Santa has decided that it's time to get a puppy for the kids this x-mas ... I'm so excited I could hardly sleep last night. I wish there were a site as wonderful as this one for dog owners with a million questions.... I was wondering if anyone has tried tear staining removal on a maltese .. I was searching the web and found a line of products called eye envy ..ofcourse the sales pitch makes it sound wonderful .. it 's relatively inexpensive but my main concern would be to the health of my new puppy .. has anyone heard of this product? if not is there one you would recomend?

We own 2 show beagles, I cant help with a Maltese though that is one of the other dogs I want. But I have been told it's worth a try, but keeping the maltese hair out of the eyes will help with the tear staining..... I watch this show every saturday morning called Petkeeping with Marc Marone, it had something about that stuff too and he recommended it..... good luck on your choice for a new adorable addition to your family.

I am a vet tech. Yes the drops they make for the eyes do help some. The staining is actually from the tears draining down the face. Ask your Vet. about tetracycline pills as well. The maltese must be over 6 months before you can use them. Just as in small children, tetracycline given before the adult teeth come in can cause a yellowish stain.

This breed is prone to knee problems imparticular-luxating patella. Check with your breeder to see if the parents have had their knees certified.

Please keep in mind that this is a 10-12 year promise to love and protect, also that the holidays are very difficult on a new pet. There usually is much excitement and health hazards that aren't around the rest of the year.

I know you will love this new addition, and if you have any questions from flea control to housebreaking please PM me. I would love to help. I have been a Vet Tech for 13 years and pride myself on client education. I feel an educated pet owner is the best client.

thanks to both of you for your responses ... NEWTODECORATING
I will take you up on the offer for private counseling!! I'm sure I'll have a million questions about my new puppy when she comes home .... I'm so excited I can't wait!!!

Let me know when you get her. They truely are a new member of the family. And remember, you are basically raising another child... just on warp speed. no means NO and potty training comes early.

Sorry, I don't own a Maltese but we do have a long-haired Chihuahua which is absolutley adorable, friendly and gentle with my children. She is the perfect in-house pet!

I own a 4 year old malt and a 2 year old yorkie! There are some great maltese forum where you can get tons of info. Tear stains are very common in the breed. Some are lucky enough not to have any staining but it is a real battle for most pet owners. Even the good lines can produce dogs that have staining. There's lots of info out there on the subject. There are several tricks and tips that maltese people use, I have tried a few of them but not all. Some people swear by giving distilled water as their daily drinking water, some people add vinegar to the water, avoiding any food with red dye, giving a daily (1/2 tab 2xday) dose of Tums to prevent stains (they say it changes the PH level and helps keep yeast and bacteria production under control), Tetracycline or giving low dose of Tylan (the trick here is finding a vet that's willing to give you the prescription), over the counter eye drops such as Colloidal Silver (some show people swear by colloidal silver) or Collyrium, Omega 3 supplements, Missing Link, not using plastic water and food bowls, and treating with a mixture called MOM. MOM is a homemade recipe using equal amounts of Milk of Magnesia, corn starch and hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Brush paste on the stained area ( I use a small flat artist brush), and work well into the stain. Allow paste to dry overnight. Wash out in the morning and condition. Repeat for several days until stains have disappeared. I have bought many over the counter eye stain products such as eye envy and have not had any luck with them on maltese hair. Lately I have been hearing of treating the stained area with polident. I use MOM and Tums and have found it work best for me. Heres a great link for the causes and treatments of tearstains in malts. http://www.bhejei.com/tearsta.htm
http://www.malteseonly.com/teartonia.html
This forum has lots of info too.
http://www.spoiledmaltese.com/forum/