Cleaning Tearstains

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Tear stains are a common problem
in the Bulldog breed.
Most short faced and wrinkled breeds
will need daily care for their wrinkles.
Most of the time a soft tissue will clean
the wrinkles from any dust or dirt.
But sometimes the stain will not go away
and the wrinkles can become irritated.
The wrinkles will become a red/brownish color
and their fur will be wet.

Important

A very important sidenote on this subject:
In a lot of cases the wrinkles are not just dirty
from playing outside or from active tear glands.

They can be irritated from eyeproblems,
(like cherryeye or entropion),
minerals in the water or allergies
(like polls, grain or other food allergies).

In these cases no cleaning or cream
will solve the problem.
So if you are in doubt or when
the methods mentioned below don’t work
make sure to visit a veterinarian for advice.

 

Daily Cleaning Routine

So the first thing to do, is to adress the source
of the problem and than you can begin
to clean and prevent the tear stains.

Clean the wrinkles with an eyecleaner daily,
get all the filth out those wrinkles
and really rub your fingers trough their wrinkles,
wipe away from the corner of the eye.

When the filth is gone, there will still be a stain
make sure to completly dry the area
after you cleaned it, this is really important!

Some people rub ointment on it after cleaning
but my advice is to only do that when the wrinkles
are clean and stainfree already
and or when the fur needs to grow back.
When their wrinkles are still irritated
it is better to keep the area dry and clean.


Intensive Cleaning

When a general eyecleaner doesn’t work
you can try a eyecleaner with antibiotics in it,
make sure to ask your vet for advice.

You should only use cleaners with
antibiotics for a short period of time.
Use it to remove the stain and than
proceed with a general eyecleaner and
unscented cleaning wipes to keep it clean.

These methods can also be used
for irritated nosewrinkles.
If your Bulldog does not have any medical reasons
for the tear stains they will be easy to remove
with a couple of cleanings.

I clean my dogs daily with unscented wipes
(their ears, nose wrinkles and corners of the eye)
and they have no tear stains or dirty wrinkles.

When we get Bulldogs in the Rescue
that have serious infected wrinkles,
I use the wipes below I get from the vet
and clean their wrinkles up to 3-5 a day.
Once the infection is gone
I use the regular cleaning routine.

Summary

• Make sure the tearstains do not have a medical reason
(like eye problems or allergies)

• Clean your dog’s wrinkles on a daily basis

• Always keep the wrinkles dry, you can do all the cleaning
but if they aren’t kept dry it will not work!

• Consult a vet before to exclude any medical reasons
and before starting any kind of treatment

I also asked our members what their experiences
were with cleaning tear stains.
Since I have no experiences with the methods
mentioned below I can not vouch for these methods

Here are some of the tips our members shared with us:

Thea van Oosten van der Wulp, Ali Bourdeau:
Douxo pads

Sherri Holman-Griffin:
I use baby wipes daily and
a little hibiclens if they get irritated.
My two love to lick each others faces and ears,
so sometimes it’s twice a day cleanings from mom
to get the extra slobber off.
I also use coconut oil orally and topically

Michelle Allison: 
Diluted hibiscrub washed in the channels
everyday keeps bacteria at bay

Kelly Adamchak Durdan:
I thought i would never get rid of my Guys tear stains.
I tried every thing under the sun,
till my vet gave me Pharmaseb wipes..
these wipes have been heaven sent
they cleared up there wrinkles took away the tear stains
no more stinky faces..love these wipes

Dorinda van Kessel:
Just a cottonball drowned in milk.
It’s a wonder!

Betty Davey:
I used plain old desitin for diaper rash.

Carry Vrolijk:
I use Malaseb shampoo (available at the vet),
Anointing pure, leave for 10 minutes
and then clean with water (so get off)
Then a thin layer sudocreme
So I do it with my bulldog Ozzy, and it works

Paula Waterbeek:
The stains can you remove with cooked water
and betadine shampoo.
The stains by the eye dont clean more than twice a week
because when je remove the stains daily
the tears production activaded its a normal proces off the eyes
When the stains are verry wet ,
only dry tthe stains and clean only 2 times in a week.

Sebastián Trujillo:
My bully had bad tear stains and a very bad
soaring inside the wrinkle over his nose.
I tried everything until a vet told me to use Savlon liquid.
I used it once a day cleaning gently with cotton.
Those tear stains disappeared.

Kimberly Simmons Daily:
Antifungal wipes work best for us

Vanessa Hinojosa Eubank:
Mal-A-Ket Wipes by DermaPet works wonders!

Inedabully Million:
I use stridex medicated pads
under the nose stock and for the tear area.
The stridex kills any fungus, yeast and bacteria.
I use it daily if there is a problem and then
a couple times a week after that or as needed.

Sian O’Brien:
Sensitive baby wipes, allow to dry
then sudocrem or sensitive diaper rash cream,
careful to avoid the eyes.
Irradiates the yeast, soothes redness, smells good,
reduces the swelling and works!

Shannon Haley-Anderson:
Apple cider vinegar in their drinking water
helps with tear stains also,
but the root of the problem stems from what the dog is fed.

Sandra Bryant:
Filtered water in a stainless bowl is what
I used and Annabella’s tear staining disappeared.
I clean her folds, ears and entire body
with unscented baby wipes daily

Vonny Robertson: 
I bath my babies with Douxo antiseptic shampoo,
plus have the Douxo pads.
Tear stains are just from active tear glands,
which can be that way from wind/dust/
my one puppy had tears already at 6 weeks old.
Just got to keep the face clean firstly,
but more importantly -dry.
If you keep putting ointments or wet creams on,
it’s just going to create a bacterial infection
in the facial wrinkles.
My bulldog vet says his motto is
“clean and dry, clean and dry!”.
Can’t make the tear production stop.
Just got to keep it clean and dry

Jenna Adriaenssens:
I use baby wipes to clean and baby powder to dry.

Jennifer Palacios:
Baby wipes on the daily.
Fragrant free of course.
And I make a solution of part vinegar (small amount)
with distilled water and clean the areas
if needed once a day when it calms down
every other day to weekly using a cotton ball pad.

Christina Smith:
I also put couple tablespoons of braggs raw
apple cider vinegar in my bullies water.

Annah V. Luker:
I have a cat that cleans them daily!
Highly recommended to get your bully a pet cat.
For companionship & cleanliness. They are good friends

Have a question or
want to discuss this topic
with other members?

Join the Bulldog Forum

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Cleaning Bulldog Wrinkles

2 Comments

The English Bulldog is known for
his unique face, a flat nose and wrinkly face.
These adorable characteristics
gives the Bulldog his unique appareance.

But unfortunately these cute wrinkles
can get moisture in them.
This causes the skin to get irritated
and when not treated it will get infected.
The area will become messy, dark and moist.
Also the infected area will stink,
which can really effect your cuddle time.

To prevent this you have to clean these wrinkles.
How often you clean them depends on the dog.
Some do very well if you clean the wrinkles only once a month.
Some need it on a daily basis.

Here are some tips
on how to clean those wrinkles
and what type of products to use.

Supplies

• Cotton balls or dry dog wipes

• Ointment for the nose

• Dry towel

ScreenHunter_1698 Jun. 24 20.13

Instructions Bulldog Wrinkle Cleaning

1.
Clean your Bulldog’s wrinkles and skin folds
with a cleansing wipe designed for dogs.
Make sure the brand you use is soap and scent-free

2.
Make sure the eye and nose area
is completly clean

3.
When you dry cleaned the wrinkles,
wash it’s nose and apply
a good rub of ointment to keep it soft

4.
Give your Bulldog a monthly shower or bath
using a hypoallergenic, soap-free cleanser.
Pay special attention to those bulldog’s
skin folds and wrinkles,
rub your soapy fingers into the wrinkles,
making sure to avoid the dog’s eyes.

5.
Rinse your dog thoroughly
to make sure that all soap and dirt
are washed out from his wrinkles,
then dry your dog with a towel.
Make sure the skin folds are dry,
trapped moisture can become
a breeding ground for bacteria.

6.
There are a lot of different products
available, from shampoos to creams,
sprays and tissues at the petstores,
if you are unsure which products to use,
consult your veterinarian.

7.
Just like with cleaning tearstains
besides keeping their folds and wrinkles clean
keeping them dry is Key!

I also recommend to give a quick dry cleaning
in the following scenarios:

• when the dog starts rubbing their face
on furniture or surroundings

• after every meal and walk

• especially after trips to the beach
sand can quickly irritate their folds

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Bulldog Health and Care

3 Comments

The coat of an English Bulldog requires minimal care. Regular brushing is sufficient. However, the wrinkles/folds of the bulldogs face needs to be monitored regularly. The places where the skin overlaps can get infected. There are special lotions and creams available to treat these kinds of skin infections. There are various methods and remedies for cleaning the skin folds. I use baby wipes for cleaning the wrinkles. And for a more thorough cleaning I use Sudocrem. My experience is that most bulldogs need a weekly brushing and cleaning.

When giving a bulldog their bath it is important that to wash with dog shampoo. Shampoo for humans often contains substances that are harmful for the skin of the dog.


For more information on bathing your Bulldog read the following:
http://baggybulldogs.com/2012/06/30/bulldog-bath

The nails of the dog should be regularly monitored. Check to see if the nails are not too long and take extra care of the big toe nail. The nails can be cut with a special cutter for dog nails. Make sure when you do cut their nails you do not cut them too short. If you can’t do it yourself your vet can help with this.


Ensure the ears of the dogs are regularly cleaned. I do this with baby wipes and for a thorough cleaning I use foam lotion. There are several types of medicines and lotions available to clean dog ears at pet stores or at your veterinarian.

Many people confuse fat with muscle and with this thought make their bulldogs unhealthy. When bulldogs are overweight, the load is too heavy for their joints and their heart must work much harder when exercising. This is similar to people with an unhealthy fitness.

The English Bulldog is strongly built and naturally a fit dog. The normal weight of a male is between 25 and 30 kilograms and for a female between 20 and 25 kilograms. If your bulldog is above or below this weight it is not immediately too heavy or too thin. Each bulldog, like every human, is different in terms of construction and bones. If you are unsure about the weight of your dog consult your veterinarian.

The English Bulldog breed has some breed specific health problems. The bulldog is prone to allergies and skin problems. And certain genetic abnormalities occur like shortness of breath, joint problems or cherry eyes. It is important that bulldog breeders take responsibility breeding healthy bulldogs and owners give them the proper medical care when needed.

It is important to mention that the Internet is useful information supply.
Beware: Never act on an internet diagnosis and always consult an expert or veterinarian.