My Shih Tzu has tear stains. Is her chicken diet causing them?

Hello. The most common cause of tear staining in dogs is blocked tear ducts. Often a course of a tetracycline medication can help resolve this. You will need to obtain this from your veterinarian. Two ways to try & remove the stains naturally, if the ducts are not blocked, are to use the probiotic, Fortiflora & a product told to me by a client. It is a tear stain remover made by NaturVet. You can see their products at https//www.naturvet.com. It can take a minimum of 2-3 weeks for the staining to resolve, but it is worth trying the probiotics & the topical NaturVet. If this does not work, Sky should see her veterinarian in case the tear ducts are blocked. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Angel's eyes plus is for clearing tear stains, but I'm not sure if that is Thunder's specific problem. If it is, I recommend getting a tear stain cleaner from the pet shop. There are ones you can use on his face directly that helps clean up the tear stains. I would also recommend using a porcelain or metal bowl for his food and water. Plastic ones can crack and retain bacteria which can make tear stains worse. You can also try giving him filtered water, which may help as well.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ruby. Tear staining can be common in small breed dogs. At her next veterinarian appointment, I would ask about it though. If she has an eyelash growing in the wrong direction it can irritate the surface of her eye. Allergies or and an eye infection can cause this as well. If only one eye is affected, then I worry about a scratch across her eye. If her eyes are red, the discharge is yellow or green or if she is squinting, then she needs to see her veterinarian. If it is clear discharge and the eyes are otherwise normal, then I would have it checked at her next appointment. I hope this information helps!

Great question! There are tear stain removers you can buy from a pet store that helps remove Luna's tear stains. Some people report that quality of water affects tear stains, so you can give her purified water. Clean her face twice a day with a damp cloth to remove excess tears. I'd recommend using a glass, porcelain, or stainless steel bowl instead of plastic, as plastic bowls crack and can retain bacteria. I'd also recommend having Luna seen by a vet, as excessive tear stains can be caused by ingrown eye lashes or abnormally large tear producing glands, which can be treated surgically. Finally stress and poor diet can contribute to the product of tear stains, so make sure to feed her a high quality puppy formulated food. I recommend Royal Canin or Hills Science diet.

Unfortunately you cannot get rid of them completely, but there are a few things you can try. You can use a metal water and food bowl instead of plastic. Some people think filtered water can help. I find that a tear stain wipe, such as the Angel Eyes brand, helps remove them. I'd also have Moki seen by a vet for the smell, that may mean an infection.

Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to tear stains than others, and it can be caused by health issues, the shape of their eye, blocked tear-ducts, puppy teething, ear infection, and allergies. In addition, they can get yeast infections from overproduction of tears, so I would have Rooster checked out by a vet for this problem. The vet can discuss with you the cause of his tear stains, if he has a yeast infection or not, and can discuss cleaning methods to prevent tear stains. I would take him into the vet this week. As for him not eating his food, he may not like it. Wellness Core is a grain free food, and there is absolutely no reason to feed a puppy a grain free food unless they have a proven grain allergy. Grain allergies in dogs are actually very rare. Only 5% of dogs with allergies have a food allergy, and the majority of those food allergies is due to protein. He should be eating the recommended daily amount on the food package, but since he is going to the vet anyway for his tear stains, mention that he isn't eating his food. Him not eating it could also be due to teething (painful to eat) or a health issue. It would be good to get that checked out to be safe. As for food, I'd recommend a brand like Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, or Iams. They may be more to his liking. Good luck, I hope this helps!

What a cutie! If you've not yet had a vet examine her eyes, please do so. She may have an eye condition that is contributing to the issue. If her eyes have gotten a clean bill of health from your vet, try this: Many people have had success with these treats. Thanks for asking PetCoach!