red 'streaks' under a white dogs eyes

my dog is all white except for a little shade of apricot ears. she's about 13 weeks old and in the last two weeks i've noticed the fur under her eyes is turning a reddish color..? I wipe it off almost every day but the hairs there are still stained red? what causes this and how do i get it white again?

 

Talk to your groomer or vet they usually have products that are safe to use around the eyes and will whiten the fur up again, theres nothing unusual about this so dont worry, its just one of the 'perks' of having a white dog. As far as I know its just caused from the eyes tearing, kind of like when a dog licks in a certain spot excessively, the area becomes discoloured from the saliva.

 

I'd suggest you have your vet check your puppy first. Some causes for excess tearing are ear infections, teething, fleas, blocked tear ducts, and allergies/irritation.

Many vets feel the staining is the result of red yeast overgrowth. The tears provide a nice, moist environment for the yeast to grow in. There are several ways to address this. There are several medications that have been used, and your vet would be the best person to advise you on what, it anything to use.

Clean the area often with a product made specifically for treating tear stains. Avoid foods with beet pulp and red food dyes. If your water has a high mineral content, use bottled or purified water. Missing Link is also supposed to help eliminate tear staining. Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the dogs drinking water has also been suggested. I don't know how well that works, but some breeders swear by it.

Some breeders also swear by Tums, the antacid tablets. Ask your vet how much to give if you want to try that.

There are ways to bleach the stains, but they're pretty harsh, and I'd avoid them unless you want to show your dog.

 

Here is another thread about tear stains: http://www.auspet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8283&highlight=tear+stains

 

I have also heard it can be a food allergy.

 

thanks for the links and advice everyone, for now i've just been trying to keep the fur under her eyes as dry as possible, she is going back to the vet in a week or so for her final shots so i'll ask him to take a look and let me know what he thinks then.

thanks again!