Staning around doodle's mouth

[Ali & Sonny D.]

Hi all. I know I have seen bit of discussions here about staining but never really saw what anyone does about it, Sonny is almost 1 years old. He is a cream doodle and the past few months or so has been getting darker by his mouth and a drop by his eyes. I was just wondering what others do aboiut it and what they do to prevent the staining. His eyes are barely noticable but his mouth area is. Thanks for any input!

[Kathy Spyker]

Lillys is not to bad yet, but I seen special shampoos they sell for that. Sorry I'm not much help.

[Ali & Sonny D.]

LOL, it was something, thanks!

[Ann W]

There has been some discuss before. Charlie too has that issue. I haven't found the shampoos to help. I've learned to live with it. I have notice that his stains look lighter after his bath. I thought someone said once that the DNA plays a part. Probably wrong .But love my all ways friend anyway. LOL!

[TrevorDoodle]

My doodle has pretty bad staining around his mouth area too. It started around when he was 1 year old. I also switched his food to Taste of the Wild around the same time so I wonder if it is the food. Taste of the Wild has "beet pulp" as one of its ingredients so it may be the cause. He also get some Merrick canned. There are shampoos that are supposed to help. Best Shot has a whitening shampoo out and I have used it twice and I don't notice too much of a difference. I probably need to use more often to see a difference. I haven't really tried to remove the staining yet but it is something
I have been researching too. Below is some information I have found........

The information below is from the website http://www.purplepawspa.com/contact_us.html:
Red tear stains can be caused by a couple differnet things, red yeast being present in the dog, the pH/acid level in the dog, and by dyes in their pet food. When the red staining appears in the dog's beard and on the feet it is usually from them licking those spots and the saliva and tears sitting on the hair shafts cause them to stain. Some helpful tips to keep staining at a minimum....
If your pet has light to medium tear staining problem here are a few suggestions that may help. The first thing to do is to start washing the corners of the eyes a couple times a day so that the tears are not sitting there to make the discoloration. You can try adding apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to their food or water starting with a 1/4 tsp and gradually increase it. Look for a food that does not have wheat, corn or beet pulp in it. Try using bottled water as opposed to tap water.
If your pet has a medium to heavy staining problem you may need to wash the face regularly, change their food, try the bottled water plus try some commercial products that have a low grade antibiotic in them to fight that red yeast that is causing the problem. Two products that have antibiotics in them are Angel Eyes and Angels Glow, I have heard good things about both of these products and reccomend them but, because they do contain antibiotics I do not reccomend using them long term, just long enough to clear it up then you need to stop using it. Hopefully by the time you have changed the pets food to a meat-based, no-wheat, no-corn and no-beet pulp food, and with washing the face daily hopefully the tear stains will not come back.
One more suggestion, if you are not comfortable giving your pet an antibiotic, would be to try the Oxy-E Drops from Nzymes. This product is an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral product that would adjust the pH/acid level in the dog's body and fight the red yeast causing the problem while also being beneficial in other ways.

This is from the website: http://www.myhattiesburg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20273
To remove existing beard stains, some of the following suggestions may prove useful:

Wash the beard once or twice a week in a mixture of white vinegar and water.

In a bowl, mix together equal parts Hydrogen Peroxide (from the grocery or pharmacy; make sure it is fairly fresh), milk of magnesia, and corn starch (to give the mixture the desired consistency). Combine only what you are going to use immediately -- it needs to be made fresh each time. Brush this liquid paste on, using an old toothbrush. Put the dog in a crate so he does not get everything messy and try to make sure he does not lick it off. The paste will dry to a powdery consistency after about an hour or two and then can be brushed out. The stain, especially if it is a dark one, will not necessarily be gone after one application, but definite improvement should result. This treatment may need to be repeated a few times. Be sure not to get the mixture on areas of the coat you do not want bleached!
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Mix together equal parts lemon juice and table salt. Then mix in one beaten egg white and apply to the beard. Leave the mixture on the hair as long as desired. When dry, it can be brushed out.

Available at pet stores and through pet mail order catalogs is a commercial shampoo called "Snowy Coat," by Lambert Kay. It contains bluing (not bleach), an optical brighter. Work a small amount of the shampoo into the beard and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing out. Similar shampoos may be successful in individual cases: "Shimmering Lights," "White On White," etc.

Try adding a drop or two of "Mrs. Wright's Laundry Bluing" to the conditioner used after you shampoo the beard -- it may help. You can add the bluing to the bottle of conditioner, and use it on the beard and legs each time you shampoo.

"Fearing Super White" is a product available in most horse feed/tack supply houses and pet and veterinary supply catalogs. It is purple and has a raspberry scent. Work a small amount into the beard to form a foam and allow to set for about 3-5 minutes, then rinse out completely.

For prevention of discoloration, use of a light coat oil (such as "Purepet Coat Oil") will fill hair pores and protect them from filling with unwanted pigment.

Finally, food or environmental allergies may be playing a part. Corn and wheat in the dog's food may contribute to allergies, which can lead to discoloration of the feet when the dog repeatedly licks them due to itching. If switching foods does not help, and you suspect your dog has allergies, consider having your veterinarian perform some allergy testing.

Under no circumstances use a human bleaching product (hair lightener or highlighting kit) on a dog. A dog's hair pH is different from that of humans, and the fur may not turn the desired color -- not to mention that such a product could be harmful if the dog ingests it.

[Ali & Sonny D.]

I was thinking about trying the Angel Eyes. Maybe it will help. I am going to look into that moe. Thanks for all the info. I am afraid if I brushed anything onto his fur, he would try to lick it off! LOL