hello i have a cream chi puppy (16 weeks) who has tear stains, i have read about treatments such as angel eyes but i am not conformable with giving her unnatural supplements in her diet, i have also read that these products effects the natural antibodies of the dog.
i would like to know if there was any natural solutions that may help that would be great!
thanks

Is this a common trait with the breed? Has the vet checked her eyes for ulceration to the eyeball which would mean in growing lashes which are scratching each time the eye is opened and closed. Another poblem is blocked tear ducts, this could be caused by infection or be a fault during development in utero where the tear ducts were malformed and would need surgery to correct the problem.

I got a 6 month old  dachsie bitch who had one weepy eye, no mechanical problem was found and by 8 months old when her head had stopped growing the tears stopped, took a while longer for the stained hair to be replaced but now she is 6yrs old and you would never know there had been a problem.

I tried a couple of products to try and clean the hair under eye, they worked a bit but never cleared it so I gave up doIng it, as I said before it went away naturally. 

Hopefully someone who knows your breed will be able to give you more help.

Yes she is a chihuahua puppy, so is very common with this breed, the vet has had a good look and said that there was no problems with the eyes themselves and that it just happens, but i dont really want to give her something with harsh chemicals in to treat it

hi i have bulldogs and have the same prob..... dont give angel eyes it will discolour her adult teeth ......diluted hibiscrub applied everyday and a dab of sudocreme will act as a barrier if really bad .....1 tsp of cider vinegar in drinking water can also help each day ....

I wouldn't be comfortable using Hibiscrub anywhere near the eyes. The product datasheet carries the warning "Avoid contact of this medicine with the eyes and the moist membranes lining the inside of certain parts of the body, eg mouth, nasal passages (mucous membranes). Rinse with cold water if accidental contact occurs".

There is a product called Eye Envy which should do the trick. I get mine from here http://www.toetufts.co.uk/dogs.html. The starter kit is a good and should last you absolutely ages.

I also wouldn't advocate using hib scrub near eyes. You could try eye envy or silver water eye cleaner which is available from Lintbells and uses only natural products. Both these products are anti bacterial and it is the bacteria which causes the staining.

You may find things ease when the puppy finishes teething.

Angel eyes contains tetracycline and as well as causing staining to the teeth giving an antibiotic to a dog on a daily basis will destroy the friendly bacteria in their gut and could cause stomach problems. also when the dog is sick and genuinely needs an antibiotic then they will probably respond poorly to treatment as the body will have built up resistance through overuse.

The bichon hotel sells a product called angel delight which contains no antibiotic  and they also stock a tear stain removing paste which contains boric which is a natural by probuct of sea salt.

Some people add cider vinegar to a dogs drinking water or crumble half an antacid tablet onto the dogs dinner to act as a neutraliser but as I have never tried these methods then I can't vouch for their effectiveness

thats brilliant, i shall give it ago, i didnt want anything that could effect her health in anyway, thank you for your suggestions!

>Is this a common trait with the breed?

Yes, it is.  :-(

I looked at the product suggested, but for my lot I would need to buy by the gallon.  It would work out far too expensive!