Bichon tear stains may be caused by blocked nasolacrimal ducts, high salt intake, excessive hair around the eyes, ear mite irritation, etc. Bichons are prone to tear stains due to their breed. If the tear stains are minor, it is recommended to strengthen daily care, scrub the dog's tear stain area frequently, shave the hair in the tear stain area to keep it clean, replace it with food with low protein and fat content, and increase the amount of water it drinks. If your Bichon's tear stains are severe, it is recommended to take it to a pet hospital to check for nasolacrimal duct and eye problems.
1. Nasolacrimal duct obstruction
Because the Bichon Frize's eyes are large and round, there will be secretions in the eyes every day. If daily care is not taken properly, it is easy to cause the nasolacrimal duct to be blocked, and the tears cannot flow through. The tear ducts drain away from the eyelids and face, and over time, tear stains will form. If the tear stains are not serious, you can clean around the eyes every day, instill eye drops on time, and eat more foods with vitamins and trace elements in your diet. If severe, surgical improvement of nasolacrimal duct irrigation may be required.
2. The intake of salt content is high
Dogs cannot consume too much salt. If the owner usually feeds Bichons food that contains more oil and salt, It will stimulate the dog to secrete tears and cause ugly tear stains. Therefore, it is recommended that owners usually choose a low-oil and low-salt dog food to feed their Bichon Frize, and try not to feed human food, especially high-fat and high-salt food, otherwise it will cause abnormal hair loss in dogs.
3. The hair around the eyes is too long
If you don’t pay attention to trimming the hair around the Bichon Frize’s eyes, too long hair will irritate its eyes, causing the dog to be unable to hold back. If you shed tears, tear stains will form over time. Therefore, it is recommended that owners trim the hair around the Bichon's eyes regularly to reduce eye irritation.
4. Ear mite irritation
If the owner does not clean the Bichon Frize’s ears for a long time, it is easy for ear mites to breed, irritate the tear glands, cause inflammation, and lead to tear stains. Therefore, owners must use ear mite cleaning fluid specially designed for pets and clean their ears regularly to avoid ear infections that may lead to tears.