I’ve received the following story from one of my GN readers and wonder if anyone else has had a dog with a similar problem. If so, it would be useful to share notes.
‘Our Greyhound is being treated by a veterinarian ophthalmologist for “Dry Eye Syndrome“(DES), which in our case is caused by inadequate production of tears. This condition occurs in both humans and dogs/cats and is potentially very serious, even resulting in blindness if untreated.
There is a wealth of pertinent information on the Internet, obtained by Googling “dry eyes in dogs”. Certain dog breeds are predisposed to DES; however, Greyhounds/Galgos are not.
In our case Conti, our Greyhound, started squinting and sometimes pawing at her right eye. Our vet checked her eye and found an ulcer. She treated it for nearly two months until the ulcer was gone. But Conti continued to squint so she referred us to a vet ophthalmologist who performed a “tear test”. The result was zero tear production in both eyes. At this juncture, we are applying 3 meds to both of her eyes daily (1 med 6 times and the other 2-3 times). Our next appointment is next week so I’m not sure what the future holds for Conti.
There is so much info available, to include DES on WIKIPEDIA. The medical term for DES is: “KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS SICA (KCS). I noted that it most frequently occurred in older humans and dogs 6 years up. It just so happens that Conti will soon be 7.’
Please share your experience, if you have a dog which suffers, or has suffered, from this problem.
Comments
One response to “Dry Eye Syndrome in Dogs”
My westie had dry eye nearly all her life she was treated with optimune and she lived a perfect normal life it is very common in westies good luck with your dog