Abundant sunshine. High 97F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Mostly clear. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

Shana Bohac is a local veterinarian who writes a column about animal issues.

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Kerratoconjunctivitis siccia (KCS), or dry eye, is a painful and potentially dangerous condition that occurs because of lack of tear production.

There are a number of different symptoms you can see if your dog has this issue. Common signs include: pawing or rubbing at the eyes, redness, dullness of the cornea, thick discharge, sensitivity to light, swollen eyelids, squinting, ulceration of the cornea, blinking excessively, and impaired vision.

In most cases the eyes start off itchy, red, and irritated and if left untreated they can progress to corneal ulceration due to lack of lubrication and/or mechanical trauma.

Dry eye can occur in any dog, but west highland white terriers, American cocker spaniels, English bulldogs, pugs, Pekingese, shih-tzus, llasa apsos, and English springer spaniels are more prone to this condition.

Previous surgical removal of the third eyelid for treatment of “cherry eye,” bacterial eye infections, damage to the tear gland or their nerves, middle ear infections, general anesthesia, and metabolic disorders can predispose a dog to chronic dry eye.

Dry eye can be easily diagnosed by your veterinarian. They will perform a Schirmer tear test, which involves placing a paper strip into the tear pool at the corner of your dog’s eye. The strip will remain in place for one minute in order to measure tear production. In a normal dog, the strip should wet the paper at least a distance of 20 mm. If less than 15 mm is wet then the dog has dry eye.

Treatment of dry eye will include various ophthalmic drops and ointments, however your veterinarian’s choice depends on the severity and cause of the disease. If corneal ulceration is present, then this should be taken care of immediately. Typically antibiotic and corneal repair drops or ointments will be prescribed for this issue. It is important to remember that corneal ulcers can progress to loss of vision if not properly and quickly treated. Immunosuppressive ophthalmic ointments are the mainstay of treatment for chronic dry eye. It is typically necessary to keep dogs with dry eye on this medication for their entire life. Lapse in treatment with immunosuppressive ointments can result in the return of symptoms. The symptoms will likely resolve once the medication is started again. Saline drops should be avoided in dogs with dry eye since it washes away the lipid layer of the tear film. This layer provides protection and lubrication. If severe inflammation of the eye is present and no ulceration or scratches then your veterinarian may prescribe a topical corticosteroid to help reduce the irritation.

Dr. Shana Bohac is a veterinarian and the owner of Navarro Small Animal Clinic.

Your comment has been submitted.

There was a problem reporting this.

Transparency. Your full name is required. Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article. And receive photos, videos of what you see. Don’t be a troll. Don’t be a troll. Don’t post inflammatory or off-topic messages, or personal attacks.

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to read or post comments.

We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.

Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. Please use the button below to manage your account.

To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles.

Sorry for your loss and may god bless each and every one of you

i may be wrong, but you don't do this at a restaurant and plan on going back.

Glen or Janice Ullman said:

This appears to be a mix between mental destruction and mental entertainment. Please don’t ask me to be an advocate for you entertainment.

Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.