Shih Tzu Tear Stains

Overview

Tear stains manifest as discoloration in the hair under or around a dog's eyes, displaying shades of pink, red, rust, or brown. The affected hair may have a dry, slightly crunchy texture akin to straw, although softer hairs can also exhibit these stains.

The root cause of tear stains typically traces back to various elements introduced into the area around the eyes through a dog's tears. They can occur more frequently if regular eye care grooming tasks are not performed.

Breeds with distinct facial features, like Shih Tzus, known for their short snouts and shallow eye sockets, are particularly susceptible to tear stains, especially visible on lighter fur. Whether your Shih Tzu's tear stains are mild, moderate, or severe, understanding and addressing the issue is key to restoring their charming appearance. Let's explore effective solutions to tackle tear stains and enhance your Shih Tzu's snazzy look.

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How to Know if It's Tear Stains

Tear stains can cause hairs to develop a pink, red, rust, or brown tint. The color will vary depending on the exact cause and also the base color of the dog's hair around the eyes. Since the Shih Tzu breed can be found in a wide range of colors and multi-colors, it can sometimes be hard to know the difference between tear stains and natural coloring.

Here are some ways to know the difference:

Not tear stains:

If the color around the eyes closely matches color found on other parts of the coat and the hairs are soft and appear healthy, it is most likely natural coloring.

Points to tear stains:

The color under the eyes was not present at all when the Shih Tzu was a puppy, but developed as he reached the 6 month mark or up.
The color grew in intensity and/or spread out as the dog matured.
The hairs have a hardened or 'crispy' texture to them, that makes combing the hairs difficult.
There is noticeable eye discharge.
The hairs appear damp.
Sometimes, but not always, there will also be other face staining. If so, this will be discoloration around the mouth, chin, and/or beard.

How to Prevent Tear Stains

Step #1 Eliminate the Causes

Understanding and addressing the common causes of tear stains is crucial:

Diet: Avoid foods with artificial additives, corn, or wheat, as they can trigger allergic reactions leading to excessive tearing. Opt for high-quality food with no additives and non-allergenic grains like rice, or grain-free formulas.
Water Quality: High mineral content and contaminants in tap water can contribute to tear staining. Use filtered or bottled spring water.
Moisture Management: Damp facial hair fosters yeast growth. Keep your Shih Tzu's face dry, especially after drinking or eating wet food.
Tear Discharge: Iron in tears can cause staining. Address any excessive discharge potentially caused by allergies or eye disorders.
Red Yeast: This is usually caused by the above issues of moisture or excessive tears.
Skipped Facial Cleanings: Daily wiping of the face, especially after meals, prevents stain development. Use hypoallergenic, fragrance-free grooming wipes regularly.
Feeding and Drinking Equipment: Replace plastic bowls with stainless steel or ceramic to avoid contact reactions.
Health Check: Address health issues causing excessive tearing, such as allergies or eyelash problems, with a vet consultation.

Step 2: Daily Maintenance

Daily maintenance involves wiping the eye area, one to three times a day. This alone will not remove deep-set stains (that is covered ahead under 'How to Remove Tear Stains on a Shih Tzu'), but once the stains are gone, or to prevent them from occurring in the first place, this step is vital. And it's easy!

Instructions:

1) Have a good wipe, like Earthbath Specialty Eye Wipes, which is has a great texture and gentle cleansers.

2) Swipe over the eye, under the eye and then down from the inner eye toward the nose. Refer to the diagram below. If there is a lot of discharge or buildup, flip the wipe over and swipe again, following the below 1, 2, 3 motions.

how to clean a Shih Tzu's eye area for tear stains

3) Use a new, clean wipe for the second eye. Do not use a dirty wipe.

How to Remove Stubborn Tear Stains on a Shih Tzu

Remember:

Address Underlying Causes: Without resolving all causes, even the best tear stain removers have limited effectiveness. And if you do not eliminate the causes, you'll be fighting a never-ending uphill battle.

What to Avoid:

Avoid potentially dangerous home remedies such as bleach, homemade boric acid and cornstarch mixtures, milk of magnesia concoctions, lemon, Tums, vinegar in drinking water, and buttermilk powder (which does not work at all).

Recommended Products:

1) One of our favorite products is the aforementioned Earthbath wipes. Given enough time and used daily, it will gradually cleanse the hairs of the stains, and as new hairs grow it will prevent them from becoming stained.

2) If you have used a quality wipe faithfully for several weeks and do not see any improvement, it'll be time to try something else.

We like Eye Envy's Step 2. Their Step 1 is a cleanser, which is a good one, but will do the same as your Shih Tzu's daily wipes and shampoo during baths. Their Step 3 is a powder that protects the hairs by repelling tears and moisture and it can be a good product to use as well (if you do, note that you can apply it with a child's toothbrush and do not necessarily need to use a special applicator).

Other products add controversial antibiotics, which the FDA is trying to stop.

In addition, certain home remedies for tear stains either do not work (buttermilk, vinegar), can be dangerous (boric acid, peroxide), or can cause additional problems (cornstartch, tums).

Prescribed Medications

In cases of severe staining or in instances of an underlying health issue that is directly causing the staining, such as a stubborn red yeast infection, a veterinarian might recommend antibiotic or antifungal treatments.

It's important to be aware that tetracycline is not suitable for puppies that are still growing their adult teeth. Administration of this medication to young dogs can lead to permanent staining of teeth yet to emerge.

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