Your puffy pooch just greeted you with puppy kisses ... and unsightly reddish-brown stains beneath his eyes. These are the Maltese's legendary tearstains, unfortunate byproducts of normal bacterial flora and the breed's light-colored, long, silky, translucent fur. You can successfully battle these stains by consistently following a few simple steps.
Step 1
Wash around your dog's eyes with no-tear shampoo. Gently rub a small dab of shampoo into wet fur with a damp washcloth. Use a gentle, circular motion to thoroughly work the shampoo into the tearstains.
Step 2
Comb tear-stained fur with an eyebrow brush. Carefully lift any trapped matter away from the skin and brush it away from the eyes and out of the fur.
Step 3
Rinse your dog's face and eye area with cupfuls of warm water. Gently massage your dog's fur and skin as you rinse to remove all shampoo and debris.
Step 4
Blow-dry your pup's face on low heat until the fur is completely dry.
Step 5
Mix a half-teaspoon of medical-grade boric acid powder into 1 cup of warm water.
Step 6
Clean tear-stained areas with cotton pads wetted in the boric acid solution. Avoid getting this solution in your dog's eyes.
