tear stains and dog yeast infections

Correlation between Tear Stains and Dog Ear Yeast Infections

By Jacqueline Harris

Do you remember the last time you or your child had an ear or sinus infection? Chances are that you saw an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist for a remedy. These specialized doctors perform medical and surgical procedures and handle diseases of the nasal passages, pharynx, sinuses, etc. Well, like humans, dogs can acquire infections that not only affect one area but affect other areas as well.

For instance, let’s say that you notice that your dog has watery eyes and a yucky discharge in the corner of his eyes. You may be thinking, “Oh, he probably has an eye infection.” Well, in this instance, he may actually have an ear infection and the discharge drainage is a symptom of that illness. In this article, we’ll discuss the correlation between tear stains and dog ear yeast infections.

Before we delve to deeply, you may be wondering, what are tear stains and do they occur in all dogs? Tear stains are basically red or brown stains that occur under your dog’s eyes. They can occur in any dog, but they are most noticeable in light-colored breeds like Maltese and Poodles. In fact, most tear stains result in red or dark brown streaks and seem to be most visible in the corners of your dog’s eyes. In order to treat and prevent such staining, it helps to evaluate when it occurred. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Has my dog always had some staining? If not, when did it develop?

• What color is the staining?

• Is the staining mild or excessive?

• Does the tear stains smell bad?

• What color are the tear stains, red or brown?

If the tear stains are mild but have been persistent since she was a puppy, chances are that your dog is genetically inclined to have such discharge and this staining may be normal for your dog. In this instance, the best thing to do is regularly clean the area to stay on top of the discolouration. On the other hand, if you notice that staining has recently become a bigger problem, your dog may have an infection in his ears. Our advice is to take your dog in for a check up right away for medical treatment.

Now that you know what to look out for, you might be wondering what exactly a dog ear yeast infection is? It is basically an infection in the ears caused by an overgrowth of bacteria. In addition to tear staining, you might also find your dog scratching or rubbing her ears, shaking her head, moping around with diminished energy, or a foul odor emanating from her ears. If you notice any of these symptoms in addition to the staining, you should have your dog examined by a vet as she will likely have a dog ear infection.

The good news is that treating your dog’s ear infection is the first step toward getting your dog's face back to its shiny best. The bad news is that yeast can be tough to treat, as it is a very tenacious organism. To treat it, your veterinarian may prescribe an anti-fungicide like Otomax to treat the yeast overgrowth. Once the acute situation is conquered, ask your vet about ways to prevent yeast infections. One thing that is very important is to keep the insides of the ears clean and dry. After every bath or swimming session, make sure to dry the inside of the ears. In addition, pluck wayward hairs that are growing in the ears. These can grow downward into the ear canal, and provide a perfect pathway for yeast to the sinuses and eyes. Similarly, burrs or other objects that become lodged in the ears can cause yeast and, therefore, increase tear staining.

To help prevent these infections, you can also ask your vet about using vinegar, both as a dietary supplement to help balance your pet's pH, which will discourage yeast growth, and as a topical application to dry and whiten the skin and hair.

Either way, take heart, tear staining is not uncommon, but if you take steps to treat and prevent its causes, your dog will be rewarded with the clean, beautiful face he was meant to have and you won’t have to worry about his having dog ear yeast infections.

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