technically breaking the law because not one organized body has any idea how this applies to healthy dogs. There is no reasonably proven benefit.

It is all BS. That organization with the seal is a total fraud when it comes to approvals on dog foods. At some point the FDA will catch up to the companies that claim a low glycemic benefit.


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## dwchadw (Jan 19, 2013)

Well its the day after I started her on infinia and her tear stains are almost completely gone. I think its too soon to really attribute it to the change in food though...especially since the bowl was mixed between old food and new. Both foods do have potato in the formula. Were about to go to the park so we'll see if its allergies from from grass and such.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

dwchadw said:


> Well its the day after I started her on infinia and her tear stains are almost completely gone. I think its too soon to really attribute it to the change in food though...especially since the bowl was mixed between old food and new. Both foods do have potato in the formula. Were about to go to the park so we'll see if its allergies from from grass and such.


That sounds good. I'd compare ingredients on the before and after kibbles, to see if you can narrow down the cause. That will be helpful in the future. Just lessening the amount of old food could be helpful - you'd be surprised! I'm interested to hear how the visit to the park went.


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

Food can most definitely cause tear stains. My boy had them for the first four months of his life, switched to raw, they were gone FOR good. Seasonal changes clearly eliminated since never had another issue. So believe what you want, but yes, I know for a fact from my boy's experience it can. Obviously there could be other causes, but when you take away the food and they're gone and change nothing else, pretty obvious. I have people stopping me at the farmer's market asking what I feed because most dog's like him have horrible tear stains


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## dwchadw (Jan 19, 2013)

Well after the trip to the park she got mild stains but I'm not sure still. I'm going to finish switching her over and see.


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

Sheltielover25 said:


> Food can most definitely cause tear stains. My boy had them for the first four months of his life, switched to raw, they were gone FOR good. Seasonal changes clearly eliminated since never had another issue. So believe what you want, but yes, I know for a fact from my boy's experience it can. Obviously there could be other causes, but when you take away the food and they're gone and change nothing else, pretty obvious. I have people stopping me at the farmer's market asking what I feed because most dog's like him have horrible tear stains


Tear stains are often caused in young puppies because of teething. So if your pup had them for the first four months of his life, it could've easily been that too. 

But I do agree that certain foods seem to cause them more than others for certain dogs. I know I've seen it with Jackson. Well, at least, I think I have. It could've been purely coincidental and something environmental. But who knows.

I've heard of trying Gerber baby water for Yorkies. It seemed to work for lots of Yorkies (prone to tears).


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Sometimes tap water will cause tear staining, and even using a metal water dish can cause a problem. I changed Maddie's dishes to glass/ceramic, and her moustache/beard staining went away.


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

Food is a big trigger for Casper's tear stains. Some foods it will completely go away on, other minimal, other bad. Certain foods like wheat is a major trigger or chicken. Literally it happened overnight. He stole and ate a loaf of whole wheat bread and the next day, has red stains running down his face. Other allergies do cause them, but food is an issue. Also gets infection between his toes and ears too when eating certain foods. I hate tear stains.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

> There is no such thing as a low glycemic dog food. There are no indexes for dogs, there are no standards for dogs and a food having what humans consider to be a highly glycemic ingredient like white potato doesn't make a kibble highly glycemic. Fat, fiber and other factors dictate the impact on blood sugar as much or more than one or two starch ingredients.
> 
> Dog foods that advertise a glycemic benefit are technically breaking the law because not one organized body has any idea how this applies to healthy dogs. There is no reasonably proven benefit.
> 
> It is all BS. That organization with the seal is a total fraud when it comes to approvals on dog foods. At some point the FDA will catch up to the companies that claim a low glycemic benefit.


you have a real chip on your shoulder,don't you? it's low glycemic because it uses a low sugar carb source like chickpeas as opposed to potatoes. All I know is that it works because I've seen it time after time. 
I know for my own dog, he doesn't digest grains well at all, I've been trying him on Dr Tims, but his paws have become red and smell yeasty. I know that it's food since it's the only thing I've changed in a long time and he's always been on grain free.


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