# Tear stains/food related?



## cruzr (Dec 5, 2013)

I would like to know if anyone has found dry kibble to be causing tear stains. We have been feeding Rosie blue buffalo wilderness as suggested by her breeder. She has had tear stains since we brought her home, but they seem to be getting worse. We had the vet check her, and were told she is OK and not to worry. We wash her face with a warm wash cloth everyday and it doesn't seem to help. I tried a topical tear stain remover vet classics for 3weeks. Did not help, actually seemed to make the stains spread. Today we decided to change food, and bought Fromms whitefish and potatoes, and also Natures Variety Instinct raw bites. Is it OK to feed both? Raw in the morning and from ms in the evening? We fed her theFromms today and she gobbled it down like a little pig. I just don't know what else to do. :ear:


----------



## TShot (Jan 16, 2009)

I'm certainly no expert. But from my experience with Petunia. She is 5 years. She used to get tear staining a few years back until I switched to giving her filtered bottled water to drink. Not tap or spring water. Not sure that is the reason but maybe.
I was feeding Petunia raw in the morning and Fromm kibble in the evening with no problems. I recently switched over to Stella and Chewy's all raw diet and about to introduce ZiwiPeak in the rotation.


----------



## Den&Barb (Dec 6, 2013)

Ginger eats Blue Buffalo Wilderness with some Stella n Chewys freeze dried and Ziwi Peak mixed in. She is only given filtered water. Tears and staining are very, very minimal. Easily controlled with a face wash every day sometimes every other day. Don't know if the diet or water makes any difference as it's never been a problem.


----------



## RitaandRiley (Feb 27, 2012)

Here's my experience. Riley is cream colored. As a pup, he did have tear staining. He came to me eating kibble and I did continue that for a while. 
After researching dog foods, I switched him to a rotation of several different brands of canned and commercially prepared raw foods. After he was about a year old, I started treating him with Angel's Eyes. The full recommended dose seemed to upset his stomach so I cut the dose in half. After about 4-6 weeks, the staining started to go away. I gradually tapered off the Angel's Eyes and the staining didn't come back. About 6 months later, I got a brilliant idea(?) to introduce kibble into his diet again. Within 5 days of starting the kibble, the staining started to appear again. And it was a high quality kibble. So for us it seems the Angels Eyes plus staying away from kibble was the winning combo.


----------



## cruzr (Dec 5, 2013)

I should have stated that I did put her on distilled water after first doing searches on tear stains. We also read that some people had resolved it by feeding a different kibble, also putting on a raw diet helped others. I read on dog food advisor that BB wilderness ingredients, include a molasses to dye the kibble. Wilderness is very dark brown in color,so we decided to switch to a light natural colored kibble. I am thinking of gradually changing her over to a raw diet if need be.We also purchased tropiclean blueberry and oatmeal facial scrub and will give it a try.
Thanks for the replies. I will use Angel Eyes as a last resort. Would like to hear anyone's experience on the subject.


----------



## Karen Collins (Mar 21, 2013)

For me it's always the food. I've never changed my water, although I've heard others have solved the problem that way. I thought it was dry kibble too, but not all kibbles would cause the staining. Then when I was home cooking, they started getting staining again. When I added liver to the home cooked it stopped. Right now I am feeding them a mixture of Precise dry kibble and HK - Embark. So far, so good. I should note, that when I change foods and the new one causes staining, I clear it up with Angel Eyes and then change foods again.


----------



## cruzr (Dec 5, 2013)

Thank you for posting Karen. I have a feeling that may be a cause for Rosie, to early to tell. We have noticed her beard and part of the mustache has lightened up, after using the blueberry facial scrub. I don't think the scrub will stop her tear stains, but may clear up the existing stains.Her stool is much lighter in color since changing kibble.


----------



## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

I honestly think that kibble is so bad for so many reasons, and have read that it is often responsible for tear staining. Air-dried raw, such as Ziwipeak, is so much better for a dog's health overall that I personally would do anything to have a healthier dog than kibble can ever achieve. Others have posted it before, but it won't hurt to post again a youtube film of Dr Becker's re diet:


----------



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Since I switched DJangos food to Pinnacle white fish, his eyes look amazing. We have always had issues with his eyes and since we have eliminated everything except his kibble and his venison treats, his eyes look amazing.


----------



## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

littlebuddy said:


> Since I switched DJangos food to Pinnacle white fish, his eyes look amazing. We have always had issues with his eyes and since we have eliminated everything except his kibble and his venison treats, his eyes look amazing.


There you go!!! I'd personally get all the kibble out of it, too, littlebuddy, but I guess I'm kibbephobic, and I find it hopeless as treats anyway - not enough high-value yumminess, and takes to long to chew for the rate of reinforcement to be any good if I'm training!!


----------

