Toy Puppies Presents: 'Puppy-Dog Tales'

 

 

Eye Stains

 

Hi Everyone,

Many people ask me how I keep my dogs so white. An obvious answer is weekly bathes and keeping them out of the mud. Seriously, eye and mouth stains are a common problem of many white dogs. The staining comes from the natural tearing of the eyes and the saliva. If your dog's face is constantly wet and very stained, it is advisable to take him to the veterinarian and have his eyes examined to make sure there is no infection, blocked tear ducts or twisted eyelashes causing abnormal tearing. If he says all is normal, here are my suggestions:

Lets talk about the eye stains first. Some dogs' eyes tear more than others do. The chemical make up of the tear is what stains the hair. First, read all the labels of the foods and treats you give your dog. Anything that contains artificial coloring, especially red, will contribute to the staining. Use natural colored foods. Dry meal is best. Some canned food has red dye in it, read the labels. This also holds true for treats. Lamb and rice, or natural biscuits are best. Next, check your water. Hard water contains a lot of iron. Iron will cause the saliva and tears to stain. If your water is hard use bottled distilled water. It is available in any supermarket.

If the stains are already there, you can start to remove them by twice daily cleaning. Use cotton cosmetic pads either round or square (NOT cotton balls). Buy 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution, the kind you use to clean a cut not the one for your hair color. Dampen the cosmetic pad with peroxide and carefully clean the stained hair. Wipe down from the corner of the eye. Be extremely careful not to get peroxide in the dogs' eyes. Do not rinse or dry the hair. As it dries the Peroxide will bleach the stain out. The pad should be slightly wet, NOT dripping. Do your cleaning morning and night for ten days than once a day for a week and than as needed to keep stain away. Remember to use the correct water, food and treats. This will all help keep the staining under control.

Until next time, remember:
Try to be as wonderful as your dog thinks you are.

 

Warmest Regards,
Myra

 

Back to Newsletters