Category: Eyes

by Cate Burnette. RVT

The condition known as “dry eye” – or keratoconjunctivitis sicca – causes inadequate tear production in dogs. Injuries to your dog’s tear glands through infection or trauma, nerve damage from infections or some medications, a genetic predisposition, or an autoimmune reaction to the body’s natural tears can all attribute to the disorder. Whatever the reason, your dog’s tear glands can simply cease to function at their normal levels causing her massive eye irritation, possible infection, and pain.

What are the symptoms?

Dogs with “dry eye” develop a thick, yellowish discharge. They may squint and their eyes appear red and inflamed. You may see your dog continually rubbing or wiping at her eyes. Without tears to combat normal bacteria, the overgrowth of bacteria on the eye causes infections. Additionally, inadequate lubrication allows pollen, dust, and other foreign particles to accumulate on the eye producing irritation and itching.

Without veterinary treatment, your dog can suffer from chronic, painful eye infections. Constant irritation of the cornea often results in severe scarring and corneal ulcerations that may lead to eventual blindness.

How does my vet diagnose “dry eye?”

Before making a diagnosis, your vet will probably want to measure the actual amount of tears being produced to determine how dry the eyes really are. To perform the test, called the “Schirmer Tear Test,” a small strip of treated paper is inserted just inside the lower eyelid in the outer corner of the affected eye for 60 seconds. This is not painful to your dog. At the end of the 60 seconds, the height of the moistened area on the strip is measured. A height of 15mm or more is normal. Anything less than 10mm is indicative of “dry eye,” and a height of 5mm is considered severely dry.

What is the treatment?

If your veterinarian can find a cause for the “dry eye” diagnoses, treatment will be aimed at eliminating it. Antibiotics may be prescribed to combat infections and if other medications are causing the issue, then those drugs should be stopped and others substituted. Typically, because the origin of “dry eye” remains unknown, therapy is aimed at replacing the tears through daily medications.

Veterinarians most commonly recommend cyclosporine ophthalmic ointment or drops to treat this condition. When cyclosporine is not effective for some patients, vets will suggest using another daily preparation called tacrolimus. Over-the-counter artificial tear solutions are also sometimes recommended in conjunction with both these medications.

With very severe cases of “dry eye,” a veterinary ophthalmic surgeon transplants a salivary duct into the upper eyelid area allowing your dog’s natural saliva to lubricate the eye. This procedure is rarely used, but provides another option for dog owners.

To help your affected pooch even further, you can always use convenient, pre-moistened organic eye pads to combat the discharge associated with “dry eye.” Because they are infused with colloidal silver, these anti-bacterial eye pads can help fight off infections and remove tearing residue around the eyes.

If you’ve ever had conjunctivitis, you’ll know how uncomfortable it is. It’s every bit as painful for your dog.

Conjunctivitis, as the name suggests, affects the conjunctiva, which is the inside of your dog’s eyelids. It also affects the sclera, the white of the eye. These become very red, with prominent blood vessels, and there is often a yellowish discharge.  Your dog will usually close the affected eye, but he’s not winking at you; his eyes hurt!

There are several causes of conjunctivitis in dogs. Sand and dust in the environment can irritate his eyes, and lead to a secondary bacterial infection. If your dog hangs his head out of the car window when you drive, the wind will also blow dust in his eyes. They will also become quite dry and irritated.

Conjunctivitis is often a symptom of allergies in dogs, particularly inhaled allergies to dusts and pollens. Your dog may also sneeze, have itchy ears and chew his feet.

Some dogs suffer from a condition called keratoconjunctivitis sicca, where their immune system destroys their tear glands. The result is chronically dry eyes, inflammation and infection.

What to Do With Sore Eyes

It’s important that if you suspect your dog has conjunctivitis, see your veterinarian sooner rather than later. If it isn’t treated, it can lead to ulceration of the cornea at the front of the eye. This is extremely painful and can take some time to resolve. It may also involve suturing your dog’s upper and lower eyelids closed to allow the ulcer to heal.

Your vet will check for any ulceration to the eye, and try to figure out the cause of the inflammation. A simple bacterial infection associated with dust and wind will respond well to an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory ointment. Allergies usually require more extensive treatment, as does keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

Don’t waste time if your dog has sore eyes. It’s better for both your dog and your budget if you tackle conjunctivitis in its early stages.

 

Caring for Your Dog’s Eyes At Home

You can help to prevent your dog developing painful conjunctivitis by keeping him away from dust and sand, and keeping him inside the car when you’re traveling. This isn’t always possible; fortunately we have Eye Pack to help protect his eyes from infection. This is a two-step process to keep your dog’s eyes clean and inhibit the growth of bacteria.

1.       Wipe your dog’s eyes with Eye Pads. This is particularly important if he has been rolling in the dust, or enjoying the feeling of the wind in his hair as you drive. These soft pre-moistened pads contain herbal ingredients that clean away dirt, and colloidal silver which acts as a natural antibiotic.

2.       Add the powdered Eyemunity to your dog’s food every day. It tastes great, and includes Epicor in its ingredient list.  This has been clinically proven to improve your dog’s immune system, and help him fight off infection from the inside.

Dogs are so expressive, and it’s easy to see how much they love us when they look at us with their soft brown eyes. Use Eye Pack on a regular basis and keep those eyes bright and healthy, and you’ll have no doubt about how he feels about you.