so how does the tums work for tear stains???

[rainingcats&dogs]

there was a thread about tear staining,and someone mentioned giving the dog tums,how does it work,and how much do you give to,for example shihtsu,and is it safe for cats
thank you

[Debbiedogs]

I read that thread, and someone mentioned 1/2 of a 500 mg tablet in morning and at night, I think. However, who knows what size of dog they had? Some could use a lot less, I suppose, so I've been watching your question to find out if anyone answers.

I don't know what is in the Tums to cause it to reduce staining. I guess we'll have to ask some show people, or find that thread and pm a couple of people. The thing about Tums is that too much can change your levels of calcium, I think; I remember a nursing student telling me about his aunt, and how she was in the hospital and they thought one thing was happening, but it was really the Tums she had been taking! Wish I could remember the details - heck, now we have to talk to a nurse AND a show person!

[Tat2DGroomer]

I read that thread, and someone mentioned 1/2 of a 500 mg tablet in morning and at night, I think. However, who knows what size of dog they had? Some could use a lot less, I suppose, so I've been watching your question to find out if anyone answers.

I don't know what is in the Tums to cause it to reduce staining. I guess we'll have to ask some show people, or find that thread and pm a couple of people. The thing about Tums is that too much can change your levels of calcium, I think; I remember a nursing student telling me about his aunt, and how she was in the hospital and they thought one thing was happening, but it was really the Tums she had been taking! Wish I could remember the details - heck, now we have to talk to a nurse AND a show person!

I eat TUms everyday for heartburn and my tear stains are better.. just kiddin..about the tearstains anyway. I wish I knewt he answer to this.. my toy gets really bad stains and Angel Eyes gets expensive!

[Smart-n-Pretty]

How much sodium is in a Tums? How much is a dog allowed per day?

Stephen: There's also a lot of aluminum. Tums used to make the aluminum free but hard to find now. Aluminum is in deodorants too, and is a heavy metal that needs to be removed for great health, so cannot imagine good for pets. Plus if you drink sodas out of cans the citric acid eats aluminum, and you get more of it. It's quite a shame. We switched to alum free deodorants and alum free baking soda and many other things, brains stay much sharper. Its been shown that aluminum builds up on the nerve endings in brain. Getting OT, but cannot imagine that it is good for pets.

[Helly]

You know what's interesting? If you look at the manufacturer's info on Tums, they state that Tums does not include aluminum...as an active ingredient! So what is that supposed to mean? Aluminum is in there, but it's not an antacid? Or that there's no aluminum in Tums?

Enquiring minds want to know.

[PuppyFluffer]

/raises hand

Twas me who post about Tums last week. I spoke with the manufacturer at length and was assured that Tum's new formula (changed in summer of '08) does NOT contain aluminum, however due to it's extended shelf life, you may still find old-recipe Tums on the shelf, so read the label.

I'm not sure if it can be used on cats. I know that many things that can be used for dogs (i.e. aspirin) will quickly kill a cat. I would err on the side of caution and not recommend it for cats until I get a definitive answer from my Tums guy.

I first learned of this trick from a maltese breeder, who uses it on dogs as small as 6 lbs. I honestly don't know how much you would use for a larger dog. You definitely wouldn't want to overdose on anything. Although the breeder and the tums guy couldn't say for sure why it works, speculation is that it changes the ph balance of the tears (and saliva too, for that matter - also works great on red feet for foot chewers) so that the yeast, which causes the dark staining, simply cannot survive. I have yet to have a customer start using this who has been anything but amazed at the results.

As always, please stress to your clients that ANY time they add something to their dog's diet, whether medicinal, herbal, or Tums, it is always advisable to check with the vet to make sure it's ok for their particular dog.

I'll see what I can do to get ahold of Mr. Tums and get some better answers to your questions. Stay tuned!