***Nature
of Tear Stains***
Tear
staining is most obvious on dogs with white and other light color coats
or with heavy wrinkles. The stain is usually reddish-brown.
Whenever
hair rests around the eyes some amount of tear staining results from the
hair wicking moisture from the eyes, both above and mainly below the eye.
But there are many other sources of tear stains. Tear staining can be traced
to health and diet, as well as genetics. Most veterinarians agree that
face staining results from excessive tearing. In this case, the damp face
hair is a breeding ground for bacterial and yeast growth. The most common
is "Red Yeast" which is usually associated with reddish-brown facial stains,
and which may emit a moderate to noticeably strong odor. Tear ducts may
become infected and result in excess tearing and noticeable staining.
Some
owners have consulted veterinary eye specialists on the problem. The doctors
advised them that the eye structure was the most probable source of the
problem. If that is so, then genetics would likely play a role and explain
why the problem is more pronounced in some pets of the same breed. If you
are purchasing a puppy and you care concerned about the potential for tearing
and staining, you should observe the mother and sire, and others in the
direct lineage.
Eye
duct surgical procedures to increase their tear capacity may help some
pets; ask your veterinarian.
Haircoat
stains also occur in areas other than the eyes. White and light color coats,
wrinkled faces and short nosed breeds like our beloved bulldog can acquire
water stains from pet drinking water, bacteria and red or pimple looking
bumps may appear as well, try using a stainless steel bowl for food and
water and clean at least 3 times weekly in a dishwasher to sterilize them.
Minerals in the water may stain facial hair in the whisker, and mouth areas,
as well as other areas on the chest and front legs when water regular drips.
Purified waters/bottled water with low mineral content may be the answer.
Some
pet foods with certain additives will stain hair in the mouth area,
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.
Your
first step is to determine the source of tear and face stains. As we have
noted, it may be water and food sources and that can be corrected. Tear
staining often involves more complex solutions requiring veterinary introspection
to determine the source.
If
bacterial and yeast infections are involved you need to take steps to reduce
and eliminate their presence. Veterinarians can prescribe medication to
treat bacterial and yeast infections. Your veterinarian or eye specialist
veterinarians can determine if excessive tearing is the source of stains,
and describe alternatives available.
***Tear
Stain Removal***
Tear
stain removal has become some what easier with various products, medication
and home remedies. You may consult with groomers for commercial product
recommendations. We have tested a few of the commercial products and have
found results to be average at best. We have noticed they tend to lighten
the stain color but don't really remove it, even after 8-12 weeks of use.
There is some home remedies that show promise and some by rx.
What
We Use here at *ALL STAR*
DESITIN OINTMENT
for info.
Yes the baby rash thing. After a while you get used to the smell and
it won't bother you. It keeps away the yeast/fungus they can get between
the wrinkles and helps the nasty yellow tear stains.
All those TEAR STAIN products on the market don't work (not for us
anyway).
or TRIPLE PASTE Rash Ointment
for info.
It's white and creamy just like DESITIN, but it does not contain BHA
like Desitin and it doesn't smell like that cod stuff it's fragrance free
and hypoallergenic. These creams are very important for Frenchies, so either
one you buy, make sure you have one on hand. Since the cream is white it
helps masks the tear stains also. This paste is not only for the wrinkle
area on the face, but also for the GIRLY PRIVATE PARTS. A little smear
in their privates a few times a week keeps the fungus away from their vulva
area. Since Frenchies cannot "CLEAN" themselves, you must help them.
HOW TO DO IT:
Wipe the eye with baby wipe...
Let dry and apply Diaper Rash Cream... done...
DONE

Other
Methods: (we do not use these)
Tetracycline
Consult
your vet for this method as it requires a RX anyway. This method should
only be used when all others have failed and should only be used for 1-2
courses of treatment and not relied on as a continued treatment. Some have
found success in eliminating tear staining by putting a bulldog on a ten
day course of low dose tetracycline. Occasionally this may need to be repeated.
Do not use this in puppies that have not yet cut their adult teeth. Tetracycline
has been shown to cause teeth which have not erupted to permanently stain
yellow.
TUMS
If
you need to change the pH of your dogs system to aid in preventing yeast
or infection then Tums is primarily a source of Calcium, known as an antacid
formulated as 500 mg Calcium Carbonate. Giving your Bulldog 1/2 of the
Fruit flavored variety twice a day will help change the pH of the tears.
This will change the tears' environment and can help make it hostile for
the continued growth of yeast and bacteria.
White
Vinegar
A
teaspoon of white cider vinegar can be added to your dogs drinking water
to control new tear stains. It may take a while for your dog to "decide"
to drink this water so start with a little less and gradually increase
the amount of vinegar. Vinegar works much like TUMS in that it can
changes the pH of the drinking water. Changing the pH of your dog slightly
will do wonders in the tear stain war and help eliminate bacteria and deep
stain color and prevent yeast build up and is best used as a prevention
once you have the tear stains removed or nearly removed. This will help
for the future of the tear stains and make them a minimum occurrence.
Milk
of Magnesia, corn starch and peroxide Use
equal volume of MOM (plain white) and peroxide, and then use the corn starch
to make a good paste of this; put on and work well into the stained area
and let dry 4 hours. Wash out, CONDITION WELL. Keep doing this for several
days until tear staining is gone, although I would recommend skipping a
day or two between applications if possible. Apply a thin coat of DESITIN
diaper rash ointment after the area is washed out and dry. Try this every
other day if possible and the choice way of doing it. If your dog has heavy
stains then do this for 3 days in a row, then skip every other day.
This
MOM formula is my personal preference when I do need to remove tear stain
color from the face of dogs. It works well but give it a few days to show
results. (Have tried this one, but pain in the
butt, I didn't use long enough to know whether it worked or not)
Corn
Flour, water and a drop of bleach Take
a 2 teaspoon of corn flour, add a few drops of boiling hot water and mix
to a paste. Add 1 single drop of plain bleach. mix again. Allow the mixture
to cool down and apply to the tear stain area. Allow to dry (10 minutes),
wait 1 hour and remove with warm water and clean cloth. Then wipe on a
thin layer or peroxide and allow to air dry and leave alone. Repeat every
other day for 2 weeks. DO NOT get any in the dogs eye.
You
should also make sure your dog don't have a tear duct obstruction (blockage)
and have corrected the food and water issue first so he don't keep getting
tear stains. After all if you treat the tear stains to remove them while
at the same time you feed a food that causes tear stains you won't gain
nothing. Try the least invasive of the above methods first, give them 2-4
weeks to work, then if your not satisfied go to another method of treatment.
Do not use multiple treatments at the same time. Always have your vet give
the dog a complete exam to rule out any serious eye condition first before
trying anything else. The commercial products just don't work very well
so it is best to just forget about them unless you have a very mild case
of stain.
Adapted from: http://www.bhejei.com/tearsta.htm
Below
you can see the tear stains on this cream dog.
One
of my pet peeves and why I decided to put this here...
All Star Disclaimer: We
do not claim to be veterinarians & by listing any information on this
page we are not giving medical advice. We do not claim that the information
herein will guarantee that this correct with anyone else's French Bulldog.
Please do not use these links to attempt to diagnose or treat your pet.
A licensed veterinarian is the best source of health advice for an individual
pet. Remember that different veterinarians often disagree about the best
treatments for pets. There are often several perfectly acceptable ways
to treat the same condition. Just find the right Vet and ask a lot of questions!!!!
We place these articles here for the public to read, as information, not
FACTS. We found this information online, through web sites and other sources
of information and list it here to inform others what we have read and
what we think is important regarding French Bulldog Health concerns. If
we state certain methods we have used or use on or have experienced with
our own dogs, we do not wish to infringe these methods on anyone else,
it is solely our opinion and nothing else. By reading, and/or using the
material contained herein, reader or user of this information fully
understands the above and again agrees to utilize this information at your
own risk..
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