Showsight October 2018

Written by the late Dr. Gayl M. Godsell-Stytz | originally printed in August 2004 TEAR STAINING THE WHITE DOG DILEMMA

with contribution from white-breed fanciers past and present: Mary Day, Cindy Landry, (the late) Bobbie Linden, Daryl Martin, (the late) Marjorie Martin’s Article, Judy McQuiston, Bea Naysmith, Linda Nickell, Bev Passe and Patricia Simon.

T hese words ring clearly with this problem...prevention, pre- vention, prevention and keep the facial hair clean and dry! Tears are good. They lubricate the eyes and keep the membranes of the eyes moistened. The goal is not to get rid of the tears, but to reduce excessive tearing and deal with the staining. Tear staining is from bacteria and yeast that infect the moist tears on the hair of the muzzle. The deep dark tear stains are caused predominately from a red yeast called “Ptyrosporin”. When a dog is brought into a home with a large amount of dark tear stain- ing, the first approach to the problem is to take the dog to the veterinarian and try to find the source of the tear- ing. They will check the dog for any predisposing infection. This is manda- tory! If the health of the dog is good and the dog is disease free, then the search for the causes of the tearing needs to be sought.

This is noted more at outside dog shows.

side of a cage/pen wall or on a platform dispenser. Stainless steel bowls are more bacteriostatic than ceramic bowls. Water bottles tend not to wet the face as much when the dog drinks.

• Allergens: Areas with more farm- lands and higher pollen and molds may increase dog tearing (i.e. Missouri has more pollen than Colorado). • Irritants: Certain dogs may react to grooming sprays/shampoos, perfumed sprays, household clean- ing products, carpet deodorizers, powders, incense, etc. Cigarette and cigar smoking may tend to increase dog tearing. DIET • Type of food fed: Foods and treats with red dyes and food color. These can physically change the color of the beard as well as cause yellow/red tearing from the dyes going into the dog’s system then going into the tears. Higher protein dry food and diets may promote increased tearing. • Water: Mineral content of Water: High iron and other minerals cause a change in the dog’s tear pH. The more alkaline (higher pH) the water, the more attraction to bacteria and possible more stain- ing. Also, iron has an oxidized rusty color that may color the white facial hair if the dog drinks from a bowl. There are more minerals in well water versus city water versus filtered city water versus distilled water. • Type of dispenser for water: Plastic bowls tend to collect more bacteria versus use of water bottles which are attached to the

INTERNAL FACTORS CAUSING INCREASED DOG TEARING GENETIC

• Some pedigree lines tend to tear more. It also has been noted that in the same litter, there may be some puppies that tear more than others may. • Some puppies are born with closed tear ducts, which need to be opened or irrigated to “unclog” the ducts. • Ingrown hairs around the eyes and touching the eyes cause increased irritation and may need to be chron- ically pulled to stop the irritation. HEALTH OF THE DOG ANY INFECTION IN THE DOG • Ear infections: Mites, fleas, otitis externa (outer ear infection), etc • Dental infections/abscesses and poor dental hygiene • Eye infections • Allergies • Skin infections/diseases • Hypo and hyperthyroidism • Other endocrine diseases (i.e. Diabetes increases sugar in the dog’s system and into their tears. Bacteria are attracted to the sugar in the tears and create staining).

EXTERNAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO INCREASED TEARING ENVIRONMENTAL

• Geography: Areas of higher humidity tend to contribute to increased tearing (i.e. Florida and Washington State have higher humidity than California or Arizona high desert). • Atmospheric: Cities with higher amounts of smog may create more irritation in dogs’ eyes. Also high winds may aggravate tearing.

“THESE WORDS RING CLEARLY WITH THIS PROBLEM... PREVENTION, PREVENTION, PREVENTION AND KEEP THE FACIAL HAIR CLEAN AND DRY”

104 • S how S ight M agazine , O ctober 2018

Powered by