There are several products on the market that claim to help with pet tear stains. But beware! Although they may do the trick, many of these products contain antibiotics. Antibiotics can be a useful tool when necessary, but they are NOT necessary to remove your pet’s tear stains. As is the case with most drugs, antibiotic use is accompanied by nasty side effects, and they should be taken sparingly when possible.
What Is Tear Staining?
If you’ve ever seen a dog or cat with red or brown marks in the areas around and just under the eyes, you’ve seen a pet that is affected by tear stains. To learn how to remove tear stains, let’s start at the source.
What Causes Tear Stains?
- Allergies
- Ear Infections
- Chlorinated Water/ Tap Water
- Red Yeast Bacteria
- A recent food change / Poor diet
- Dysfunction of the tear duct system
Allergies
Dogs and cats can experience reactions to environmental allergens and irritants. Allergens may include pollens and molds. If you notice your pet’s tear stains getting worse in certain situations, then the problem is most likely being caused by allergies.
We suggest using Pet-Enzymes Plus® to rid the body of allergies, and Oxy-pH Boost™ for pets, diluted, and swabbed around the eyes multiple times daily.
Ear Infections
If you notice that your pet is getting a lot of ear infections (which can coincide with excessive eye tearing) the two are most likely related. Once the ear infections clear up, the tear stains will too. Keep your dog or cat’s ears as clean and dry as possible, and get rid of the infection.
We recommend using a mixed solution of water and Oxy-pH Boost™ for pets to help clean out the ears with a swab. Then supplement your pet’s diet with Total-Biotics® to help build up the immune system.
Chlorinated Water / Tap Water
Some waters contain a high mineral content, which can cause staining on the face and beard. After drinking, moisture can remain on your pet’s face and can be transferred to the eyes while your pet grooms himself. If your water’s mineral content is high, it will increase the level of red-brown staining on face. If you notice both tear stains and a discolored fur around the mouth, try changing your pet’s drinking water.
Add Oxy-pH Boost™ Sodium Chlorite Solution to your pet’s water, as this will help keep the water clean and will boost your pet’s immune system. Total-Zymes® can be given to your pet with each meal which will help control minor allergies, skin disorders, and immune disorders.
Red Yeast Bacteria
The biggest cause of eye tear staining is high moisture levels in your pet’s fur. The moisture provides a great place for bacteria to breed, which causes a yeast infection around the eyes and leads to the brownish-red stains that you sometimes see on dogs.
We recommend using Oxy-pH Boost™ for pets to help clean the face, and Total-Biotics® to help build the immune system, and kill off the bad bacteria.
Food Change / Poor Diet
If you have recently changed your pet’s diet, this could be causing tear stains. You may try first switching back to the old food. Or try making the change more gradual from one food to the other.
We suggest adding Total-Biotics® and Total-Zymes® to your pet’s food with each meal. This will help him to digest his food properly, and will rid his body of the harmful toxins that could be causing the problem.
Dysfunction of the Tear Duct System
Dogs from Brachycephalic (flat faced) breeds like Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso commonly have tear duct dysfunction, which makes it more difficult to remove staining, but it can be done. Remember that these breeds may develop tear stains as puppies while teething. This condition is normal and will often go away on its own. Please do NOT give antibiotics to puppies to stop tear staining. You may set them up for a lifetime of digestive disorders, discolored teeth, yeast infections and other health problems. Once they grow to maturity, the stains should go away on their own.
If you would like a safe way to clean your puppy’s eyes and boost the immune system, we recommend using Oxy-pH Boost™ for pets to help clean the eyes, and Total-Biotics® to help build the immune system.