cleaning tear stains

Question
We recently got a white boston/french mix. He was 1 1/2 years when he came to us. He has terrible tear stains bilaterally. I am wondering if there is something which will help reduce or illiminate these stains. I have tried soap and water and have really not noticed improvement.  Thank you in advance for your advise.  Shannon Gerstenkorn

Answer
Ask your vet for Malacetic Wipes and clean the bridge of the nose where the tears have stained.  This will help remove the stain from the hair.  You can also put some vaseline under the eyes to allow the tears to roll off of the face.  You can also use an oral antibiotic called tetracycline that changes the pigment in the tears so it won't stain the hairs.