[bellasmomok]

Good idea to go to the vet! I really think that's the first step. If you find out that it's not an infection, then you can begin the process of cleaning, etc...

Angels' Eyes is NOT okay to use ALL the time. My vet said to use it for no more than one month. All the Angel's Eyes does is clear out the color (from the red yeast bacteria in the eyes), but it doesn't stop the tearing! There have already been lots of different reasons for tearing suggested above, so one of them is most likely your culprit. (If beet root is an ingredient in your dog food, it could be causing the red stains too!) Also, there are dogs that are just genetically predispositioned to tear, so you may not every get rid of it.....distilled water and a food with fewer ingredients and less "known" allergens is your best bet at trying to figure out why and if it can be "fixed".

As far as wipes go, there are several products sold that you use to moisten a cotton ball and then wipe away the tear "trail", as I call it. John Paul Pet makes wipes, but I don't know how good they are. I'd stay away from using baby wipes, as most of those contain at the very least fragrance that can irritate the eyes. I liked the suggestion of just using regular old eye drops for people, moistening a cotton cosmetic pad or cotton ball (found in the cosmetics section of most stores, like walmart), and then wiping away the tears. That's a great idea....I think I'll try that too! If you choose to buy a "pet" eye product, make sure it is safe if it gets in the eyes. A LOT of them say to KEEP OUT OF EYES!!, which is very odd to me, since you obviously have to get close to the eyes to use their product.

So, vet is the first step, water and food change may be the next, and eye drops as a tear stain cleaner would be helpful too. And if the vet is okay with your using Angel's eyes, then don't use it for more than a month! It IS a low grade antibiotic, so it shouldn't be used all the time!!!! (Just think, would it be ok for you to stay on a broad spectrum antibiotic all the time? No. In fact, that would be really bad, because then you could get ill with bacteria that have grown resistant to that type of antibiotic. At the very least, you would have to take a much stronger antibiotic to take care of it, and at the worst there may not be another option to treat that specific thing. It's best to use antibiotics only when you must!)