Shih Tzu's and tear stains?

I don't own a shih tzu, but they have this marvelous thing called "Tearstant Remover"

I have a Maltese with the same problem. My other Maltese did not. Maltese are all white so this can be quite noticeable.

There is a product called Angel Eyes that they eat. I think it's a pill. Supposed to work from the inside out. Cannot recommend or not recommend. Have not used it. There is Crystal Eyes. It's a liquid that can be wiped on daily. Have not used it a whole lot. Pet stores have products specifically for this issue - under different names, I expect.

I clip the bad spots out as I keep her haircut short anyway.

I don't think the water makes much difference unless it has a lot of iron in it. I have my dog (actually puppy) on bottled water only because when I brought her home - I didn't want the difference in the water between the breeder's house and mine to be an upset tummy issue.

I have heard that the staining can be caused by some ingredients in dog foods. Not sure which ones right now as it's been awhile since I researched this.

You could Google this and find all kinds of information and remedies. Some, I expect, are not so good but there is lots of information and you could use what strikes you as being a good and safe one.

I agree the tear staining does not change the wonderful dog - but I also agree that it would be nice if it would go away.

Good luck with it.

Both tear stain remover and crystal eyes do not work. You can put a drop of Tylan 50 in the water every day and you will never again have tear stains after the original stains grow out. To get rid of the current stains, make a paste out of hydrogen peroxide and corn starch and apply it to the area about 4 times a day for 10 days. You will see it get lighter each day until it is gone. Then, if you are already giving the Tylan 50 or Tylosin, you will have sparkling white eyes forever.

Hi Alana

If your baby is teething then you may find that once the teeth are fully developed the staining will stop. Teething can inflame the gums and deform the tear ducts temporarily. If this is the case then use one of the many tear stain remover pastes in the short term.

I have used the following from bichon hotel

http://bichonhotel.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=...

This will safely remove the stains without nasties like hydrogen peroxide. I can take up to a week.

If it is not related to teething then try one of the natural supplements. You just add them to the food. Avoid anything with tylosin tartrate (TYLAN)- an antibiotic that is not approved for dogs, eg Angels Eyes, Angles Glow, Pets sparks.

I use the Naturvet Tear Stain Supplement- completely natural, legal and safe

http://bichonhotel.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=...

If you have changed diets then this might have been the cause. Many dogs are intolerant to processed grains; wheat, corn etc. This can lead to increased tearing.

Best of luck

I agree with the previous poster that tear staining can be caused by a food allergy. You mentioned that your pup has recently developed the problem, have you happened to changed his or her food recently?

Shih tzus are particularly prone to eye tearing as a result of food sensitivity. The first thing you can do is check the ingredients in your dog's food - common food allergens include chicken by-product meal, ground or whole corn, wheat, animal by-products and sometimes even chicken itself.

If these ingredients are in your dog's food, then a possible solution could be transitioning him/her to a different dog food that is formulated for dogs with food sensitivities. For example, the Nutro Natural Choice Grain Free formula is a limited ingredient diet. A limited ingredient diet is best because there are fewer ingredients to aggravate a dog's food sensitivity. The Natural Choice Grain Free formula features novel protein (Turkey, Venison), proteins that dogs typically haven't experienced and therefore have not developed a sensitivity to. Also, potato is the single carbohydrate source.

The cool thing about the Nutro Grain Free formula is that the facility where it is made in the US, washes out the production line to ENSURE that no traces of grains or other proteins come in contact with the grain free food :)

Hope that helps!

Olivia

Pet Nutrition Specialist

Nutro