Signature care guide
Maltese tear stains: causes, cleaning and prevention
Tear stains are the number-one worry for white Maltese owners. Here is the honest, complete picture, from what actually causes them to the daily routine that keeps them under control in Singapore's climate.
Nelson and Kim, Curious Tails · AVS licence AS24J00046
How do you deal with tear stains on a Maltese?
You manage them, you do not cure them. Wipe gently under the eyes with warm water twice a day, keep the fur dry, and trim the hair around the eyes. Filtered water and a clean stainless steel bowl help. Sudden, one-sided or smelly staining means see a vet.
What tear stains are, and why the white coat shows them
Tear stains are the reddish-brown discoloration that appears in the face fur under the eyes. The colour comes from porphyrins, iron-based pigments the body sheds through tears, saliva and urine. When a dog produces excess tears that overflow onto the fur, a state vets call epiphora, those pigments oxidise in daylight and leave a rusty staining.
Every breed makes porphyrins, but on a pure-white coat they are impossible to hide, which is why the Maltese is the poster dog for tear staining. The reddish colour is a cosmetic side effect of normal tears meeting a light coat, not dirt, and understanding that is the first step to managing it calmly rather than chasing a miracle fix.
The honest short version
- Tear stains are managed, not cured
- A daily cleaning routine does most of the work
- No product safely whitens the coat overnight
- Sudden, smelly or one-sided staining means see a vet
The many causes, from anatomy to diet
Tear staining is a symptom with many possible drivers, which is why one owner's fix does nothing for another. Understanding the causes lets you target the right one rather than throwing products at it.
Some causes are structural. The Maltese has relatively shallow eye sockets and fine facial hair, so tears spill easily, and a blocked tear duct (the nasolacrimal duct that should drain tears into the nose) sends the overflow down the face instead. Others are life-stage: teething puppies tear more. And the damp, stained fur then grows yeast and bacteria, which can turn the marks darker or smelly and tip a cosmetic tear duct issue into an infection.
Then there is what goes in the bowl. Hard-water minerals and some diet ingredients are widely blamed by owners, and while the evidence is mixed, they are worth ruling out. The point is that tear stains are a puzzle, and the calm approach is to manage the surface daily while checking for a cause underneath.
Common drivers of tearing
- Shallow sockets and fine facial hair
- Blocked or narrow tear duct
- Teething (about 4 to 7 months)
- Yeast or bacteria in damp fur
- Water minerals or diet (unproven, worth a trial)
- Irritation from hair rubbing the eye
Cosmetic or medical? How to tell the difference
This is the section most guides skip, and it matters most. Most Maltese tear staining is cosmetic and is a hygiene job. But the same white face can hide a real problem, so the skill is knowing when to reach for a cotton pad and when to reach for the phone. As a rule, gradual, symmetrical, odourless staining is cosmetic; anything sudden, one-sided, smelly or sore is a vet question.
| What you see | Likely nature | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Gradual, even, reddish-brown under both eyes | Cosmetic | Daily cleaning routine |
| Sudden increase or one-sided staining | Possible medical | See a vet |
| Odour, yellow-green discharge | Likely infection | See a vet |
| Squinting, pawing, a red or cloudy eye | Eye problem | See a vet promptly |
| Excess tearing from a young puppy, teething | Usually temporary | Routine, monitor |
The daily cleaning routine that actually works
Consistency beats every miracle product. The routine most owners settle on is simple hygiene, done twice a day. In the morning and at night, wipe gently under the eyes with warm water on a soft cotton pad or a dog-safe eye wipe, working from the inner corner outward. Then keep dry: dab dry the fur with a clean cloth so the area is not left damp, because a wet face is exactly what lets a stain set and yeast grow.
Pair the cleaning with light grooming. Trim the hair immediately around the eye so it does not wick tears across the face, or ask your groomer to keep a short "puppy face". Keep the routine short and positive so your dog learns to tolerate it. If you want the exact method, our step-by-step removal how-to walks through it. The already-stained hair will not change colour, but it grows out, and new growth stays clean once the area is kept clean and dry.
Prevention: water, diet and bowls
Prevention works alongside the daily wipe, never instead of it. Three levers are worth trying, none a guaranteed home remedy. First, water: switching to filtered water (or distilled for a trial) cuts the minerals some owners link to staining. Second, the bowl: swap plastic, which scratches and harbours bacteria, for a stainless steel bowl or ceramic, and wash it daily. Third, diet: a supervised, several-week food trial (some owners try a limited-ingredient or chicken-free recipe) is reasonable, but treat it as an experiment, not a cure.
These steps support prevention by keeping the tear area cleaner and drier and reducing yeast food. For the fuller coat picture, see our guide to keeping the coat white.
Products: what helps, and what to avoid
The tear-stain aisle is full of promises, so shop with clear eyes. Gentle, unscented dog eye wipes and a soft cloth with plain warm water are the safe daily tools. Some owners add mild natural options; treat them as optional and stop if they irritate.
The real caution is powders and drops that promise fast results. Many "tear stain remover" powders contain a low-dose antibiotic called tylosin, which should only ever be used under a vet's guidance, not sprinkled on food daily as a cosmetic. And there is no safe overnight whitening shortcut: bleaching agents and hydrogen peroxide near the eye can cause real harm. The honest truth is that tear-stain care is management, not a cure. Anyone selling a permanent fix is selling the promise, not the result.
The Singapore angle: humidity and grooming cadence
Here is what the overseas guides miss. In Singapore, the constant heat and humidity keep a dog's face damp for longer, and a damp face is precisely the condition that lets stains and yeast take hold. So the "keep dry" step matters more here than in a temperate climate: dry the face thoroughly after every wipe, after meals and after walks in the rain.
The climate also shapes the haircut. Most local owners keep a short face and a practical puppy cut, which dries faster and makes the eye area easy to clean, and book a professional grooming session every four to six weeks. See our white-coat grooming guide for the full cadence. In our experience placing white Maltese with Singapore families, the owners who win the tear-stain battle are simply the ones who make the two-minute daily wipe a habit.
Teething, puppies and what changes with age
If you have a young puppy, do not panic at early staining. Teething, roughly from four to seven months, pushes tear production up, and the marks often ease once the adult teeth are in. Keep the daily routine going through it, because the habit you build now is the one that keeps an adult Maltese's face clean, and it doubles as a gentle way to get your puppy used to having its eye area handled.
Myths owners believe about tear stains
Three myths cause the most wasted money. The first is that tear stains can be permanently cured: they cannot, they are management. The second is that a single product will fix everything: staining has many causes, so no one bottle addresses all of them. The third is that the reddish colour means your dog is dirty or unwell: usually it is just porphyrins on a white coat. Let go of the "cure" fantasy and the daily routine suddenly feels a lot lighter.
How we coach every owner at handover
Because tear stains are the number-one worry for white-Maltese owners, we build the answer into the sale. Curious Tails is an AVS licensed shop, and every puppy is vet-checked, vaccinated and microchipped, with its eyes examined as part of that health check. At handover we physically show you the wipe-and-dry routine, talk through water and bowl hygiene, and tell you honestly what a product can and cannot do.
We would rather you left with a two-minute habit than a shelf of powders. And if the staining ever looks like more than a cosmetic issue, we will point you to a vet rather than sell you a fix. That ongoing, honest care advice is part of bringing home a Maltese from us.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Maltese get tear stains?
Excess tears (epiphora) carry porphyrin pigments that stain the fur reddish-brown, and the white coat makes it obvious. Anatomy, teething, diet, water minerals, yeast or a blocked tear duct can all raise tearing.
How do I remove Maltese tear stains?
You manage rather than remove them: wipe under the eyes with warm water and cotton morning and night, keep the fur dry, and trim the hair around the eyes. Stained hair grows out; new growth stays clean.
Do all Maltese get tear stains?
Not all, but most white Maltese show some because the light coat reveals it. A daily routine keeps it minimal.
Does chicken or diet cause tear stains?
Diet and water can play a role for some dogs, but neither is a proven cause. A supervised food or filtered-water trial is reasonable, not a guarantee.
Are tear stain remover powders safe?
Be careful. Many contain low-dose antibiotics such as tylosin and should only be used under a vet’s guidance, never as a daily cosmetic. Avoid bleaching agents near the eye.
Does Singapore’s humidity make tear stains worse?
It can. Humidity keeps the face damp, which is exactly what lets stains set, so drying thoroughly after wipes and walks matters more here.
Will my puppy grow out of teething tear stains?
Teething from about four to seven months often raises tearing that eases afterward, but keep the daily routine going regardless.
When should tear stains go to the vet?
If staining is sudden, one-sided, smelly, or comes with squinting, discharge or a red eye, see a vet, as it can signal a blocked tear duct or infection.
Meet your Maltese
Come say hello at Balestier
2 Balestier Road #01-701, Singapore 320002 · Weekdays 12pm–6pm · Weekends 10am–6pm. Or message us first: tell us about your home and routine, and we'll tell you honestly if a Maltese fits.
Want the step-by-step routine?
Our how-to walks through the exact daily cleaning method owners use.
Read the removal how-to