Tearing
and Tear Staining
Anne Jones RN, BSNE
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One of the most frequent questions
about Bichons is how to deal with excess tearing and tear stains on
the face. There is no simple answer to these questions. Tearing can
be from many causes and you will need to work with your veterinarian
to find the reason for the excess tearing. Staining may vary from
dog to dog and may be light pink or a rusty brown in color. The
stain may also be caused by several factors.
Bichons can have a number of eye diseases. (Some of the more serious
diseases can cause blindness but may not be responsible for excess
tearing!) Bichons are sometimes found to have very small tear ducts
or to have tear ducts that are blocked. To determine this problem,
your vet will put a stain in the eye to color the tears. He will
then look for drainage to the nose and if the yellow stain does not
show up there, he will know the duct is blocked. Sometimes Bichons
can have an extra row of eyelashes or have eye lids that turn
inward. In these conditions, the lashes irritate the eye, causing
the tears. Obviously infection in the eye can be a problem and can
be treated by prescription ointment or drops. NEVER
put any drops or ointment into the eye without a veterinary
prescription!
Bichons with allergies may also tear and this will probably be a
seasonal problem. In fact, sometimes the tear staining clears up on
its own without any kind of special treatment. Dogs that have never
teared before may start to have a problem in later life. Oddly
enough, the older Bichon may have a problem with dry eye and this
dog may also have some eye staining. Puppies will often tear when
they are teething, which then clears up without treatment.
The description of the perfect Bichon calls for the eye to be round.
A round eye will spill tears over the rim rather than always flowing
to the corner and down the tear duct. Some Bichons with proper round
eyes, however, may never have eye stain. Some kinds of infections
are caused by bacteria that cause the redness. Also excessive
amounts of iron in the dog's diet or water can cause the staining,
since iron turns reddish when exposed to air. "The use of
distilled water should be considered if you have high iron content
and do not have filtered water available."
As you can see, there is no one answer to eye stain and no one
solution to the problem. The first action should be a veterinary
examination and he may recommend a visit to a veterinary
ophthalmologist, especially if he suspects a serious
problem. If there is no serious problem or if the tearing is
seasonal, as with allergies, your simplest solution may be to treat
the staining cosmetically.
Regardless of the cause, keeping the face clean is part of the
solution. This means cleaning the HAIR under the eye several times a
day. Remember you are never to put any drops or
ointment into the eye without a veterinary prescription. However you
can wash the hair itself and should do so several times a day. A
mild shampoo, dilute lemon juice or salt water can be used. Or you
can look at your pet store for a product that cleans the hair (which
will probably be a salt solution). There are products available to
place on the hair under the eye that will allow the tears to flow
over the area without soaking in. These look like a white cream. You
can do the same thing with Vaseline. Keep the hair trimmed around
the eye.
Remember that your first effort should be put into finding a cause
(see your vet!) and then you can work at cleaning the stain. If the
eye is healthy, then the stain is just a cosmetic problem that can
be solved. He will still be your beloved Bichon even if his face is
a bit stained!
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