Monday, May 2, 2016

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.

Oz at vet's for Dry Eye in Dogs

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.

Dry Eye in Dogs - Oz's eye with Dry 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?






23 comments:

  1. VERY good advice Oz! I have a problem eye as well so it gets a daily baff in eye drops to keep me all healthy….otherwise I do the stink eye fur real!
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  2. I'm glad the treatment worked so well for your eyes, Dr. Oz. We sometimes use such little bottles for my eyes when they look red after digging a tunnel, but it is a challenge to bring some drops of that bottles into my eyes lol

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  3. Very glad to hear that the medications helped! I understand dry eye as I suffer from it myself. I use more eye drops than you can imagine! And yes, it is autoimmune related...in humans...it is Sjogrens Syndrome. Hope Oz is feeling better soon! The other day, I was grabbing a coffee at Dunkin Donuts and saw a woman with a teeny, tiny little dog that looked just like Oz! I asked her husband what kind of dog it was...and he said it was an 8 week old Cairn Terrier and they had just picked her up from the Breeder. They were SO excited!! I think she weighed about 3 pounds! So cute!!

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  4. Bilbo was just diagnosed with dry eye and is being treated with an ointment and Gen-teal eye drops...We're hoping to see some relief real soon!

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  5. Oh we know Mr. Dry Eye very well, we have used optiumune, and gen-teal for a long long long time, then we had to be switched over to a move powerful compound the last 9 months, after our vet visit a last week, we are now starting on a even more powerful one, where the optiumune is 2% instead of .2. I have it much worse than Gussie but he does have similar problems. Mom is always messing with our eyes.
    stella rose

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  6. Poor Oz, that sounds even worse than the skin allergies! I heard a vet discussing Apoquel on a radio show and she recommended it for seasonal allergies over trying OTC antihistamines. I've never heard of dry eye but anytime I notice a change in a dog's eye, I call the vet. Excellent advice.

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  7. I (Frankie Furter) have had to use Optimmune everyday for nearly two years... my Dogtor says that it is helping me to make Tears like a Champ, now. We are sorry that you have dry eyes, butt glad that you got the good medicine fur it.

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  8. I have read about dry eye in dogs but Oz is the first case that I have seen. I hope that he is doing better and thanks for the insight. I will have to be vigilant about Pierre's eyes. #WestieWoes

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  9. What a bummer. None of us have that problem that we know of. Glad you have a solution for it.

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  10. I have prescription drops and fatty has over the counter drops per our Ophthalmologist
    Lily (& Edward)

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  11. Have to ask about that as I've noticed some change with Bailey.

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  12. Aw poor Oz. Glad your vet was able to help you out. Shiner might be starting to have this in her left eye I think. And you're right! That optimmune is some good stuff, but not cheap! It's OK - you're totally worth it Oz!

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  13. OMD Oz, I got got the gooey eye and mom thought it was allergy related. Thanks for the heads up. Mom will discuss this at my net vet appointment.

    Aroo to you,
    Sully

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  14. Wow, we know about reasons that cats eyes get goopy, but dog eyes sound like a whole other thing. It's a good thing your vet knew what to do. That sounds really uncomfortable, so we hope your eyes feel all better soon!

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  15. Dry eyes is the pits - have suffered with it for years and years thanks to Sjorgrens so I cant imagine how awful it is for dogs who can't put drops in their eyes when they need it and can't always tell us when they need it the most - no matter how carefully we watch them :)

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  16. Aw! We hope it clears up soon!
    Cammie!

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  17. Oh Oz, I'm so sorry you have dry eye but glad you momz found out and can make your eyeballs feel better. If momz thinks she is using up optimmune to fast they do make a compounded dry eye medication called cyclosporin 2% as a liquid drop with tends to last longer. He will most likely be on it for the rest of his life :(.

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  18. Poor guy! Glad there's something that can help. Get well soon!

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  19. Hi Oz, I heard about you and just had to pop over, especially since your name is my favorite place to go! This was a great post with really important info. Mom is going to be watching me eyes now. Jeesh.

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  20. It sounds like a good thing you caught this early. We have never dealt with it but it's great to know what to watch for. Our beagle Kobi's eyes were very runny when he got older, but they never found a cause for it. Hope Oz's eyes clear up soon!
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  21. Sounds gross OZ but glad vet was able to help you. I think dry eyes are common to small white dogs. Golden Healing Thoughts for your eyes to clear up. Golden Woofs

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  22. Mom used to go to Schaeffer Drugs in wellington to get prescription get drops for Drew. They worked like a charm'

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  23. Poor Oz. Hope you are feeling better.

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Cairn cuddles,
Oz the Terrier