The discomfort of a dry, irritated eye can be very intense, especially for animals because they do not have the ability to tell us that something is wrong. Tears are not only essential to comfort their eyes, but they also contain anti-bacterial proteins, sugars, salts, and oxygen which can nourish the eye. They flush away the irritants that are getting into their eyes when they are outside playing or throughout the day. Without the normal tears that dogs shed, the conjunctiva tissues around the eyes can get very red, and in time without treatment, the cornea itself will turn brown to try to protect the eye and there will be a yellow gooey discharge. This is because without water, the dogs are only left with oil and mucus to protect the eye.

The most common signs that your dog may have dry eye, are red, inflamed eyes, as well as pawing at their eyes. There may also be a mucous discharge as stated above. They may develop conjunctivitis, inflammation of the cornea, or they may just howl in pain and frequently move his head almost as if he was “shaking” it out.

Causes of Dry Eye in Dogs

There are actually many causes of dry eye in dogs. However, in most cases dry eye is a symptom rather than an actual disease. One common reason that dogs get dry eye is because of a distemper infection which attacks the dog’s interfaces including the eyes. Another common reason is that there could be an inherited lack of tear producing gland tissue. This is more typical in certain breeds such as the Yorkshire terrier. Other causes include:

• Hypothyroidism
• Infections of the tear glands
• Immune mediated destruction of the tear producing gland tissue
• Sulfa containing medications and certain anti-inflammatory drugs
• Loss of nerve impulses to the gland
• Anesthesia
• Removal of the third eyelid producing gland during surgery for Cherry Eye

Diagnosis and Treatment of Dry Eye in Dogs

When eye problems such as dry eye in dogs are in their latter or advanced stages, the diagnosis can be made by the veterinarian without any tests whatsoever. However, in the earlier stages, it may mimic another eye problem such as conjunctivitis. That is why they usually complete the test called the Schirmer Tear Test which determines how dry the eyes really are. It is a simple test in which the veterinarian inserts a strip of special paper just inside the lower eyelid in the outer corner of the eye for at least 60 seconds. The moisture will wet the paper and at the end of 60 seconds, this moisture is measured. If the moisture reading is above 15mm then the moisture is considered to be normal. Between 11 and 14mm you have a borderline dry eye diagnosis, less than 10mm is considered to be dry, and less than 5mm it is considered to be severely dry.

The treatment is then based on how dry the dog’s eyes are. Up until recently there was only one type of treatment and that was tear replacement formula and mucus dissolving agents. Although they can still be used, there are new topical therapies that require less administration which means there is less trauma to the dogs. One of these treatments called Cyclosporine controls immune mediated gland destruction which is a very common cause of dry eye in dogs. When applied either as an ointment or an eye drop, it can suppress the immune destruction which restores tear production. You only have to administer it once or twice a day and is considered to be the primary treatment. There is usually a significant improvement in as little as three weeks. Even with tests that show the dog’s moisture as low as 2mm, the dogs still have an 80% chance of responding to this type of treatment.

Another treatment you can use in conjunction with Cyclosporine is artificial tears which can be given to you by your vet or picked up in a drug store. They are very soothing to a dog’s eye, and can allow your pet to feel better until the main treatment starts to work. These are usually given up to six times in a day.

If not treated, dry eye in dogs can lead to blindness. If you see mucus build up or you notice that your dog is pawing it’s eyes a lot, then you need to take the dog to your vet immediately to avoid any permanent damage.

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