# Tear stain remover suggestions?



## ShelbyLRay (Jan 10, 2015)

My little white toy poodle Ezzy has been switched from tap water to bottled water, and that makes a major difference with the saliva stains. The only thing I can't control is her tear stains! I bought Drs. Foster and Smith tear stain removing pads and whitening shampoo and all this other stuff and nothing really works like it should! I wash out her eyes every single day because they turn brown. I'm afraid to use too many products on her eyes because they're sensitive.


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## ShelbyLRay (Jan 10, 2015)

Here she is.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I was in the same boat, only, as one member here hailed so complimentarily, my dog looked like he had blood coming out of his eyes. I was afraid to give him something that had antibiotics in it so long term. So, I talked with my vet and he said he had no problem with those products like Angel Eyes. So, I got some and that worked miracles. He has to have about 1/2 tsp every day to keep them away. Sometimes I do it every other day. Sometimes I skip more days and they start coming back a little.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

I asked about eye gunk a while back. My spoo's eyes are watery and I wipe out eye boogers a couple times a day. They are runny sometimes after playing outside and streak down his cheeks. Wrex's face is brown, so stains aren't a problem so much as the crusted hair in the corners of his eyes. They itch him and he rubs at his face if I don't keep them cleaned up. Some one on here suggested saline contact solution, and that's what I've been using. I had some of it left over from a failed experiment in wearing contacts. (The saline stuff that you squeeze into your contact storage container). That helps tremendously. I saturate part of a cotton ball and hold/gently rub the crust on his eyes until it softens. Then I can take a small comb and comb out the goo. The cotton balls are often a brownish-red color by the time I'm done.

Maybe washing her eye fur with an eye-safe saline solution would help and be less irritating. 

Wrex generally sits very still when I do it, even combing right at his eye. I think it feels good. He only gets antsy if I wait too many days and it takes a long time. He's not shy about saying, "that's enough poking at me, thank you very much."


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

How old is Ezzy? Many pups have bad tear staining that improves once they have finished teething. I would also have her checked by your vet, to ensure that there is not an issue like a blocked tear duct or ingrowing eyelash. If she has a clean bill of health from the vet, I would try simply bathing and drying regularly - it helped enormously with Sophy's stains when she was a puppy. The yeasts that cause the staining need moisture, so a clean dry face offers them a much less hospitable environment to grow in. I used a home-made mixture of Borax substitute, Witch Hazel and water, but I suspect warm water and careful drying might have been just as effective! Many people find the anti-biotic in Angel Eyes helps, if you are prepared to use a long term AB for a cosmetic issue (it is not available in the UK without a prescription). There was another product called Angels Delight available in the UK, but that seems to have been discontinued...


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## ShelbyLRay (Jan 10, 2015)

Ezzy is 2, and here in the states we can get basically anything for dog cosmetics haha. About a month (or two?) ago I took her to the vet for her Tri-monthly checkup, and she got a clean bill of health from her vet. He checked her ears, eyes, teeth, paws, nose, breathing, everything! He said she was in her prime. I actually just now got done shaving her face, and that helps keep the gunk away because there's not a lot to stick to! But in the winter and negative temps here, I don't always like to keep it as short as I have to for that. You can kind of see it in the picture because I haven't given her a bath like I had planned today and I haven't cleaned them out yet.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

Zoe never had any tear stains until a month ago. She eats Fromm food and I did try a different flavor, but I usually do all grain free.
What I did is stay off the bag that I noticed a problem with. I also started using Apple Cider Vinegar { with the mother in it} Bragg is the brand I use. I add a teaspoon to the water. At first she wasn't keen on the idea and didn't want to drink her water. I stopped doing once it cleared up.
Not sure which of the two worked, people swear by ACV.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

ShelbyLRay said:


> Here she is.




I barely see them. On most white dogs they can be a lot worse!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Sadly the problem is carried from generation to generation because instead of correcting for it in their breeding, they will cover the issue up with make-up in the show ring.
Personally I would never have my dog ingest an antibiotic such as Angel Eyes on a daily basis just for cosmetic reasons - the product has been banned in other countries, and in recent months there had been talk of banning it in the USA - not sure how close that is to happening yet, but I sure would give a product to my dog that was banned anywhere!
Eye Envy, original formula is very successful for some dogs, does nothing for others, you really have to try it an see if it will work for your particular dog (my apricot was one of their success stories). It is applied topically around the eye, not in it, so I think that unlike Angel Eyes, there would be very little risk associated with it. Certainly worth a try!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

But, honestly I think that your dog's stains are minuscule!


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> I was in the same boat, only, as one member here hailed so complimentarily, my dog looked like he had blood coming out of his eyes. I was afraid to give him something that had antibiotics in it so long term. So, I talked with my vet and he said he had no problem with those products like Angel Eyes. So, I got some and that worked miracles. He has to have about 1/2 tsp every day to keep them away. Sometimes I do it every other day. Sometimes I skip more days and they start coming back a little.


I never used angel eyes, but my vet also assured me it would not be a problem. I didn't ask about using it for months though.
It was only tested on livestock and then people used for dogs. It is sold in the USA without a problem. The ingredient that comes into question is tylosin. Maybe it was banned in other places because of the misuse , prolonged using of it. People swear by it and say they see results fast.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Interesting mix you have, fjm. I wonder if it has any connection or relation to Ammonia. Which removes protein stains too. 

Tonka's got weepy eyes... always has. I rake out the crusty bits with my fingernails about once a day. He'll never see a ring tho so to me it doesn't matter. 

Spud had huge dark brown pupils. And dark brown hair. From a distance, or at a glance, *just take a look below* he looked like he had no eyes!


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I know some have had lots of luck with a product by Primalix called Tidy Tears.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Much safer than ammonia, I think CB - it is in essence the old fashioned eye wash people used on themselves for years, and that Optrex marketed, until Borax became a bit of a no no! These days you can get Borax substiitute, which is even safer than the original, but I would take care not to get it in the eyes even so.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Carley's Mom said:


> I know some have had lots of luck with a product by Primalix called Tidy Tears.


I didn't have any luck with that one. I probably didn't use it for long enough though...kind of got impatient. But I used it for close to the time they say on the bottle and really...no significant change. With Angle Eyes, they disappeared in less than a week.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Dulcie has had gunky "sleep" (I call it) in her eyes most mornings now for a couple of months. At first, I thought she had an eye infection and saw the vet, got drops,e tc. It cleared up but kept coming back. Eventually, I realized it was the stuff that hardens to form the tear staining. Now I have a routine int he mornings where I get a clean facecloth, soak it in hot tap water and wring it out and then I clean up around her eyes by gently swabbing there to soften the crusty bits and wipe away the still wet gunky bits. I often have to use my fingernail to gently pull out the crustier/gunkier combo bits. A few minutes of this and she is all clear for another day. Luckily for me, Dulcie is a black SPOO, so any staining is not noticeable.


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## ShelbyLRay (Jan 10, 2015)

nifty said:


> Dulcie has had gunky "sleep" (I call it) in her eyes most mornings now for a couple of months. At first, I thought she had an eye infection and saw the vet, got drops,e tc. It cleared up but kept coming back. Eventually, I realized it was the stuff that hardens to form the tear staining. Now I have a routine int he mornings where I get a clean facecloth, soak it in hot tap water and wring it out and then I clean up around her eyes by gently swabbing there to soften the crusty bits and wipe away the still wet gunky bits. I often have to use my fingernail to gently pull out the crustier/gunkier combo bits. A few minutes of this and she is all clear for another day. Luckily for me, Dulcie is a black SPOO, so any staining is not noticeable.


I'm gonna have her mini twin on Saturday! I'm getting a boy named raven. A tpoo that's black and 1 pound, 13 ounces.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Well I have tried Angel Eyes, Eye Envy, Burts Bees, Apple Cider Vinegar, distilled water, filtered water, contact solution, peroxide/cornstarch mixture, Tums, different foods with/without potatoes, hypoglycemic, no beet pulp, no coloring, grain free, different proteins, various wipes, and I'm sure a lot I am forgetting. I wash her face 2-3 times EVERY day. 

Today I received Tidy Tears in the mail. I am not too hopeful, but willing to try.

My breeder did say she strives for tearless poodles, and Mishas littermates, and parents have no stains. The doc says her eyes are fine and I've had her ducts flushed.

It is very frustrating!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

N2Mischief said:


> Well I have tried Angel Eyes, Eye Envy, Burts Bees, Apple Cider Vinegar, distilled water, filtered water, contact solution, peroxide/cornstarch mixture, Tums, different foods with/without potatoes, hypoglycemic, no beet pulp, no coloring, grain free, different proteins, various wipes, and I'm sure a lot I am forgetting. I wash her face 2-3 times EVERY day.
> 
> Today I received Tidy Tears in the mail. I am not too hopeful, but willing to try.
> 
> ...



I just don't see it, not ever in a single picture that you have posted. Maybe you are just being a tad too worried about it because she is so freakin perfect in every other respect


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

N2Mischief, I so understand how you feel! My last dog (bichon) had this issue and it was really frustrating! I think being white-coated, it is a bit more noticeable of course and when you groom your dog as lovingly as you groom Misha, it is frustrating not to be able to solve this issue to your satisfaction. I hope you have success with the Tidy Tears!

P.S. I am with Tiny Poodles on one thing, though - from the photos I have seen, Misha's eyes always look beautiful!


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Nifty, thank you! But I take pics that hide them, they are really bad. The sig pic I use she had eye envy powder covering the stains.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

N2Mischief said:


> Nifty, thank you! But I take pics that hide them, they are really bad. The sig pic I use she had eye envy powder covering the stains.



Dear you just don't know - Tangee's "before" pictures on the eye envy website were the ones that hid her stains the most - I used to throw out (before digital) 99 percent of the pictures that I took of her, and those were the ones that I kept!


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## alwayson (Dec 24, 2013)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> I was in the same boat, only, as one member here hailed so complimentarily, my dog looked like he had blood coming out of his eyes. I was afraid to give him something that had antibiotics in it so long term. So, I talked with my vet and he said he had no problem with those products like Angel Eyes. So, I got some and that worked miracles. He has to have about 1/2 tsp every day to keep them away. Sometimes I do it every other day. Sometimes I skip more days and they start coming back a little.


 Good evening ,
I use to use Angel Eye when they first came out with it then on my third bottle , it didn't say for pregnant bitches so I stop , Now I use Shazam a little more work but if your breeding I want to be on the safe side 
You take care :act-up:


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## misha (Nov 25, 2014)

I've heard a lot of great things about apple cider vinegar, mixed in with either the water or food. I'm still testing it out to see how it works for Dallas. But this stuff is suppose to be great for people and pets.


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