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Archived Message

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Yavonda

I have had Fergie for about four months and he is almost 2, the owner who had him before me did not do anything about his tear stains, I have been using Four Paws Crystal Eyes and though it was made them better they are not going away. I have been putting it on about three times a day for about three weeks. My question is if there is something that will take these stains away completely? Thanks in advance!

DISCUSSION:

My little teacup maltese has a similar problem -- I can tell you that "Diamond Eyes" product is no better -- it even seems to irritate his eyelids (one is getting pink and puffy so I am discontinuing using the product.) It has helped aesthetically to trim some of the longer hairs which are stained -- but I'd love to hear anyone else's secret to getting the eye area white again.
-Pamela Shaw

There are many posts on tear stain removal so check the archives. My method follows:You must teach your baby to hold very still when doing anything to the eyes. Keeping the hair clipped around the eyes will help. Also, I use an eyewash once a week or so to remove any irritants or hair that may get in the eyes. The staining is due to the constant moisture. The brown color is from bacteria. If the staining is really bad, use a small pair of blunt tip scissors to clip the stained hair. I put a little hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball, and gently swab the area which will kill the bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide is poisonous, so be very careful not to get this in the baby's eye or let her lick. I follow with the Crystal Eye and then dry. Then I apply cornstarch with a q-tip and then brush it out with a small toothbrush. I do it once a day. My baby has no tear stains, now. The key to tear staining is keep the area clean and dry.
-April B.

Check the "Tear-stains" link on the Maltese-Only site, but their recommendation for 1 part distilled water to 1 part 3% peroxide does well within a few days!
-Brenda

Bio-Groom Hypo-Allergenic Under Eye Stain Cover Cream is a good product to use to PREVENT additional eye stain. I use the MOM/ hydrogen peroxide formula to lighten the stain, but I also apply the cream to the hair right under the eye to coat and protect that hair from further staining. There is one drawback to the cream and that is that it does not wash out easily. It really does coat and protect the hair, but it is not water-soluble (reason why it protects the hair) and so one has to use a shampoo that clarifies (breaks down the bond the product has on the hair). Those shampoos that clarify are stronger than regular shampoos, so you need to be VERY careful when washing the product out of the face furnishings.
-Linda (Snow Angel)

I would like to inform everyone that there is a permanent cure for tear staining. I have 2 bichons and a maltese and the maltese and one bichon had tearstaining very severely. I came upon a vet in California who had just discovered by accident that a certain tetracyline cures it. He said not to give it to the dogs until they have their adult canines in as it could cause the teeth to come in yellow. I started my bichon on it and kept her on it for approximately 4-6 weeks. She has not had it in almost 2 years and the staining has not returned. It is like a miracle, you don't have to put anything on their eyes. It is an oral medication and it is called "Panmycin" made by Upjohn. I put my maltese on it about 3 months ago and her staining is completely gone and she is now off of it. I only had to give her 1/10 of a ml once a day for a month. And about once a week since. she is now not taking it. It is wonderful because she looks so much better, (not that she was'nt beautiful in the first place!) I now live in Minnesota so when I asked the vet for it, she had not heard of it, but she was able to order it from Upjohn Pharmaceutical for me and now she knows it works and is recommending it to others. By the way it only cost about $29.00 for a bottle that lasts a long time . In fact it only took one bottles for my Maltese. And two for my Bichon. I highly recommend you talk to your Vet aboout this. If you need any more information feel free to e-mail me at Bitsyroo@aol.com I am eager for people to find out about this. There is no need whatsoever for those over the counter stain removers.P.S. There were never any side effects for my dogs. Have a great day and love your Maltese they deserve it!!!! :-)
-MaryKay Hogue

Be cautious about using tetracycline in oral form. It can do serious, even fatal damage to the liver if not monitored carefully. Check with a vet who is experienced in treating our little critters. What with liver shunts and other serious medical problems cropping up in our Maltese, I would rather deal with the external problem externally, rather than medicate a cosmetic problem internally.
-Linda (Snow Angel Maltese)

After years of using other products I found that the home remedy of using cornstarch and peroide on a toothbrush does wonders. My Maltese Meeshu has learned to sit still to have his eyes cleaned and we are both happier because of it.
-Faye Koonce