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I had hoped that Zita's tear staining would go away when she was finished teething, but it continues to be an issue. I keep her looking fairly presentable with a LOT of effort. For anyone else battling the dreaded tear stains, here's what I'm doing, with photos attached.
Twice a day, I go through these steps:
1. Wipe eyes dry with a clean cloth.
2. Wipe with Tris Optho wipes (I cut them in quarters because it doesn't cover up her whole face that way, and a jar will last 4x longer!) I can visibly see some of the stain coming off onto the pad, so I know it's helping.
3. Wipe with a cotton round (also cut in quarters for better fit to her face) wetted with 4-5 drops of Eye Envy Tear Stain Remover Solution (non-refrig formula). This product claims to close the hair shaft to reduce staining, as well as have antibacterial properties.
4. I use my finger to dab on Eye Envy Tear Stain Remover Powder. This product claims to be a mild cleanser, antibacterial, and moisture repellant.
Throughout the day I dry her eyes (admittedly it's often with my shirt tail!) just because her tear duct area gets so wet (the vet says she has very tiny tear ducts so her tears overflow instead of draining internally). I also keep the hair in that area trimmed very short, carefully using dog scissors with a rounded safety tip and sometimes an eyebrow razor (weirdly called "Tinkle").
Lastly, I give Zita 1/16 tsp of Tylosan powder mixed in her food everyday. That required a prescription from the vet. I know a lot of dog owners are adamantly opposed to using Tylosan, but I'm trying it for a couple months.
Even if I am faithful to do all of the above, her tear staining is never gone, but it's not horrible. If I miss even a couple days (as I did while traveling over the holidays), it gets much worse. The attached photos are the "as good as it gets" photos. BTW, our previous Maltese rarely had tear stains. A few days of Angel Eyes and they'd be gone for at least a couple years.
Edited to add: Zita now uses a drinking bottle (like a guinea pig would use) instead of a water bowl, which has greatly helped in keeping her mouth area white.
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Twice a day, I go through these steps:
1. Wipe eyes dry with a clean cloth.
2. Wipe with Tris Optho wipes (I cut them in quarters because it doesn't cover up her whole face that way, and a jar will last 4x longer!) I can visibly see some of the stain coming off onto the pad, so I know it's helping.
3. Wipe with a cotton round (also cut in quarters for better fit to her face) wetted with 4-5 drops of Eye Envy Tear Stain Remover Solution (non-refrig formula). This product claims to close the hair shaft to reduce staining, as well as have antibacterial properties.
4. I use my finger to dab on Eye Envy Tear Stain Remover Powder. This product claims to be a mild cleanser, antibacterial, and moisture repellant.
Throughout the day I dry her eyes (admittedly it's often with my shirt tail!) just because her tear duct area gets so wet (the vet says she has very tiny tear ducts so her tears overflow instead of draining internally). I also keep the hair in that area trimmed very short, carefully using dog scissors with a rounded safety tip and sometimes an eyebrow razor (weirdly called "Tinkle").
Lastly, I give Zita 1/16 tsp of Tylosan powder mixed in her food everyday. That required a prescription from the vet. I know a lot of dog owners are adamantly opposed to using Tylosan, but I'm trying it for a couple months.
Even if I am faithful to do all of the above, her tear staining is never gone, but it's not horrible. If I miss even a couple days (as I did while traveling over the holidays), it gets much worse. The attached photos are the "as good as it gets" photos. BTW, our previous Maltese rarely had tear stains. A few days of Angel Eyes and they'd be gone for at least a couple years.
Edited to add: Zita now uses a drinking bottle (like a guinea pig would use) instead of a water bowl, which has greatly helped in keeping her mouth area white.
