10 wk old white great dane puppy with discoloration and tear staining

i just purchased a mostly white great dane puppy that is 10 wks old. He will be arriving in 4 days.

I just received updated photos of him (original photos were at around 7 wks) the new photos show he has discoloration under his eyes and around his nose (like tear staining) I haven't seen this in other white danes.

Is this common or could he be sick? or just not kept clean.

Thanks









Hi
The type of tear staining you mention is very common on white dogs, and although they're more often seen on smaller, long-haired dogs such as the Maltese, any breed/size of dog can have this problem.

The staining can be caused by all sorts of things such as colorings/artificial additives in dog food, allergies, irritation (by long hair or inward turning eyelashes), a blocked tear duct, a yeast (or other bacterial) infection and so on. Some dogs also seem more genetically predisposed to this problem.

It's possible that this puppy has an infection or allergies which are causing the discoloration, but only the breeder would be able to tell you about that. If it's a reputable, responsible breeder that you are purchasing from I would suggest talking over your concerns with him/her. Long-time breeders generally know just about everything there is to know about their breed, and of course their individual dogs, and should be able to put your mind at rest.

If you have any worries about the overall health of this pup though, do make sure that you get a health guarantee and have him checked out by your own veterinarian within 24 hours of his arrival. That way you can be sure he's healthy and if there should be any problem, you have recourse.

Now, providing your pup is perfectly healthy, then it's just a case of 'cosmetic appearance', and there is one product that I know of that really helps - Angels' Eyes Tear-Stain Eliminator for Dogs. This is a powder that you add to the puppy's (or dog's) food on a regular basis and it works to eliminate tear-staining 'from the inside out'. It can take several weeks to see the final results, but we use if for our brindle and white Olde English Bulldogge and it really does work!

There are also shampoos and other products that can help, such as these gentle Eye-Pads from Happy Tails Spa. They a quick way to gently clean the eye area gently and to remove any residue from the staining. Contains eyebright and natural colloidal silver to combat the growth of bacteria. There is also a 'sister product' to these eyepads which works in a similar way to the Angel Eyes I mentioned above, it's called Eyemunity and is also a dietary supplement. They would both be worth looking at in my opinion.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your new pup.