Help for tear stains (English Bulldog, poodles, diet, yeast)

[MAK802]

I need to figure out how to get rid of Winston's tear stains. I know buttermilk is supposed to work, but that's more for maintenance, not to get rid of them. He has the worst tear stains I have ever seen and I don't know how to get rid of them. I don't want to use Angel Eyes, or any other product with antibiotics and would prefer not to use harsh chemicals near his eyes. He's on good food (Orijen puppy), and it doesn't seem to matter. I've tried those eye wipes in the past and they didn't work either. Any ideas? Here's a picture of his face so you can see just how bad they are.

[kahncss]

I have a Westie and I was told to keep him on distilled water, which I have done. He's 3 yrs old now and has yet to have tear stains.

Here's a recent pic. He's definitely overdue for a trim.

[MAK802]

Thanks for the tip! I've been researching, and it seems that it may be health related since they are the reddish-brown color. Though I just received his puppy pictures and he had them this bad at 3 months, so maybe it's genetic. And your dog is adorable!

[Ringo1]

Your Westie is soo cute! Ringo has never had any huge tear stains either and both he and Lucy drink distilled water.

She is still a puppy and I do notice some staining on her - but since she is not an all white dog - they are not as noticeable.

I remember when I had a maltese - I used some kind of special wipes but I can't remember what they were. They didn't work much - but he kind of grew out of such bad staining as he got a little older.

[njkate]

Mak

Hard to tell from the picture but the one eye that's really red...are you sure he doesn't have entropian as that would contribute to excessive tearing.


The reddish color is because it's a red yeast build up.
Great tips in this link
Tear stains

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[njkate]

I'm loving that Westie

[MAK802]

Originally Posted by njkate

Mak

Hard to tell from the picture but the one eye that's really red...are you sure he doesn't have entropian as that would contribute to excessive tearing.



.

I'm positive it's not entropian. Can occur in this breed, but Bulldogs are much more prone. All the Bostons I see that have a white face get eyes like that when they're bathing or playing outside. It goes away when he's inside, so it's just a Boston thing.

And I was reading about the yeast buildup. It's so funny, my English Bulldog has never had a single issue in his life, and here we are a week into a BT and the fun begins!

[MAK802]

That article is very informative. I kept hearing about beet pulp in pet food being a culprit (it's not in his, as I'm against that because it's a filler) but I always thought pet food companies use the white beets. Turns out I was right:

"HOWEVER BEET PULP WILL NOT CASE TEAR STAINS, that is mis-information to assume it will. Beet pulp used in dog foods and treats are "sugar" beets, they are white, not red and do not contribute to tear stains."

[goodgal]

I have two poodles. The oldest has never had tear stains the younger a puppy ~6mos has awful weepy eyes. Is it genetic? They both are on good diets, no junk. I have been told not to give Angel eyes by my vet.

[dancergal19]

I've heard Diamond Eye can help if used daily or several times a week. It prevents the build up of bacteria in the eye ducts.