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Rule Out Allergies
Check Your Dog’s pH
If you notice the tear staining is seasonal, it may be due to Changing the dog’s pH slightly can help eliminate bacteria, the allergies. If your dog has moved to a new home or daycare, if you deep stain color, and prevent yeast buildup. A teaspoon of cider have new carpeting, furniture, a new pet or family member or other vinegar per gallon to the distilled water for drinking can help changes around your house or yard, suspect environmental causes. change your dog’s pH. In The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog, author Wendy Volhard recommends using pH paper strips to check the dog’s first morning urine. “If it reads anywhere from 6.2 to 6.5, your dog’s system is Check with Your Vet exactly where it should be,” and no apple cider vinegar is needed, If you cannot pinpoint environmental changes, or tear staining she says. “But if it is 7.5 or higher, the diet you are feeding is lasts year-round, the first thing you should do is have your dog too alkaline, and apple cider vinegar will reestablish the correct examined by a vet; this is especially important if the dog squints, balance.” Volhard recommends one teaspoon to one tablespoon paws at his eyes or exhibits signs of pain. Your vet may recommend twice daily for a 50-pound dog. Your vet can also test your dog’s a veterinary ophthalmologist check your dog if a serious problem pH. is suspected.
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3. Wash Your Dog’s Face Daily washing of your dog’s face with warm water will also help to keep the area clean. Grooming does not stop tear stains from developing, though it can help to clean away the clumpy, discolored hair and help to keep the area from becoming irritated. While you can use wipes to clean the areas of staining, realize this is only a short-term solution and the next time the eyes tear, the staining will return.
4. Switch to Ceramic, Glass or Stainless Steel Food and Water Bowls Water and food bowls should be either ceramic, glass, or stainless steel, as plastic and other materials can harbor bacteria.
5. Switch to Distilled or Reverse Osmosis Purified Water Minerals in your dog’s drinking water can also cause tear stains. Iron in water will cause secretions to turn red when saliva is exposed to air. If your dog licks his feet a lot and you notice reddish stains there, that is also from iron in the saliva. Giving your dog distilled (or reverse osmosis purified water) may help with this.
Note: If you’re feeding your dog a good food and a well-balanced diet, apple cider vinegar should not be necessary.
7. Switch to a Higher Quality Food If you recently changed your dog’s food and now notice staining, you can switch back or gradually change to a new food. Also, try a better quality of dog food. They may cost more but are a healthier food for the dog and worth the extra cost. Lower priced dog foods often have poor quality meats and other ingredients, and have additives that add bulk and color but not valuable nutrition. Look for better foods made with high quality ingredients and avoid filler products and dyes. Also, some treats may consist of poor quality ingredients that will also contribute to staining. If you remove the tear stains but continue feeding food or treats that are causing the problem, you will continue to get tear stains.
8. Add Supplements to Your Dog’s Diet For eyes that have no genetic or structural issues that cause tear staining, supplements may be the best option. These products work from the inside out, attacking the root cause of the problem. There are a number of supplements to treat tear stains on the market. Not recommended are any that contain the ingredient Tylosin, an antibiotic. Some animals may become sick after ingesting this antibiotic. One that has been studied and is recommended and does not contain Tylosin is Tearlax. Tearlax has the added benefit of improving your pet’s overall health in addition to being able to safely and effectively reduce the appearance of tear stains. www.pupculturemagazine.com | 15