This is long, but totally worth reading, especially if you have a white dog or are thinking about getting a white dog. We try to inform people here and on Facebook about the challenges you may encounter when adding a puppy to your life. Dogs are not just cute, cuddly, funny best friends. They are a lot of work!
Tear staining in dogs is a NORMAL THING – usually. Some dogs can have an ocular condition or abnormality that warrants medical attention, but for the most part, tear stains are not “abnormal”.
Many dogs have “tear staining”, but it is more noticeable in white or light-colored dogs. This red/brown discoloration can be found on a dog’s cheeks, but also around the mouth and anywhere else the dog routinely licks. The culprit of these stains is something called PORPHYRIN, which is iron-containing molecules the body produces when it breaks down iron. Porphyrins are excreted not only through a dog’s tears, but also through saliva and urine. All dogs have porphyrin in their tears, saliva and urine.
We have spent a ton of money trying to find the perfect solution to eliminate these stains. All kinds of wipes, shampoos, creams, coconut oil, goat’s milk, cornstarch, OTC eye drops, eyes gels, you name it. We’ve tried it. NOW – we are going to try something new. We are going to try something more to stop the stains before they start (because once they are there – you’re stuck with them. That’s why it’s called a stain).
We’ve been thinking about the root of the problem – the iron. The stains do not just come from tears, so it’s not just an eye problem. So, we need to find ways to reduce iron. And manganese. When we first got Stormy and Shiloh, we gave them bottled water only – and they didn’t have tear stains. When we moved into a home with well water, we placed filters on the faucets and started giving them faucet water. Now they have tear stains. SO! We are going to ramp up our filtration game and get a whole-house filtration system that targets iron and manganese. We are also going to get an office-type water cooler for them. We changed their bowls from stainless steel to ceramic. And we are trying some new face wipes with chlorhexidine. These changes, combined with our regular routine of keeping their faces clean, dry and combed will hopefully make a difference.
Wish us luck! We will definitely keep yall posted.