Poodles, like other white or very light-colored dog breeds, are prone to some ugly rust-colored spotsaround the eyes.
These stains are caused by the dog's tears. In these tears, among other elements, there are iron and magnesium, which precipitate around the eyes and oxidize, acquiring a rather unpleasant reddish-brown tone.
If you want to know the causes of this problem and its possible solutions, continue reading our site and we will teach you how to remove poodle eye stains step by step.
Causes of tear stains in the eyes
The reason why these spots appear is due to the presence of iron and magnesium in the dog's tear composition. These elements precipitate around the eyes and oxidize on contact with air, turning an ugly rust color. For the dog it does not represent any problem, in principle, that can be considered serious; but it is a signal that warns us that the dog's organism has some initial problem.
Fungi and bacteria are propagated in the stained hairs around the eyes, which if nothing is done over time can cause infections. Many times it is a symptom of a nutritional deficiency, allergies, or that your tear duct is blocked. For this reason, it is convenient for the veterinarian to check the poodle and unclog the tear duct, or propose some type of action or therapy. Also, if you notice the dog's red eyes it will be very important that you go to the professional.
Next we will show some tricks to remove stains, that is, the symptoms, which does not prevent the causes that produce them are still active and should be treated by the veterinarian.
How to remove tear stains step by step
Step 1 - Cleaning the eyes
The first step with which we must proceed so that the cleaning of our poodle's stains is effective, will be a meticulous cleaning of the dog's eyes.
This cleaning will be done with physiological saline or a chamomile infusionat room temperature. Both liquids can be soaked in sterile gauze and then rubbed very carefully in the dog's eyes. If we have an eye wash container (a kind of tiny cup), we can directly apply the saline solution or chamomile infusion.
We will try to remove stubble and hair or eyelashes stuck to the poodle's eyes. Once the eyes are washed, we will proceed to eliminate the oxidation stains using one of the tricks that we will explain later. First of all we will advise you some more previous steps.
Step 2 - Feeding
Some dietary deficit can lead to the appearance of spots. Try adding liver lightly grilled and without oil, to your diet. This will greatly enrich your diet.
Supply probiotic dog food supplements to your poodle two to three times a week. Eating good bacteria will improve nutrient absorption and create a hostile environment for bad bacteria and fungus.
Put a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in the dog's drinking water. Your tears will become more acidic, making them unsuitable for bacteria and fungi. In the feeder and drinker, use stainless steel containers, since fungi and bacteria proliferate less. Keep them clean after eating.
Below we will indicate some suitable products to eliminate, or lighten the poodle's eye spots.
3 - Rosehip Oil
Rosehip oil is an expensive product, but very effective against eye stains in dogs.
A couple of drops are poured on a sterile gauze pad and the stained area is carefully rubbed. With a new gauze the other eye is treated. Do not get rosehip oil in contact with the poodle's eyes. This treatment should last several days until the spots disappear.
Cotton-tipped sticks should not be used for this purpose, a sudden movement of the dog could hurt the eye. Do not use cotton swabs or makeup remover discs, as they could leave strands or shreds of paper, bothersome for the poodle's eyes.
Rosehip oil has a great bactericidal and healing powerThe continued use of this element will make the poodle's eyespots disappear. It is also ideal for applying to bites and scratches on the skin. This oil is sold in pharmacies and some supermarkets (it is cheaper in the supermarket).
4 - Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide as dispensed at the pharmacy has quite a bleaching power and is bactericidal. The correct application is similar to that of rosehip, but there is another way of application that improves the previous one (invalid way to apply rosehip oil). The best way to apply hydrogen peroxide in the stained areas of the poodle, are the following.
- We will need pharmaceutical hydrogen peroxide, a new tiny eye makeup brush, gauze pads, small blunt-tipped scissors (rounded tip), comb or eyelash brush, and a very small disposable cup (shot type).
- First, with a sterile gauze soaked in hydrogen peroxide, we will thoroughly clean the poodle's eyespots to eliminate bacteria. We will observe that a slight foam appears in the area that indicates the action of hydrogen peroxide. It is very important not to wet the dog's eye, as it will cause discomfort for a while.
- If we see that there are very stained or damaged ends of hair, we must cut them with blunt-end scissors. We will cut the ends of the bangs if they touch your eyes. The dog's eyes must always be clear.
- We will comb or brush the eye area with the eyelash comb or brush to fluff up the hair.
- We will pour hydrogen peroxide into the disposable cup, and using the make-up brush we will "paint" very well the stained areas near the eyes with hydrogen peroxide. Obviously, the dog's eyes should not get wet at all. The treated area should be allowed to dry naturally.
If we do this last point in full sun, much better, since the effects of sunlight greatly enhance the bleaching action of hydrogen peroxide. This process can be repeated for several days, until the treated area clears.
5 - Combination of hydrogen peroxide with rosehip oil
If it is very deep-rooted stains, the best way to proceed is to proceed with hydrogen peroxide for a few days, and after palpable lightening and a couple of days of rest, treat with rosehip oil the stained area.
We must not forget that spots are only symptoms, and that if the causes are not cured, the spots will recur. The veterinarian will be responsible for curing the poodle of its ailment.
6 - Specific products
On the market we can find prepared products that can greatly help us combat problems related to tear stains dogs. The application is very similar to that of the home remedies that we have exposed previously: it will be enough to impregnate a sterile gauze and clean each eye with a new one. Unlike the other products, it will be necessary to dry the area well when finished.
Tips
- Avoid using any of the products if your dog has a skin allergy.
- Consult your veterinarian whenever you have questions.
