# Surprise - this food stopped the tear stains



## Me&2Girls

I am absolutely shocked - I never expected a food to make a difference on the tear stains, but I haven't cleaned my Maltese's face for a month and his stain is so light and the new hair is growing without any stains. He still gets the goopies, but I just comb them out. It's Solid Gold's Wee Bits with Bison and Salmon. He wasn't in love with it at first, but did finally eat it (hey when you're hungry, everything tastes good). It's only a four star food according to dogfoodanalysis.com and he's one of the few that actually does better with some grains in his food - I've done oatmeal and brown rice and both seem to help his food sensitivities.

The two ingredients - tomato pomace and parsley flakes I know are used by many for tear stains, so maybe that combined with the novel protein are what did the trick. At this point, I'm so happy with the way he looks, I'm going to wait on getting the Angel Eyes. When I get my camera batteries charged, I'll take a photo to show you what I mean. Oh and the second bonus - MeMe loves to finish what he doesn't eat, so she's getting some extra calories too. :whoo:

Here's the basic review on Solid Gold Wee Bits:

Description: 380 kcal/cup 


Ingredients:
Bison | Salmon Meal | Millet | Brown Rice | Cracked Pearled Barley | Rice Bran | Canola Oil | Tomato Pomace | Flaxseed | Natural Flavor | Salmon Oil (source of DHA) | Choline Chloride | Taurine | Dried Chicory Root | Parsley Flakes | Pumpkin Meal | Almond Oil | Sesame Oil | Yucca Schidigera Extract | Thyme | Blueberries | Cranberries | Carrots | Broccoli | Vitamin E Supplement | Iron Proteinate | Zinc Proteinate | Copper Proteinate | Ferrous Sulfate | Zinc Sulfate | Copper Sulfate | Potassium Iodide | Thiamine Mononitrate | Manganese Proteinate | Manganous Oxide | Ascorbic Acid | Vitamin A Supplement | Biotin | Calcium Panthothenate | Manganese Sulfate | Sodium Selenite | Pyridoxine Hydrochloride | Vitamin B12 Supplement | Riboflavin Supplement | Vitamin D3 Supplement | Folic Acid | 

Guaranteed Analysis: 
Crude Protein min 28% 
Crude Fat min 18% 
Moisture max 10% 
Crude Fiber max 4%


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## mintchip

Congratulations!
Solid Gold is a good brand.I feed Oliver Solid Gold as a puppy but we had a gold bag. I've seen the pink bags at the stores but never bought it.


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## good buddy

Yeah! another doggie disaster averted! Tear stains are a pain in the a$$! I'm ever so grateful I haven't had to deal with them, I can surely understand how they would be a blight on your ever so perfect doggies face. Rufus doesn't stain, barely even waters and Shamouti is black, so I won't have the stains even though he does get the red gunk!


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## Jane

That's great news, Lisa! I feed Lincoln Solid Gold Hund-n-flocken (gold bag). I am saving the Wee Bits formula for the future, in case he develops more allergies. I like the ingredients in Solid Gold - they were the most similar to the Wellness that I also like.

Post some photos of Buddy's before and afters when you get a chance!


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## irnfit

Since Kodi has had his allergy problems, he started to have some staining. His itching isn't as bad as it was and it seems to bother him most in the morning. I don't know if I want to start changing foods *again*, so I am watching him closely.


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## good buddy

irnfit said:


> Since Kodi has had his allergy problems, he started to have some staining. His itching isn't as bad as it was and it seems to bother him most in the morning. I don't know if I want to start changing foods *again*, so I am watching him closely.


Rufus' itching is the worst in the morning too. He's had some staining on his mustache but it could be from me leaving bowls of water when they play outdoors or the pineapple juice I've been adding to the food.


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## EstrellaVila

Wahoo! That is pretty awesome Lisa. We used to use Angel eyes on Carmen but stopped when we heard long term use wasn't good for dogs and to be honest she looks the same/better without Angel Eyes. I just wipe goopies off her face everyday.


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## BeverlyA

Thats terrific Lisa!
Have you had any tummy sensitivities with your Maltese? The only food I've found my Winnie can tolerate is Natural Balance Duck and Potato and I would love to find a second option. If it helped with all of their staining that would be an even greater bonus. 

Beverly


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## Me&2Girls

Beverly - he has a mildly sensitive tummy so I've tried those formulas too - the Natural Balance Duck and Potato is always a great option but I think it's a bit drying to the coat. For some reason Buddy seems to do better with a bit of grain, so the rice or oatmeal "filler" is okay for him. Maybe that helps with the sensitivity. I know that he can't have super high protein or he itches like crazy.


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## BeverlyA

I'll give a bag a try and see how he does. I think the Natural Balance is drying too, and until he joined our family I always fed the Natures Variety. He just gets loose stools on EVERYTHING. Maybe if I add the Tylan to the Wee Bits it would offset it though. 
Thanks!

Beverly


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## Me&2Girls

Wow - that's surprising about the Nature's Variety - I know a lot of show Maltese owners who feed it to their guys. Have you tried a really slow transition - like more than a week? Do 1/4 for three days, 1/2 for four days, 3/4 for four days and then it might help. Also Eagle Pack wholistic has a food transition powder - I haven't tried it but it might be worth a shot.


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## BeverlyA

I did try really slowly, but I was also feeding treats at the time that might have been causing a problem. He is sooo sensitive. I'd love to get back on the NV, it's made right down the street from me, maybe I'll give it another shot if the Wee Bits don't work out. My other dogs seemed to enjoy the taste of the NV more than any other kibble.

Beverly


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## Lynn

BeverlyA said:


> I did try really slowly, but I was also feeding treats at the time that might have been causing a problem. He is sooo sensitive. I'd love to get back on the NV, it's made right down the street from me, maybe I'll give it another shot if the Wee Bits don't work out. My other dogs seemed to enjoy the taste of the NV more than any other kibble.
> 
> Beverly


Hi Beverly,
Missy was has alot of food sensitivities and I have found Solid Gold the only food I don't have problems with her and I tried alot of the other kinds. She can't have oats, and there is oats in alot the other types of food. Missy also does not get store bought dog treats, they cause her problems. She loves cooked stew meat or cheese for treats.


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## BeverlyA

A weird new twist on the Petco saga. Last night I was there picking up a bag of food to use along with a new food while I switch over. I had a sleeveless shirt on and was carrying the bag over my bare arm while my girlfriend and I browsed around the store. It was maybe thirty minutes before we got to the car and when we did I notice my arm was burning. I looked at it and I had 3 large, irritated red welts were the folds of the bag were touching my skin!
That is not normal. I don't know if they've gone in and sprayed the food with chemicals since the news story came out or what happened, but it was very odd. I washed my arm off as soon as I got home and the reddness cleared up very soon, but it was still unsettling.

Beverly


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## Jane

Beverly, that is _highly _disturbing. What do you think it could be?


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## JASHavanese

BeverlyA said:


> A weird new twist on the Petco saga. Last night I was there picking up a bag of food to use along with a new food while I switch over. I had a sleeveless shirt on and was carrying the bag over my bare arm while my girlfriend and I browsed around the store. It was maybe thirty minutes before we got to the car and when we did I notice my arm was burning. I looked at it and I had 3 large, irritated red welts were the folds of the bag were touching my skin!
> That is not normal. I don't know if they've gone in and sprayed the food with chemicals since the news story came out or what happened, but it was very odd. I washed my arm off as soon as I got home and the reddness cleared up very soon, but it was still unsettling.
> 
> Beverly


I worked at Petco as a dog trainer which is why I stay out of the store near me as much as possible. Really harsh chemicals get used in there. Since the store was full of rodents (loose ones from a field, not ones for sale) chemicals were sprayed in the store to kill them. When they stripped the floor, two days later our eyes and throats were still burning. Some of the items in the store are either on the floor or close to it and I'd never buy anything from a lower shelf. I have a lot of respect for the powers that be in the Petco company but not for some of the staff the store hires or the decisions they make.


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## BeverlyA

Ooops, now I'm sounding really crazy! I got my food threads mixed up!

Recently there was a news release about the Petco's in the Midwest area's having horrific "pest" infestations in their warehouses and so their foods were contaminated, but it wasn't any more specific than that, and it wasn't being taken off of the shelves.
Unfortunatly it's the only place I can get Natural Balance around here, which so far is the only thing I've found that keeps Winnie's stools at least semi-firm. So until I can find something else he can tolerate, and switch him over, we're stuck going to Petco for the food. I have been wiping the bags down when I get them home, then switching the food to a different container.

Obviously by my skin reaction, they've already been spraying or something to combat the "pest" problem. The one article I read made it sound like tons of rodents and birds, but I don't see how that would contaminate closed containers of foods.

Beverly


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## bella serra

*which food???*

i am looking at natural balance and wellness brands..any advice on which is better..also concerned about which might help with tearing??
thanks!!!


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## JASHavanese

BeverlyA said:


> The one article I read made it sound like tons of rodents and birds, but I don't see how that would contaminate closed containers of foods.
> 
> Beverly


If the bag is porous, things can seep in it. Animals can eat through a bag also and leave droppings in it


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## EstrellaVila

JASHavanese said:


> If the bag is porous, things can seep in it. Animals can eat through a bag also and leave droppings in it


uke:

Super gross. I may just have to start making my own dog food.


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## BeverlyA

Just plain yuck! 

I've used both Wellness and Natural Balance. My dogs never really seemed to enjoy the taste of the Wellness flavors I tried. I'm currently using the Natural Balance Duck and Potato small bites because my Maltese has a very sensitive stomach and it's about the only thing I've found he can tolerate. I do think the Natural Balance is a little drying on their coat.

I think the Wellness is an excellent product and wouldn't hesitate to feed it.

Beverly


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## Jane

bella serra said:


> i am looking at natural balance and wellness brands..any advice on which is better..also concerned about which might help with tearing??
> thanks!!!


I have used both - nutritionally, I think they are both good.

But, my dogs' coats got very dry on the Natural Balance - I think the fat content is on the lower side. I prefer the Wellness.


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## earfax

Mollie eats solid gold too(wee bits- pink bag)


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## jabellar

Since Castro is on another hunger strike, I'm buying a bag of Solid Gold wee bits tonight... I am looking at SOLID GOLD's webpage, and noticed that WEE BITS is for adults - will it be okay for puppies, too??


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## Me&2Girls

Yes, it's fine for puppies - but do watch his intake and make sure he eats enough. By the way, unless you are out of his other food, don't switch because he's on a hunger strike. Otherwise he'll have you so well trained, you won't ever finish a bag of dog food. LOL


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