Dry Eye in Dogs

I took Oz to the vet a few weeks ago at the height of his allergy season. The plants that bloom during the months of March and April cause him to break out in a terrible skin rash that he scratches at repeatedly. If nothing is done for his incessant scratching, he then loses patches of fur and develops skin infections. The medication Apoquel has been a miracle for us and we needed more, so off to the vet we went.

I had also noticed that Oz’s eyes were creating a lot of discharge – it was thick, mucous-y and well, gross. I assumed it was related to his allergies and of course I brought that up at our vet appointment as “something new” going on.  The vet did some poking around in Oz’s eyes, much to the dismay of Oz, and informed me it was Dry Eye. 

Dry Eye, or Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca, in Dogs is similar to Dry Eye in humans (cue the Ben Stein commercial). It is a disorder of the eye not making enough tears to keep the eye lubricated. Tears are actually made up of three parts – an oily layer, a watery layer and a mucoid layer. With Dry Eye, the liquid portion, or watery layer, of the tear is not made.

As you can guess, without the watery layer of the tears, debris that gets in the eye does not get naturally washed out. Since the mucoid layer is still functioning, a thick mucus discharge collects in the eye as well making it seem like the dog has an eye infection. Initially, like with Oz, the mucus was not a symptom of infection but Dry Eye. However, infections can arise because tears aren’t flushing dirt and bacteria from the eye.

About 80% of dogs have Dry Eye caused by an immune problem. There are numerous causes of Dry Eye in Dogs including being breed related. It is particularly common in Cocker Spaniels, Bulldogs, Lhasa Apsos, Shih-Tzus and West Highland White Terriers.  For Oz, it can be related to his allergies (immune) as well as his breed since Westies originated from the Cairn Terrier.

Dry Eye in Dogs is treatable with medications. The vet gave me Optimmune ointment which will help stimulate Oz’s tear production as well as lubricate his eye. I can tell that it is working already because Oz’s eye is less red and less swollen. There is still come mucus build up but it is nothing like it was prior to the medication.

I just want to say to all the other dog parents out there, if you see a lot of thick, sticky discharge from your dog's eye...don't assume it is allergies. Take your dog to the vet to make sure it is not Dry Eye. If left untreated, Dry Eye in Dogs can lead to corneal ulcers, corneal rupture, infection and significant discomfort.

Did you know about Dry Eye in Dogs? 
Have you had a dog with the disorder?