ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Sharon

Do any of you find tear staining to be a big problem with the Maltese?

DISCUSSION:

Dear Sharon: Tear stains have been a problem from the day I got my first Maltese. I am now using Collidial Silver, one drop in each eye daily. It seems to be killing the bacteria that causes the tearing, i.e. the stains are almost clearing up.
-Shelley

Hi Sharon, This is a very common problem. If you scroll down Jay's home page, on the left side, you will find information on this.
-Bel and m & m girls

Herald has absolutely no problem with staining of any kind, but I feel like we just lucked out. He is also an enormous Maltese (close to 12 pounds I think) so maybe that is why.
-Ruth

My puppy is 4 months old and she always have tear stains. What can I do to prevent her from having frequent tear stains?
-Debbie

Yes, I find it to be more of an ongoing grooming issue. I try to keep the hair cut short around the eyes. I clean them with Four Paws 'Clear Eyes' and then brush a little cornstarch under each eye. It hasn't posed any health problems. Tearing is just something that is common with the breed. Only rarely would you have to get them surgically cleaned. There is also something surgically that could be done for this, but I wouldn't want to put my dog through that just so that I could have more convenience. It was recommended to me to use Bio Groom Blue Waterless Shampoo as a daily face wash. I am going to order some. Check the home page under 'free catalogs'. Cherrywood sells it, also Drs. Foster & Smith.
-Vicki

Tear staining is a problem for the maltese breed. My maltese is 10 and it has always been a problem. Our breeder suggested making a paste out of lemon juice and cornstarch. Apply it to the stained fur and leave it on to harden for awhile. Then crumble off and brush out. This doesn't stop the problem, but it does bleach out the fur. I used to do this more regularly than I do now. Also that is for keeping your dog in show standard. It does work however, at least for my breeder and me. Now days I find that just by washing his face more often that takes care of it.
-Paula

I have been using antibacterial Dawn on a washcloth to wash the fur around the eyes and then rinse well. I hold the eye closed so as to not get any in the eyes. This cuts through the goo and their hair is growing out white again around their eyes. I had read that Dawn is what is used to bathe the birds and animals after an oil spill. It is also used for making huge bubbles at the kids' science museum. Donna
-Donna

Sharon, my groomer told me of an idea for tear stains which I have not heard before. Wet a cotton ball with Visine eye drops and wipe over the fur where the staining occurs. This apparently helps to keep the fur clean and bleaches the stain. She did say that it was something that needed to be done daily.
-Emma

I use hydrogen peroxide on a q-tip onthe stained fur and then wipe it offwith a wet cotton ball. If I do this every day, there are no stain marks. I do not want to put drops in his beautiful eyes.
-barbara