Renaissance Havanese
Connecticut, USA
Tear staining, a preventable condition by Veronica Guillet
Only a small percent of dogs with tear staining have it as a result of an illness. However, if your Vet finds your puppy or adult dog to be in excellent health then you should know there there are some really easy ways to prevent, reverse and control tear staining on the light colored dog.
The Havanese have really expressive eyes. This is why I have a special place in my heart for the light colored Havanese, their eyes really stand out. Like a book, their eyes will tell you a story of how adored you are. There is no greater daily gift.
Tear staining is caused by yeast. Yeast is a bacteria, this particular bacteria thrives in conditions that are wet and warm. While some dogs seem to tear excessively, for most dogs tearing is a normal process of cleansing the eye, over time "goo" will collect under the eye, if you do not clean this area bacteria will begin to grow and fester, it is warm and wet and so therefore, a perfect spot for a yeast feast. When the area dries, the yeast leaves it's mark, a rusty stain, if we ignore it, it gets worse and spreads.
There are a lot of products on the market none of which will immediately remove the stains, if there was such a product they wouldn't be able to keep it in stock! Additionally, almost all of these liquids and wipes require that you use them several times a day, every day, forever. Not practical for most of us. So what do you do?
I prefer products that I feel are healthy, natural and work from the inside out. My favorite is a product called I-Stain® by Thomas Laboratories. This powder is a mixture of probiotics, which are good in more ways than one. Always follow the manufacturers instructions. I give about 1/4 tsp once or twice per day for a 12lb dog. A small tub will cost you about $8.00 and will last the owner of a singleton up to six months. If your dog is a picky eater, place it in a dollop of moist food. This is my first choice.
Another popular choice is Angel Eyes® this product is much more expensive for much less product. However, it has very good reviews. Good reviews means that it works but is it worth the jacked up price? Apparently many dog and cat owners think so. My concern however and this is my opinion, as I am entitled to it, is that it contains an antibiotic, the manufacturer assures us that it is in small amounts. Additionally, it can cause staining of the teeth. If your dog doesn't grin from ear to
ear, it just may be an acceptable trade off.
This is similar to a product that can be offered through your Veterinarian called Tylan powder, an antibiotic usually prescribed to treat bacterial overgrowth.
Some other things that you can do is to make yeast vacate the premises is to dilute vinegar with water and carefully wipe the area under and around the eye, you should avoid getting it in their eyes. Otherwise dust under the eye area with corn starch, the corn starch keep the area under the eyes dry and will dry up any tears that may fall from their beautiful eyes.
Keep the eye area trimmed and remember even though you are treating from the outside in, make it a point to keep the eye area free from debris. Go to your local department store and pick up a flea comb. moisten the area with a warm water (on a tissue or cloth ) to loosen up the debris carefully use this comb to remove it
If your dogs already has stains, begin treatment and as new hair grows, trim off the stained hair, it will take as long as it takes for the hair to grow for you to reverse it. You will have to be consistent with giving the powder daily according to the instructions.
Just because your dog is dark colored does not mean there is no yeast. It shouldn't be a case of "out of sight, out of mind". You see, yeast can grow under the eye and spread to the face, head and chin making for itchy skin. If your dog has debris under the eye, he is likely to have yeast, make sure you remove the debris. You may notice a sour smell, this is yeast and it needs to be treated, you can wipe with the vinegar/water solution and then comb the entire beard.
Sometimes the beards on the Havanese can get wet from drinking water or eating wet food and cause itchiness, If you think this may be the case with your dog, go ahead and ask your groomer to thin the hair under the chin to let air circulate and prevent breeding yeast. Instead of messy canned food you can opt for a food roll, like Natural Balance®
This information brought to you by Renaissance Havanese, because good things shouldn't be kept secret! "Hava" wonderful day.
Note: Regarding the manufacturers mentioned in this article, while highly recommended, unfortunately, Renaissance Havanese is not on their payroll.
© All text and photography contained within this website is the exclusive property of Renaissance Havanese and is not to be removed or copied without written permission from the author, Veronica Guillet.
The Havanese have really expressive eyes. This is why I have a special place in my heart for the light colored Havanese, their eyes really stand out. Like a book, their eyes will tell you a story of how adored you are. There is no greater daily gift.
Tear staining is caused by yeast. Yeast is a bacteria, this particular bacteria thrives in conditions that are wet and warm. While some dogs seem to tear excessively, for most dogs tearing is a normal process of cleansing the eye, over time "goo" will collect under the eye, if you do not clean this area bacteria will begin to grow and fester, it is warm and wet and so therefore, a perfect spot for a yeast feast. When the area dries, the yeast leaves it's mark, a rusty stain, if we ignore it, it gets worse and spreads.
There are a lot of products on the market none of which will immediately remove the stains, if there was such a product they wouldn't be able to keep it in stock! Additionally, almost all of these liquids and wipes require that you use them several times a day, every day, forever. Not practical for most of us. So what do you do?
I prefer products that I feel are healthy, natural and work from the inside out. My favorite is a product called I-Stain® by Thomas Laboratories. This powder is a mixture of probiotics, which are good in more ways than one. Always follow the manufacturers instructions. I give about 1/4 tsp once or twice per day for a 12lb dog. A small tub will cost you about $8.00 and will last the owner of a singleton up to six months. If your dog is a picky eater, place it in a dollop of moist food. This is my first choice.
Another popular choice is Angel Eyes® this product is much more expensive for much less product. However, it has very good reviews. Good reviews means that it works but is it worth the jacked up price? Apparently many dog and cat owners think so. My concern however and this is my opinion, as I am entitled to it, is that it contains an antibiotic, the manufacturer assures us that it is in small amounts. Additionally, it can cause staining of the teeth. If your dog doesn't grin from ear to
ear, it just may be an acceptable trade off.
This is similar to a product that can be offered through your Veterinarian called Tylan powder, an antibiotic usually prescribed to treat bacterial overgrowth.
Some other things that you can do is to make yeast vacate the premises is to dilute vinegar with water and carefully wipe the area under and around the eye, you should avoid getting it in their eyes. Otherwise dust under the eye area with corn starch, the corn starch keep the area under the eyes dry and will dry up any tears that may fall from their beautiful eyes.
Keep the eye area trimmed and remember even though you are treating from the outside in, make it a point to keep the eye area free from debris. Go to your local department store and pick up a flea comb. moisten the area with a warm water (on a tissue or cloth ) to loosen up the debris carefully use this comb to remove it
If your dogs already has stains, begin treatment and as new hair grows, trim off the stained hair, it will take as long as it takes for the hair to grow for you to reverse it. You will have to be consistent with giving the powder daily according to the instructions.
Just because your dog is dark colored does not mean there is no yeast. It shouldn't be a case of "out of sight, out of mind". You see, yeast can grow under the eye and spread to the face, head and chin making for itchy skin. If your dog has debris under the eye, he is likely to have yeast, make sure you remove the debris. You may notice a sour smell, this is yeast and it needs to be treated, you can wipe with the vinegar/water solution and then comb the entire beard.
Sometimes the beards on the Havanese can get wet from drinking water or eating wet food and cause itchiness, If you think this may be the case with your dog, go ahead and ask your groomer to thin the hair under the chin to let air circulate and prevent breeding yeast. Instead of messy canned food you can opt for a food roll, like Natural Balance®
This information brought to you by Renaissance Havanese, because good things shouldn't be kept secret! "Hava" wonderful day.
Note: Regarding the manufacturers mentioned in this article, while highly recommended, unfortunately, Renaissance Havanese is not on their payroll.
© All text and photography contained within this website is the exclusive property of Renaissance Havanese and is not to be removed or copied without written permission from the author, Veronica Guillet.
Picky eater?
The Havanese is a very talented dog, they were once used
as circus dogs to entertain families and children with their amazing
antics. Yet, you may find that your the one jumping through hoops to
get him to eat!
Always rule out the possibility of an underlying medical condition with your Veterinarian. Especially if your dog suddenly stops eating. My first reaction is to check their mouth, I once found a bobby pin stuck on a tooth in a young dog's mouth. Look for loose teeth also, teething can make a puppies mouth too sore for eating. In the event of teething the responsible thing to do would to make the food easier to eat, offer moist food.
This article is really about the picky eater. One important note about the Havanese is that a high percentage do not eat very much food, some ten pound dogs may only consume 1/4 to 1/2 a cup on a daily basis. We feed our puppies free choice, that is they have food available at all times. However, when you bring your puppy home and/or at twelve to fourteen weeks of age (depending on their size) you may want to combine housebreaking with a feeding schedule.
So you place the food down and Rosie mossies on over, picks up one kibble, walks across the room, lies down and takes her sweet time savoring the flavor of the tiny piece of food and so it goes until she decides that three are enough. You think that perhaps she does not like the food and should get her something new. STOP! This is where we can complicate things more than they need to be. Keep in mind that if Rosie is urinating and moving her bowels then she is eating and digesting her food.
Try an experiment, take a few of Molly's kibbles and place them in a glass covered with 1/2" of water, see how much the kibble expands and it may give you an idea that those few tiny kibbles are enough for your little Molly. In my experience the guidelines on most food instruct you to give your pet way more food than they actually consume. Use your dog as a guide, you know them best!
Don't go to the store and try this brand and that brand, you can actually do more harm than good. You should never abruptly switch your dogs food, this can cause digestive upset.
I have an article on how to properly switch foods that I would be happy to provide you with.
Provided that your dog is over twelve to fourteen weeks old, begin a feeding schedule. You will want to feed the young dog and the picky eater small meals 3-4 times per day, start with 1/3 cup for the dog 10lbs and under and then guage how much they eat during any given time, if they eat it all, give a little more, if they don't eat it all give less the next time. The amount they eat will vary with the time of day. see what satisfies them, Use your dog as a guide. Leave the food down for 15 minutes, if they do not eat, take it away and offer it at the next meal time. This will train your dog that the food disappears after a certain time and that it is best to consume it when offered. BE CONSISTENT! I repeat BE CONSISTENT! This is key to training.
If Tiger is just not getting it and you are truly concerned, even though the Vet says he's healthy. Then you may elect to grate a moist food over his kibble. A nice choice would be a food roll like Natural Balance®. This is my choice because it is a complete food and is not as messy as some canned foods. You can slice up the roll, reserve a piece or two for the week and place in the refrigerator and freeze the left overs, it lasts a long time. If you cut it up in pieces and mix it in the kibble, your dog will pick out the pieces and leave the kibble, trust me! This is why it is best to grate it over the kibble.
I recommend adding variety to your dogs diet. If you are preparing dinner, there are some things you could share with your dog. It is important that you not place these foods into their food dish or give it to them as a replacement of their regular meal or feed them from the table if you want to avoid begging, pleading and crying at your table.
When preparing foods, set some unseasoned morsels aside. Peas, cooked carrots, green beans, potatoes, asparagus, whole grain pasta, cooked boneless/skinless chicken, a small slice of cheddar cheese, cut up hardboiled egg. Give these things in moderation, too much of a good thing can cause digestive upset. You will get to know what your dog enjoys and how much he can tolerate. It is important to point out that you should not give your dog fatty or salty meats as they can cause kidney failure which can be deadly.
Be smart know what foods are poisonous to your dog. Visit www.ASPCA.org for Animal Poison Control and more information.
Rotating the diet, some believe that it is good to rotate the dog's diet every six months, there are so many choices out there. Stick with a high quality holistic food and remember to introduce this new food gradually over a period of five to seven days.
As always, I am very big on not supporting companies who torture and kill animals in the name of pet food research. You should know who these companies are, you would be surprised to find out that many Veterinarians carry brands by such companies, ask for alternatives! The purchase of these brand allows the inhumane treatment of these animals. Your choice is important.
© All photography and text contained within this website is the exclusive property of Renaissance Havanese and is not to be removed or copied, without written permission from the author Veronica Guillet.
Always rule out the possibility of an underlying medical condition with your Veterinarian. Especially if your dog suddenly stops eating. My first reaction is to check their mouth, I once found a bobby pin stuck on a tooth in a young dog's mouth. Look for loose teeth also, teething can make a puppies mouth too sore for eating. In the event of teething the responsible thing to do would to make the food easier to eat, offer moist food.
This article is really about the picky eater. One important note about the Havanese is that a high percentage do not eat very much food, some ten pound dogs may only consume 1/4 to 1/2 a cup on a daily basis. We feed our puppies free choice, that is they have food available at all times. However, when you bring your puppy home and/or at twelve to fourteen weeks of age (depending on their size) you may want to combine housebreaking with a feeding schedule.
So you place the food down and Rosie mossies on over, picks up one kibble, walks across the room, lies down and takes her sweet time savoring the flavor of the tiny piece of food and so it goes until she decides that three are enough. You think that perhaps she does not like the food and should get her something new. STOP! This is where we can complicate things more than they need to be. Keep in mind that if Rosie is urinating and moving her bowels then she is eating and digesting her food.
Try an experiment, take a few of Molly's kibbles and place them in a glass covered with 1/2" of water, see how much the kibble expands and it may give you an idea that those few tiny kibbles are enough for your little Molly. In my experience the guidelines on most food instruct you to give your pet way more food than they actually consume. Use your dog as a guide, you know them best!
Don't go to the store and try this brand and that brand, you can actually do more harm than good. You should never abruptly switch your dogs food, this can cause digestive upset.
I have an article on how to properly switch foods that I would be happy to provide you with.
Provided that your dog is over twelve to fourteen weeks old, begin a feeding schedule. You will want to feed the young dog and the picky eater small meals 3-4 times per day, start with 1/3 cup for the dog 10lbs and under and then guage how much they eat during any given time, if they eat it all, give a little more, if they don't eat it all give less the next time. The amount they eat will vary with the time of day. see what satisfies them, Use your dog as a guide. Leave the food down for 15 minutes, if they do not eat, take it away and offer it at the next meal time. This will train your dog that the food disappears after a certain time and that it is best to consume it when offered. BE CONSISTENT! I repeat BE CONSISTENT! This is key to training.
If Tiger is just not getting it and you are truly concerned, even though the Vet says he's healthy. Then you may elect to grate a moist food over his kibble. A nice choice would be a food roll like Natural Balance®. This is my choice because it is a complete food and is not as messy as some canned foods. You can slice up the roll, reserve a piece or two for the week and place in the refrigerator and freeze the left overs, it lasts a long time. If you cut it up in pieces and mix it in the kibble, your dog will pick out the pieces and leave the kibble, trust me! This is why it is best to grate it over the kibble.
I recommend adding variety to your dogs diet. If you are preparing dinner, there are some things you could share with your dog. It is important that you not place these foods into their food dish or give it to them as a replacement of their regular meal or feed them from the table if you want to avoid begging, pleading and crying at your table.
When preparing foods, set some unseasoned morsels aside. Peas, cooked carrots, green beans, potatoes, asparagus, whole grain pasta, cooked boneless/skinless chicken, a small slice of cheddar cheese, cut up hardboiled egg. Give these things in moderation, too much of a good thing can cause digestive upset. You will get to know what your dog enjoys and how much he can tolerate. It is important to point out that you should not give your dog fatty or salty meats as they can cause kidney failure which can be deadly.
Be smart know what foods are poisonous to your dog. Visit www.ASPCA.org for Animal Poison Control and more information.
Rotating the diet, some believe that it is good to rotate the dog's diet every six months, there are so many choices out there. Stick with a high quality holistic food and remember to introduce this new food gradually over a period of five to seven days.
As always, I am very big on not supporting companies who torture and kill animals in the name of pet food research. You should know who these companies are, you would be surprised to find out that many Veterinarians carry brands by such companies, ask for alternatives! The purchase of these brand allows the inhumane treatment of these animals. Your choice is important.
© All photography and text contained within this website is the exclusive property of Renaissance Havanese and is not to be removed or copied, without written permission from the author Veronica Guillet.
