Tear Stains

Jason Glavich · Feb 17, 2009

Does anyone here have an answer better than I find on the google search? What causes them? How to make them stop or clean them so it doesnt look so bad?

Yellow lab, I feed pro plan performance all life stages. They get the occasional wet pro plan as a treat with normal food. Started about 2 months ago and I have been wiping them but they just seem to keep getting worse. They dont bother her but it is really just looks funny. I have read about the beet pulp thing not sure if pro plan has it or not didn't see it on the ingredient list.

Any ideas?

1st retriever · Feb 17, 2009

I have heard that it is small/blocked tear ducts. If you gently massage them it can help. There are products to help remove the stains.

Jason Glavich · Feb 17, 2009

Would the blockage explain the staining? I have seen clear tears but not sure why they are staining

1st retriever · Feb 17, 2009

I believe so. My golden had a runny eye and it was starting to stain. I was told that her dam had small ducts and so did her dam. She told me to massage it gently to try and open it up and it has since quit running.

Jason Glavich · Feb 17, 2009

Ok I will have to try that. It doesn't seem to bother her, just bugs the heck out of me. Looks like someone gave her two black eyes.

1st retriever · Feb 17, 2009

Yeah I know!

Makes them look older too. Good luck!

ricejumper · Feb 17, 2009

I'm having the same issue with my 3 month old yellow lab. When i first got her at 8 weeks, the 'tears' were to the point where I had to clean her eyes a few times daily because they were pretty much glued shut after a nap. I dont know if it was coincidental or not but I discovered she had roundworms about 3 days after I got her(after "2 worms of rounding"...what the breeder said). I took her to the vet, wormed her again, and the eye stains and drainage reduced significantly. Now, a few weeks later, she has eyestains but to a lesser extent. The vet says it is not normal, but is optimistic that the problem will take care of itself. Let me know what, if anything you find out because I would like to hear from someone firsthand(not on google) their experiences/solutions.
Good luck

Sharon van der Lee · Feb 17, 2009

There is a product called "Angels Eyes" http://www.angelseyesonline.com/ that owners of toy breeds give to their white dogs. I have heard it works very well. Not sure if you would want to try it on a yellow lab or not.

Jason Glavich · Feb 17, 2009

Sharon van der Lee said:
There is a product called "Angels Eyes" http://www.angelseyesonline.com/ that owners of toy breeds give to their white dogs. I have heard it works very well. Not sure if you would want to try it on a yellow lab or not.

I might try that if the vet can't figure anything out. If it makes my yellow dog white we might have a problem. I too have read so many things from beet pulp to food dye, to wind,dirt, plastic water dish,metal water dish,or just crying in general.

I hope my vet can maybe shed some light on this and take care of it one way or another.

Happy Gilmore · Feb 17, 2009

Not to hijack but it seems relevant,

what about big nasty eye boogers?

Kaie gets them for a few weeks then they seem to go away for a month or two then come back again....

it is really kind of nasty but I pick them off and she insists on trying to lick my fingers....gets all serious about it....

1st retriever · Feb 17, 2009

My one dog has to eat them to. I just ask her if it was good and go on!

If they are yellow/green I believe that is an infection but the brown/black ones are just like the white ones we get.

SMITTYSSGTUSMC · Feb 17, 2009

STOP making her cry if you would just let her go get a duck she would not be so sad.

Smitty

Happy Gilmore · Feb 17, 2009

1st retriever said:
My one dog has to eat them to. I just ask her if it was good and go on! If they are yellow/green I believe that is an infection but the brown/black ones are just like the white ones we get.

Sure glad I'm not the only one with a booger eater.....

1st retriever · Feb 18, 2009

CBR KAIE said:
Sure glad I'm not the only one with a booger eater.....

Me too!!!!

Jason Glavich · Feb 19, 2009

Well went to the vet and that was a waste, got shots so not a total waste. She suggested I go to an eye doctor, since I am scheduled for a cerf exam in 2 weeks I will wait and see if they can tell me something. So no new news at this point.

CrossCreek · Feb 19, 2009

If I'm remember correctly.....

it's the tears themselves that stains... Not sure if it a protein or what, but it's also in the saliva of a dog.

So if a dog starts to have excess tears (eye problem, etc) or allergies (chewing, etc) you will see the stains.

This is why sometimes you can see a stained spot on a dog that chews in one area all the time (such as their paws) or around the mouth (llasa breeds, etc) and down the side of the eyes.

You see it a lot easier in lighter colored dogs... especially white coated dogs (all breeds) ....

There are products that can remove the stains.

mostlygold · Feb 20, 2009

Substance in both saliva and tears that reacts to UV light and causes staining.

You usually see it in small dogs, but it is most likely a blocked tear duct. Any ophthamologist can flush the duct out for you. Sometimes it gets blocked from dust or other substances, but most of the time, it is either a small duct or not placed correctly so instead of tears draining into the back of the throat, they spill over and run down the face.

Some OTC products work very well to prevent the staining but until the duct gets flushed out the problem will continue.

Tear Stains

Jason Glavich

1st retriever

Jason Glavich

1st retriever

Jason Glavich

1st retriever

ricejumper

Sharon van der Lee

Jason Glavich

Happy Gilmore

1st retriever

SMITTYSSGTUSMC

Happy Gilmore

1st retriever

Jason Glavich

CrossCreek

mostlygold

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