8 Best Dog Foods for Maltese Tear Stains in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks
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There are many wonderful things about owning the charming and playful Maltese. One thing that many Maltese owners encounter that is less than wonderful is dealing with tear stains. Tear stains on a white dog can be extremely noticeable, not to mention difficult to manage and potentially uncomfortable for your dog.
While there are many products on the market to clean and manage tear stains, your best bet for managing them in the long-term is to feed your dog a high-quality diet that is formulated to support the health of their skin and coat, as well as provide them with excellent nutrition. Many people underestimate just how important nutrition can be, especially when dealing with tear stains.
Since it can be difficult to even know where to start when selecting a food to manage your Maltese’s tear stains, we’ve reviewed the best products on the market to help you and your pup out.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
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Forza10 Nutraceutic Sensitive Tear Stain Plus |
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Check Price |
Best Value
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Bixbi Liberty Rancher’s Red |
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Premium Choice
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Orijen Amazing Grains Six Fish Recipe |
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Check Price |
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Merrick Real Beef & Brown Rice Recipe with Ancient Grains |
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Check Price | |
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Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach |
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Check Price |
The 8 Best Dog Foods for Maltese Tear Stains
1. Forza10 Nutraceutic Sensitive Tear Stain Plus – Best Overall
| Main ingredients: | Anchovy meal |
| Protein content: | 30% |
| Fat content: | 15.6% |
| Calories: | 374 kcal/cup |
The Forza10 Nutraceutic Sensitive Tear Stain Plus food is the best overall dog food for Maltese tear stains. This food is one of the only foods on the market that is formulated specifically to manage tear stains. This is a limited ingredient diet, making it suitable for dogs with food sensitivities, and it’s an excellent source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which will help support your pup’s skin, coat, heart, joint, eye, and brain health. It has a strong fishy smell, which enhances its palatability. It’s high in protein, which supports a variety of body functions, including muscle maintenance and healing.
This food does contain legumes, and it is free of grains. Grain-free foods containing legumes have shown a potential link to heart disease in dogs, so make sure to discuss this with your vet before switching your dog to this food.
- Formulated specifically for managing tear stains
- Limited ingredient diet
- Excellent source of omega-fatty acids
- High in protein
- Grain-free food containing legumes
- Strong smell might be overpowering for some
2. Bixbi Liberty Rancher’s Red – Best Value
| Main ingredients: | Deboned beef |
| Protein content: | 24% |
| Fat content: | 17.5% |
| Calories: | 427 kcal/cup |
The best dog food for Maltese tear stains for the money is the Bixbi Liberty Rancher’s Red dog food. This is a high-calorie food, so you will be able to feed less, and your dog will likely produce less waste. It features multiple protein sources, including beef, lamb, and goat, and it’s free of chicken, so it is suitable for dogs with sensitivities to chicken. The meats are cooked in a way that retains nutrition and enhances flavor. This food is a good source of healthy grains, like oats, which support healthy digestion, and the small kibble size is ideal for Maltese dogs.
Since this food is calorie dense, it’s important to feed it according to the instructions. With a calorie dense food, it’s easy to overfeed, leading to obesity.
- Calorie dense
- Suitable for dogs with some food sensitivities
- Proteins are cooked to enhance palatability
- Contains healthy grains
- Small kibble size
- Easy to overfeed
3. Orijen Amazing Grains Six Fish Recipe – Premium Choice
| Main ingredients: | Whole mackerel |
| Protein content: | 38% |
| Fat content: | 18% |
| Calories: | 488 kcal/cup |
The Orijen Amazing Grains Six Fish Recipe is a great choice for reducing tear stains in your Maltese, but it does retail for a premium price. The first five ingredients of this food are whole protein sources from fish, making this food a great source of omega fatty acids. It’s especially high in DHA and EPA, which are omega-3 fatty acids that are good for supporting eye health. It contains healthy grains, probiotics, and prebiotics, all of which will help support healthy digestion for your dog. It’s an excellent source of protein with 38% protein content, but it is a little higher in fat than many other foods at 18% fat content.
- Multiple whole protein sources
- Suitable for dogs with food sensitivities
- Great source of EPA and DHA to support eye health
- Contains healthy grains
- Supports digestive health with prebiotics and probiotics
- High in protein
- Premium price
- High in fat
4. Merrick Real Beef & Brown Rice Recipe
| Main ingredients: | Deboned beef |
| Protein content: | 26% |
| Fat content: | 15% |
| Calories: | 386 kcal/cup |
The Merrick Real Beef & Brown Rice Recipe with Ancient Grains dog food contains multiple protein sources, but it is free of chicken, making it suitable for dogs with certain food sensitivities. It contains healthy grains that help support your pup’s digestive system. It’s high in glucosamine and chondroitin, which support joint health, as well as omega fatty acids to support skin, coat, and eye health.
Some people have reported their picky pups not finding this food palatable, so it may not be suitable for pickier Maltese dogs.
- Multiple whole protein sources
- Suitable for dogs with some food sensitivities
- Contains healthy grains
- Supports digestive health
- Good source of omega-fatty acids
- May not be suitable for picky dogs
5. Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach
| Main ingredients: | Salmon |
| Protein content: | 26% |
| Fat content: | 16% |
| Calories: | 467 kcal/cup |
The Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach food is a healthy food that can help reduce tear stains in your Maltese. This food is made with healthy grains, and it is designed to be easy for the most sensitive tummies to digest. It’s free of chicken and other common protein allergens, making it suitable for dogs with food sensitivities. It’s a good source of omega-fatty acids and vitamin A, both of which support eye health to reduce your dog’s tear stains.
Currently, Purina is struggling to source the ingredients for this food due to supply chain issues. This has caused the cost of this food to rise to a premium price, and it may make it more difficult to find, especially in large bags.
- Contains healthy grains
- Made to be easy to digest
- Suitable for dogs with food sensitivities
- Good source of omega-fatty acids and vitamin A for eye health
- Negatively impacted by 2022 supply chain issues
6. JustFoodForDogs Sampler Variety Box
| Main ingredients: | Varies |
| Protein content: | Varies |
| Fat content: | Varies |
| Calories: | Varies |
If your Maltese is more of a wet or fresh food fan, the JustFoodForDogs Sampler Variety Box is a great option to find the perfect food they like that will help reduce tear stains. These foods are formulated with veterinary nutritionists for maximum health benefits, including whole protein sources for muscle mass and omega-fatty acids. This sampler comes with seven different flavors of fresh frozen food for your dog to try.
Some of these foods do contain peas and potatoes, which may be linked to heart disease in dogs. Make sure to discuss this risk with your vet if you’re choosing one of these recipes. This food does retail for a premium price.
- Formulated by veterinary nutritionists
- Good source of whole proteins
- Made with a variety of health benefits
- Good sources of omega-fatty acids
- Seven flavors are included
- Some varieties contain legumes and potatoes
- Premium price
7. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin
| Main ingredients: | Chicken |
| Protein content: | 20% |
| Fat content: | 13% |
| Calories: | 382 kcal/cup |
The Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin food is also a food recommended by our vet, and it’s a great option for dealing with tear stains because it’s a good source of omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E to support skin and eye health. Healthy grains and prebiotic fiber support healthy digestion, even for sensitive tummies, and this is a highly digestible food.
This food does contain chicken as the primary protein, which some dogs may be sensitive to. This food is not suitable for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or poultry.
- Veterinarian recommended
- Supports skin and eye health
- Contains healthy grains
- Easy to digest
- Not suitable for dogs with sensitivities to chicken
8. Walk About Kangaroo Recipe
| Main ingredients: | Kangaroo |
| Protein content: | 44.4% |
| Fat content: | 11.1% |
| Calories: | 71 kcal/100g |
The Walk About Kangaroo Recipe is a wet food option containing kangaroo as the primary ingredient. Kangaroo is a novel protein for most dogs, making it a great option for dogs with food sensitivities, especially to common proteins. It’s an excellent source of protein and is low in fat, making it a good option for dogs that need to lose a little bit of weight. This food is also a good source of omega-fatty acids to support skin and eye health.
This food is free of grains and does contain legumes, although they are low on the ingredient list, which some vets consider minimal risk. It also retails for a premium price, especially since a normal-sized Maltese will need almost an entire can per day.
- Contains a novel protein
- Suitable for dogs with sensitivities to common proteins
- High in protein and low in fat
- Good source of omega-fatty acids
- Grain-free food
- Premium price
Buyer’s Guide: How to Pick the Best Dog Foods for Maltese Tear Stains
How to Choose a Food to Reduce Tear Stains
To get rid of your dog’s tear stains, you may need to implement multiple changes. A healthy diet that’s rich in omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin E, and vitamin A is a great starting point because these nutrients will support eye and skin health, which may reduce excess tearing.
Tear stains can be caused by environmental and food allergies or medical conditions leading to excess tear production. If your dog suffers from tear stains, you may need to check with your vet to ensure your dog doesn’t have an underlying medical or environmental cause for their tear stains. If your dog is suffering from a medical cause for their tear stains, select a food that is a good source of healthy proteins because this will support healing.
Make sure to keep your dog’s eyes clean and clear of debris to further reduce tear stains.
Conclusion
These reviews should make it easier and less confusing for you to select the right food to reduce your Maltese’s tear stains. Our favorite option is the Forza10 Nutraceutic Sensitive Tear Stain Plus, which is formulated specifically to reduce tear stains.
The best value food is the Bixbi Liberty Rancher’s Red, which contains healthy proteins and is a limited ingredient food. Our favorite premium pick is the Orijen Amazing Grains Six Fish Recipe, which is extremely rich in omega-fatty acids.
If you’re looking for dog food for tear stains, you’ll love Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach, which is formulated to support skin and coat health, even in dogs with the most sensitive stomachs. Happy shopping!
Featured Image Credit: Augustcindy, Shutterstock
