If you own a white or light-coloured dog or cat, then we're sure you know how frustrating tear stains can be. Tear stains are those reddish-brown stains that stand out under your pet's eyes. Dogs and cats with dark fur can also get tear stains, but they may not be as visible.

Excessive tears can indicate an eye infection, allergies, or something more serious, so we recommend that you do regular checks of your pet’s eyes to look for any signs of irritation or infection. It is important to note that if you have any concerns about your pet’s eyes, then please ring us immediately. Eye conditions can rapidly progress and deteriorate, so it is always best to check anything that you are concerned about.

If you find that you need to remove tear stains regularly, Vetchoice has a great eye care product called TearClear, which has been specifically formulated to combat tear staining beneath the eyes. The natural ingredients will target common bacteria and yeast species that would otherwise thrive in the moist environments caused by excessive tear production.

As well as eye conditions, dogs and cats can also develop ear conditions or problems with their ears if they get infected. When checking or grooming your pet, you may also notice some black wax in your pet’s ears and want to clean them out.

This time last year, we did an article on ear disease, which is one of the most common presenting problems that we see in small animal practice today. It accounts for around 10% of all cases that we see. By far the most common sort of ear disease that we see is Otitis externa (ear infection of the external ear). This ear disease can present in many different ways and some of the clinical signs include, shaking of the head, a discharge and reddening of the ear canal and a bad smell.

For prevention, we would recommend checking the inside of your dog’s ears daily. This will help you to identify if there are any issues early on, as the quicker we treat ear disease the better. Some breeds need regular ear cleaner and hair plucking, and we will often recommend clipping the inner side of the ear flap short as this helps air flow to the ear.

You can also use ear cleaners, but these should always be a liquid and never a powder. The Vetschoice ear care product, Klear, is designed to help clean the external ear canals of any dog or cat. It is specially formulated to encourage evaporation of any water in the ear, thereby drying the canal and lessening the chance of microbial growth.

Klear also contains ingredients to control microbes and soothing agents, which can also help in the removal of any wax or debris that has built up in the ear canal. Some animals are more prone to ear problems, so a regular cleaning routine may be necessary to reduce the frequency of flare-ups.

As always, if this article has raised any concerns, or you want to find out more about the Vetschoice products, then please call us on 01665 252 250.