If you’ve ever had conjunctivitis, you’ll know how uncomfortable it is. It’s every bit as painful for your dog.

Conjunctivitis, as the name suggests, affects the conjunctiva, which is the inside of your dog’s eyelids. It also affects the sclera, the white of the eye. These become very red, with prominent blood vessels, and there is often a yellowish discharge.  Your dog will usually close the affected eye, but he’s not winking at you; his eyes hurt!

There are several causes of conjunctivitis in dogs. Sand and dust in the environment can irritate his eyes, and lead to a secondary bacterial infection. If your dog hangs his head out of the car window when you drive, the wind will also blow dust in his eyes. They will also become quite dry and irritated.

Conjunctivitis is often a symptom of allergies in dogs, particularly inhaled allergies to dusts and pollens. Your dog may also sneeze, have itchy ears and chew his feet.

Some dogs suffer from a condition called keratoconjunctivitis sicca, where their immune system destroys their tear glands. The result is chronically dry eyes, inflammation and infection.

What to Do With Sore Eyes

It’s important that if you suspect your dog has conjunctivitis, see your veterinarian sooner rather than later. If it isn’t treated, it can lead to ulceration of the cornea at the front of the eye. This is extremely painful and can take some time to resolve. It may also involve suturing your dog’s upper and lower eyelids closed to allow the ulcer to heal.

Your vet will check for any ulceration to the eye, and try to figure out the cause of the inflammation. A simple bacterial infection associated with dust and wind will respond well to an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory ointment. Allergies usually require more extensive treatment, as does keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

Don’t waste time if your dog has sore eyes. It’s better for both your dog and your budget if you tackle conjunctivitis in its early stages.

Caring for Your Dog’s Eyes At Home

You can help to prevent your dog developing painful conjunctivitis by keeping him away from dust and sand, and keeping him inside the car when you’re traveling. This isn’t always possible; fortunately we have Eye Pack to help protect his eyes from infection. This is a two-step process to keep your dog’s eyes clean and inhibit the growth of bacteria.

1.       Wipe your dog’s eyes with Eye Pads. This is particularly important if he has been rolling in the dust, or enjoying the feeling of the wind in his hair as you drive. These soft pre-moistened pads contain herbal ingredients that clean away dirt, and colloidal silver which acts as a natural antibiotic.

2.       Add the powdered Eyemunity to your dog’s food every day. It tastes great, and includes Epicor in its ingredient list.  This has been clinically proven to improve your dog’s immune system, and help him fight off infection from the inside.

Dogs are so expressive, and it’s easy to see how much they love us when they look at us with their soft brown eyes. Use Eye Pack on a regular basis and keep those eyes bright and healthy, and you’ll have no doubt about how he feels about you.

For a while now we’ve been hearing stories about dog’s with red tear stains being given Eyemunity and seeing a noticeable improvement in their itchy skin and allergies.

Although Eyemunity was actually formulated to remove the staining caused by Epiphora (a yeast bloom caused by a bacterial infection) the results come as no surprise. In fact they make perfect sense; allergies, after all are an autoimmune response and Epicor, the active ingredient in Eyemunity, modulates some of the factors involved in immunity. (Most noticeably Ige levels)

Well now we have more than anecdotal evidence to rely on. Results from a study published in Advances in Therapy (2009:26(8):795-804) found that Epicor "significantly reduced the severity of allergic symptoms." The study (a human trial of 96 subjects) was a randomized, double blind test that included a placebo. The results were measured through in-clinic visits, validated questionnaires and serologic (blood serum) testing.

This is good news for  millions of owners who’s dogs suffer from allergies and itching. Eyemunity provides a long term complement to the arsenal of topical products available for itchy, allergic dogs.

The all natural formula is an easy-to-use supplement that’s added to a dog’s food once a day. Unlike other tear stain products on the market it contains no pharmaceutical antibiotics so doesn’t come with any of those nasty side effects. You can use Eyemunity for as long as you like and not only will it clear up any tear stains but it will also improve a dog’s overall health and comfort. Especially if he’s plagued by allergies.

For more in tear stain control click here

For more on Epicor the active ingredient in Eyemunity click here

For a list and explaination of the ingredients in Eyemunity click here

By Kevin Fisher

It’s November and in most parts of the country winter is imminent. (It’s even getting a tad chilly here in Southern California!) Time to winterize your house with a little weather stripping and a few extra blankets; time to to winterize your car with anti-freeze and an ice scraper. It’s even time to start thinking about winterizing your best friend! No you don’t need to weather strip or de-ice your dog but there are a few things to bear in mind as the shorter days draw in.

It goes without saying that if you live in a cold weather area you should have a warm place for your dog to sleep . The back yard is no longer good enough unless your little guy has a somewhere to get out of the wind and the rain (but you knew that already didn’t you)

If you bathe your own dog make sure you use warmer water, preferably inside and spend a little extra time drying and brushing. Bubbles n’ Beads is the perfect cold weather product because it cleans and conditions in one go so your dog spends less time wet. If you want to skip a few bath times try DryDog Instant Clean , an all natural bath replacement spray that not only helps to clean your best friend but contains ordenone, an ingredient that traps and removes the bad smells that seem to flourish between groomings. TIP: Keep a rag and bottle at the door to use on after-walk muddy paws

Don’t leave your dog alone in the car; If the engine is left running there’s a possibility of carbon monoxide infiltrating the car, if the engine is not on it may just get too cold.

Salty frozen sidewalks can be a dogs worst enemy. Not only do his paw pads (and nose) get cold but they’re desiccated even further by the salt. It’s always a good idea to rinse and wipe his paws (and nose if he’s been sniffing around) when yo come back in from a walk. A great product to use before and after walks is bowWow Butter Balm . Apply a little before you go out and it forms a barrier between the skin and the environment and a little more after you come in will prevent irritation and heal dry skin. Note you should never use Petroleum jelly or Petroleum based products on your dogs pads; petroleum jelly contains petrolatum, which can cause gastrointestinal upset if ingested. bowWow Butter balm is all natural shea butter and is perfectly safe.

Be vigilant on walks, this is the season for antifreeze and some of which can spill on driveways, It’s a particularly lethal product because it tastes and smells good to your dog but contains ethylene glycol, which can be deadly even in small quantities.

If your dog is out in the cold and starts shaking or shivering get him inside as soon as possible. If the shaking doesn’t stop within ten minutes of being inside it’s a good idea to call your vet.

Like people, dog’s seem to be more susceptible to illness in the winter , so be alert for the warning signs; loss of appetite, drinking an inordinate amount of water or just general lethargy. Never give your dog over-the-counter medications meant for humans unless you’ve spoken to your vet first. Some products that are perfectly safe for humans are toxic to dogs; aspirin, in the wrong dosage can cause toxicity, pseudoephedrine can be very harmful or even deadly to pets, even breath fresheners can contain both menthol, (which can be irritating to the mouth and the stomach) and xylitol (which can cause liver damage).

If you want to be proactive in keeping your best friend healthy this year Eyemunity is the perfect product. It contains Epicor an all natural immune booster that will not only improve your dog’s overal health but also help prevent tearstains. Click here for more information on this product

But the winter is not all bad news, many people, and dogs find the chill in the air invigorating. (I’m definitely not one of them, 20 years shoveling snow in in New York were enough for me:-) As a dog owner you not only have a loyal playmate but you have your own personal heating unit; your dog’s body temperature is a few degrees higher than yours so cuddle up and enjoy the exothermia!

Most owners of small white dogs take great pride in keeping their dogs spotlessly clean. You can imagine then how frustrating it is to have to deal with those annoying tear stains below the eyes.

Tear staining can occur in any breed of dog, it’s just less obvious and therefore not as big a problem on dogs with darker coats. While the tears are initially clear, bacteria can grow on the moist hair, and that’s what’s responsible for making the stains the familiar red color.

I’ll Cry If I Want To..

There are really only two causes of epiphora, which is the scientific word for tears spilling down the face. Firstly, it can be caused by excess tear production which doesn’t drain down the tear duct. This little duct goes from the inner eyelid to inside the nasal cavity, and carries excess tears away. That’s why when you cry, you usually get a runny nose too! The tear duct is narrow, and if there are too many tears being produced, it just can’t cope with them all, and the tears trickle down the face.

Weepy eyes often occur in dogs with allergies, infections or irritation due to dust. Some dogs have eyelashes growing in unusual places, such as inside the eyelid. These will rub on the eye and cause pain and increased tear production. A similar problem occurs in short nosed breeds such as British Bulldogs or Pugs - their short nose may result in the facial skin being pushed up towards the eyes, which can also lead to hair rubbing and irritation.

The second reason tear spillage occurs is because the tear duct is blocked, and doesn’t drain tears from the eyes. This is usually a conformation, or head shape, problem. Some breeds of dog such as the Bedlington Terrier or Lhasa Apso may be born without a tear duct opening in their eyelids, so the tears can’t drain at all. Other breeds have very prominent eyes, and this doesn’t leave much space for tears to collect and drain down the tear duct. This may happen in Chihuahuas, Pekingese and similar breeds.

Why So Sad?

If your dog has a chronic tear staining problem, it’s a good idea to have him checked by your veterinarian. You need to find out if there is an underlying medical problem. Hair rubbing on the eye is painful, and may lead to more serious conditions such as an ulcer on the cornea. Infections usually need a course of antibiotics to clear them up. Stray eyelashes and skin folds which cause hair to rub on the eyes may need corrective surgery. If your dog has any of these problems, you’ll probably notice other symptoms such as squinting, or rubbing at the eye with a paw.

If your dog has a blocked tear duct, sometimes flushing it can help. However, because the problem with the duct is usually related to the dog’s conformation, this doesn’t often improve the situation.

Your only real option is to control the staining.

Dry Those Tears

Your first step is to keep the hair around the eyes trimmed nice and short. This helps the hair dry out quicker and slows the growth of any bacteria.

Some vets recommend using antibiotics to control the bacteria that cause the staining. This isn’t a good long term solution because you may end up with the bacteria becoming resistant to the antibiotic.

There has been some suggestions that changing a dog’s diet can reduce tear staining. It’s not known if the change in diet has a direct effect on the staining, or whether the tear staining is secondary to a food allergy, and the dietary change reduces the symptoms of that allergy.

There are also many anecdotal cures, such as giving your dog demineralised water to drink, avoiding foods containing beet pulp, and adding buttermilk to the diet. None of these have been proven to consistently make any difference.

Many dog owners prefer a natural product to clear away tear stains, and Happy Tails Eye Pack does the job beautifully. It contains Eyepads to remove the stain, and Eyemunity , a nutritional supplement to boost your dog’s immune system and help him fight the bacteria which cause staining.

The Eyepads are infused with eyebright, an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic herb, and golden seal, well known for its effectiveness against eye irritation. They also contain colloidal silver, a natural antibiotic which helps to reduce the bacteria on the hair around the eyes.

Regular use of the Eye Pack will keep your dog’s eyes sparkling, and his coat white. No more red stains on his face, and no more frustration for you, his hardworking owner!

Are White Dogs and Tear Stains Inseparable?

Maltese, Bichon Frises, Shih Tzus… all adorable and all prone to brown tear stains around their eyes. The staining is by no means limited to these breeds of dogs; it can occur in many light colored dogs, but particularly the smaller breeds. The good news is that there are things you can do to leave your pampered pet stain-free.

Causes

As is often the case, the best way to treat the problem is to first determine the cause. The five most common causes of tear staining are:

1. Ear infections. If you notice a lot of tear stains that coincide with ear infections, the two are probably linked.

2. Red yeast. Excess tearing turns the wet fur around the eyes into a breeding ground for bacteria, of which the most common is red yeast, hence the brownish tinge to the stains.

3. Blocked tear ducts. Some breeds of small dog are prone to blocked tear ducts which can cause excessive tearing.

4. Allergies. Cigarette smoke, certain shampoos, and chemicals are just some the irritants that can make the eyes water. Alternatively, an allergy to something internal, ie. food, can also cause tearing.

5. Water. It sounds so simple but drinking water is also the easiest cause of tear staining to overlook. Depending upon the mineral content in your local water supply, staining around the face may occur.

Treatments

Although there are various antibiotics, steroids, and other medications that can be prescribed to treat tear staining, since it can be on ongoing problem, it is better to treat the source of the problem with natural products . A natural remedy may take a little longer to show results but it will be better for your dog in the long run.

First, if you think your pet’s drinking water may be the source of the problem, switch to using distilled water. Also be sure to avoid allergens where possible.

Some pet owners have found that using supplements to change the pH value of the actual tears can help by creating a hostile environment for yeast. Antacids or any other calcium carbonate tablets may help, as may a teaspoon of white cider vinegar in your pet’s drinking water. Be warned that vinegared drinking water will definitely take some time to get used to, so if you choose to try this method, introduce the vinegar slowly, gradually increasing the amount.

Be sure to keep your dog’s ears clean to prevent infections which can lead to staining.

One of the most effective treatment methods is to take a two-pronged approach – using wipes to clean the face and a nutritional supplement to build up the body’s defenses from within. The Eyepack from Happytails Canine Spa Line includes a pack of Eyepads , containing colloidal silver, golden seal and eyebright, to wipe away tear stains without harsh chemicals. Also included is the Eyemunity nutritional supplement, a blend of enzymes, herbs and epicor to add to your dog’s food to strengthen their immune system. Using both together has been shown to have great results and returns your pet’s face to its natural gleaming white condition.