Two divas of vet med address a pet product peeve

Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly over on Dolittler tackled one of my personal pet peeves today, and she brought reinforcements in the form of Dr. Jennifer Koehl, who blogs as VMDiva.



Today's target? So-called "supplements" that claim to combat tear-staining on white fur, but do so using the antitiotic Tylosin. Which in this age of drug-resistant bacteria has got to be one of the worst ideas ever, particularly since tear-staining ain't nothin' but a cosmetic issue:

Sad-eyed pets the world around may not care a whit whether the fur that outlines their snout looks ruddy or not. It certainly doesn’t hurt or signal disease. It just IS. Which is why getting rid of it is a priority for owners whose stress level on the aesthetic thing is higher than others.



To that end, products like Angel Eyes have made their mark on pet store shelves. These powdered food additives remove tear stains with the magic of...daily-dosed antibiotics (tylosin). Not my preferred approach, I can promise you. Nor is it the VMDiva’s.



Dr. Koehler’s most recent blog post reviews the info on this approach. In case you doubt her, here’s another persnickety POV from yours truly. Because if you MUST remove your pet’s tear stains, there are far better approaches than high-priced, repurposed chicken meds. Promise.

Check out Dr. Khuly's tips on what does work -- safely, and consider putting VMDiva on your "must read" list, too.



And Dr. Koehler? Welcome to the fray!

Comments

[Gina Spadafori]

I posted a comment linked to Dr. K's earlier post on the topic on a facebook post promoting the product, suggesting that anyone considering these products might want to do more reading.



The comment was removed in seconds, and I was "unfriended."

[Susan]

Idle curiosity on my part, since I don't show dogs and my dogs don't have visible tear stains: is it possible to use these products (tylosin containing) right around a show and get the desired results? Is the harm as great if used that way? I realize this is apples and oranges, but I don't use anti-acne products (or even makeup) 365 days per year; just as needed.

[Gina Spadafori]

It's not the show people who are either using it or are the target market. It's the purse-pup girls who don't want their fashion accessory looking less than glamorous.

[JenniferJ]

Tear staining can almost ALWAYS be addressed by tweaking the diet, particularly the protein sources. Beef and lamb will stain more than poultry.



If you are cooking for your pets, it makes it easy to eliminate stains by just playing around with the recipes. Not that hard with commercial foods either. In most breeds, the long timers know what foods minimize stains. This is the route most people I know go.



For the few dogs that don't respond to diet, a trip to the vet (a good idea anyways as profuse staining around the eyes may indicate an allergy, or a lacrimal or eyelid/eyelash disease or defect) for more intensive investigation is warranted.



As for cosmetic, eh, mostly. But the process that causes severe staining also seems caustic to the skin around the eye in some dogs. As an example, a rescue I had last year had such severe staining that if you wiped his face, the tears were like liquid rust. We changed his diet and the tearing continued but went to clear. No antibiotics used. The severe irritation of the stained skin cleared away rapidly.The tearing was alleviated by surgery for extra eyelashes, after her skin at the surgical sites had healed. Not the first time I have seen this phenomenon.



Using an antibiotic to block stains may cover up a more serious condition. And drug resistance aside, ANY antibiotic can trigger rare but devastating reactions in a few individuals or an allergic reaction. I had a dog who was allergic to Tylosin and tetracycline. These products are just a dumb idea all around.

[YesBiscuit!]

I had a white dog who came to me w/tear stains as a stray. After eating my homemade food, the stains went away. Can't say for sure that diet made the difference of course but I tend to think that.

[Liz Palika]

Oh Gina, you are just so un-friendly! snicker....

[Karen Friesecke]

Friends of mine had a Lhasa that they rescued and it had pretty severe tear staining. When they put her on a raw diet the tear stains went away. My question is how can a product that contains antibiotics be available without a prescription?