Dry eye in dogs

natasha — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:28:49 +0000

We see numerous cases of dry eye in Anicare an uncomfortable but very common condition caused by the destruction of the tear glands by the dogs immune system. This means that too few natural tears are produced. Dry eye is a painful condition and will ultimately lead to permanent blindness if left untreated. Natural tears are important to keep your pets eyes lubricated without them the surface of the eye begins to dry and become uncomfortable. You may initially notice inflammation in the eye but as the disease progresses the surface of the cornea becomes pigmented.

The condition is easy to diagnose and in Anicare hospitals we routinely check for dry eye by means of a schirmer tear test where a strip of special paper is used to test tear production. There is no discomfort in doing the test and the result is available immediately.

The important signs to watch for are inflammation of the eyes, any discharge, pigment on the eye, recurrent conjuctivitis or corneal ulcers. Certain breeds especially Cavalier King Charles, Cocker Spaniels, Westies and Shih Tzus are predisposed.

Fortunately effective treatment is available to assist in managing the condition but early diagnosis is important. At Anicare we will check your pet for this condition and we are happy to discuss same with you in any of our hospitals serving the northside of dublin city and postal districts dublin 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 15.

Images below are of a shih tzu initially with severe dry eye and in second image under treatment

Anicare Veterinary Groupdry eye | Anicare Veterinary Group

Dry eye in dogs