Like most white dogs, Bichon Frises are prone to get
tear stained areas around their eyes The
discoloration can vary from dog to dog and be
anywhere from a light pink to a rusty brown in
color. Foreign matter in the eye, ingrown eyelashes,
blocked tear ducts; allergies or infections can
bring on tearing. Excess tearing can occur for a
variety of reasons and you need to consult with your
veterinarian to determine the cause.
Allergies
Allergic reactions can occur from additives commonly
found in commercial dog foods, wheat and iron. Avoid
lower priced dog foods that contain a lot of
additives and poorer quality of meats that add bulk
and color but not nutrition. Often a change to a
healthier, nutritional and organic diet and drinking
distilled or spring water has been successful in
clearing up tear staining brought on by food
allergies.
Your Bichon Frise may suffer from seasonal
allergies in which case the tear staining may clear
up on its own. Also as your Bichon ages dogs age
they may have a problem with dry eye and begin
tearing more frequently. Also Bichon Frise puppies
often tear while teething, which they soon outgrow.
Blockage
Since many Bichon Frises’ tear ducts are very small
they can become blocked easily. Your vet can test
your pet to determine if this is a problem. Ingrown
eyelashes or inward turning eyelids can also
irritate the eye causing.
Infections
It could be possible that your Bichon Frise is
suffering from an eye infection and you need to see
your veterinarian right away. Never use drops or
ointment without a prescription from your vet!
Bathing
Keeping your Bichon Frise’s face clean and wiping
the hair under the eyes several times a day is part
of the solution to tear staining no matter the
cause. You can use a mild shampoo or a saline
solution to very gently wipe the area avoiding
contact with the eyes. You can also apply a thin
layer of Vaseline to keep the flow of tears running
smoothly over the under eye area. Be sure to keep
the area around the eye neatly trimmed.
Remember all dogs especially white ones have a
certain amount of tear staining. Make sure that it
is just a cosmetic problem and nothing serious. If
you recall the story of the Velveteen Rabbit then
I’m sure you’ll understand that “these things don’t
matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t
be ugly, except to people who don’t understand”.
(Margery Williams, from The Velveteen Rabbit--
