How to Clean a Maltese's Eyes

Maltese dogs need daily eye care.
i bichon maltese puppy image by Lombok from Fotolia.com

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.

the nest

×