I've got a yellow female and she is a very light yellow. She has some darkening by her eyes, the fur is a more golden yellow, and they are what would be 'tear stains' I guess. Is it typical for this to happen sometimes, for the lighter yellows? And, will it hurt her when we start showing? It does not bother me, it's just darker there. Is there anything that can remove tear stains?

I realize this is because her eyes are running, which could mean allergies, and I am looking into that, as stopping the running would be the most ideal. However, for now I'm asking from a purely cosmetic-aspect, and am wondering if #1 I should leave it alone, because a judge will over look it or #2 if there is something I can apply to reduce the tear staining.

Thank you.

Are you sure it's tear stains? Tear stains usually have a reddish or pinkish tint. If this is a puppy there is a very good chance that it will go away. It can be caused by changes in the bones while growing.

Here is a link with a recipe to remove tear stains. I've used the MOM, cornstarch and peroxide formula with very good results.
http://www.bhejei.com/tearsta.htm

Thanks for the reply Missy.
She is going on 10 weeks old, and the more I look at it, it is kind of reddish. It might be due to her growing, as you said. Hope so! She's my first pup. Would it be due to anything with her teeth coming in/falling out?

I will try the tear stain solution, thank you!

Your welcome!

My vet checked for blockage in my pups tear ducts and everything was good. She outgrew the staining in a couple of months. I was told it was caused by changes in the facial bones while growing and cutting teeth is part of that.

I used the homemade remedy with the approval of my vet. They gave me a small tube of ointment (very cheap) to put on her eyes before applying the paste (for protection, just in case) and a cone to prevent her from accidentally rubbing it into her eyes. I made the paste thick and put it on when she was sleeping, easier this way, and only kept it on for 30-60 minutes, not overnight, it did dry too.

The peroxide is the type you get at a beauty supply like Sally's, it's used for dying hair. I was told when dying hair the peroxide does it's job in 20-30 minutes so that's why I didn't leave it on overnight. I can't remember for sure but I think I used the stronger 30 or 40 volume (also called lift).

The longer the stains are there the harder they are to remove and more applications may be needed. I think I did 3 or 4 consecutive days of applications and another one a few days after that, my puppy was around the same age as yours.

Once the stains are removed you must wipe the area 1-2 x's a day with a cotton ball dampened with warm water until the tearing stops. Not a big deal. This will keep the staining away. As the puppy grows you will see that you will need to wipe the area less, maybe once a day or every other day and eventually not at all. Check for signs of wetness under the eye and also look at the used cotton ball.

This remedy is relatively easy to do and is inexpensive. Be very careful to keep the paste out of the eyes, even when it dries as it can flake off. I wouldn't keep it on overnight for this reason. I used a small plastic spatula to apply it and a warm wet washcloth to remove it (wipe away from the eyes). I didn't use any conditioner.

If you have tear stains and do nothing they will eventually fade away after the tearing stops but it will take a long time. I saw a huge improvement after just one application, she didn't look so ghoulish and I felt so much better! I took a picture before each treatment so I could see how much the stain changed. I hope this works for you!

P.S. Your puppy is too young for allergies. It's possible but highly unlikely at that age.

Do you know if your puppy had a CERF exam? If not, I would consider taking the puppy to a opthamologist to make sure there is something else going on like entropion, eye infection etc. Tear staining IMHO is not "normal" for a puppy. You do not want to eliminate the stains, but the actual cause of the staining. Good luck.

Thanks for all the info Missy!
I agree with the second poster, too, and will look into a CERF exam.

Here are a few photos I found on google, it is very similar to this:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://dogpuppy.cn/dog/Yellow-Lab-Pup-8-Weeks.jpg&imgrefurl=http://dogpuppy.cn/yellow-labrador-puppy.html&usg=__rsjlum585DijJq0MsioK5KA5VcA=&h=1932&w=1451&sz=172&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=dbY2UdrDgnYaUM:&tbnh=174&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyellow%2Blab%2Bpuppy%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D606%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=634&ei=P1MPTd6ZE8H38AbeqYDKDQ&oei=P1MPTd6ZE8H38AbeqYDKDQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=95&ty=61

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cdn-www.dailypuppy.com/media/dogs/anonymous/Finn_Yellow_Labrador_Retriever_01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dailypuppy.com/member/anonymous/album/1465/photo/11382&usg=__SdTI7F0O4N0tYsciJiB-S6_rjjQ=&h=407&w=450&sz=205&hl=en&start=85&zoom=1&tbnid=E_brOtO8i0qhOM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=161&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyellow%2Blab%2Bpuppy%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D606%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C2201&um=1&itbs=1&biw=1259&bih=606&iact=rc&dur=551&ei=pending&oei=P1MPTd6ZE8H38AbeqYDKDQ&esq=5&page=6&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:85&tx=108&ty=85

(sorry the links are so long, just copy and paste, please).

"Seek a professional" makes a good point, you should rule out any medical causes but my dog was clear on CERF and has been clear every year since. This can be developmental and other puppies in her litter also had tear staining. The breeder thought the stains might have been caused by the paper the pups were on or a cleaning product but there was no improvement 3 weeks after coming to me.

The pictures that you linked look like tear staining to me but my puppy was stained much worse.

Good luck.

If you still have the puppy on newspaper or shavings, that could also be causing it.

She is not on any shavings or newspaper. I did have her in a horse barn a little bit here and there. Could the dust have caused it? She has not been in the barn for about 2 days, however, and was only in it for about a day.

She's not going to be showing for a while! Relax!

You could just a little saline or all purpose, contact lens wetting solution The kind that is safe in eyes but digests protein deposits). Or use Eye Envy to clean stains. If you use the formula on a youngster, use regular peroxide in that formula, and be aware that MOM is a laxative, of course.

Keep hair dyeing-type peroxide away from her baby eyes or you might really need a reason to see a specialist. No need to bleach her face and dry it out--that will just make for more and deeper stains.

Thank you Charlotte!
I will probably just pick up some of the lens wetting solution that digests the protein. I don't plan on using the mix, after I read Missy's post I was way to scared to try that.

We do have an eye exam scheduled in a week.

**Has anyone else on this board ever has this issue? Not many responding, so was just wondering.

I have had this in several litters of yellows. The black puppies do it too you just can't see it. The tear ducts are not fully developed and functioning well yet. It does go away. This is what my opthmologist said and it did go away. Try not to worry about it.

Thank you so much Traci! That made me feel much better! Might wait on the visit to the opthmologist and wait for a CERF clinic at a show (little cheaper, usually). I really appreciate that you took time to reply and tell me that. Happy Holidays!

Regular peroxide won't work and I don't understand your concerns about MOM being a laxative? So what, the puppy isn't going to ingest it. When the ingredients are mixed together the final mixture is different than it's parts.

I just wanted to post this in case others wanted to try it. Ask your vet first if your concerned, I did. You have to be careful, take precautions and watch your puppy for the 30 minutes or so the mixture is on. You must be careful with anything you put near the eye, homemade or commercially prepared.

I would recommend asking your vet about anything that you plan on putting in your puppy's eyes also. Some human preparations are not kosher for dogs. One example, Visine, seems harmless enough doesn't it, it's not.

The comments were not criticism of you or your advice, just additional cautions for the novice. Do what works for you.

In addition to decades with Labs, I have been a Cavalier breeder and exhibitor for a dozen years. If it is for puppy tear stains, I've tried it. If you use the mild peroxide often enough, even by itself, it will clean and mildly bleach the stain, on yellow Labs or Cavaliers. That trick I learned from a vet who exhibited white Persians. As for the laxative, ask me about the Cavalier pup that licked some of it before a show. They have feathers, so I was reminded of MOM's laxative propensities! Do what works for you. Even nothing could work for this baby puppy who is growing and teething.
Peace and best wishes in this holiday season!

My Lab had slight tear stains when she was a puppy and by the time she was 3 - 4 months they were gone. I didn't do anything to them and they cleared on their own.

Try Angel Eyes. Its available online and at PetsMart, PetCo and most larger retail pet stores. I have it for sale in my grooming shop. Good luck with your baby!

would the angel eyes work on lick stains too? I have a dog that has an obsessive issue with licking and now is getting a stain on her leg. Its not an allergy its behavioral. We are trying remedies to stop the licking such as bitter anti lick products and kongs/bones, but we like to lighten the stain that has appeared

It should.