I have an approx 4 yr old male shih tzu or lhasa (rescued, not exactly sure). Anyway, he has the typical large eyes for these breeds. I am constantly wiping clear, mucousy film out of his eyes. The vets just call it normal. I'm wondering why he gets so much of this and if there is anything I should do to prevent it? I wipe the area beow his eyes a few times a day to make sure it stays clean. If I don't clean it, it stains and gets smelly.
2007-03-01 12:24:24 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
I guess I would also be curious if I used the cyclosporine drops if they are at all painful (burning) to the dog? I would hate to cause him unnecessary discomfort, but then again he probably gets tired of me wiping his face constantly!
2007-03-01 12:53:20 · update #1
This is a very common problem with dogs with larger or bug eyes like pugs and also cockers, its called KCS. This is the abvreviation for a very long medical term which basically means lack of tear production. They don't have enough tears to wash away the mucus that builds up in the eye. It is treatable, by applying eye drops called cyclosporine drops, but they are VERY expensive and unless money is no object, most can't afford them. The vet can do an inexpensive tear production test with a test strip that measures the level of tears your dog produces in a certain amount of time, and this will confirm that diagnosis. If it is KCS he would need to be on the drops for the rest of his life, or they will go right back to the way they are now. So it's either wiping buggars forever, or buying a little bottle of eye drops that costs about $70 for the rest of his life and applying them 2 times a day. Good luck, yucky problem but treatable.
****More info ***Cyclosporine drops don't seem to be painful, I think they are actually rather soothing because they have to be kept in the refrigerator to be effective, so I would think if your eyes are all dried out and yucky, that would be cooling and nice to have in your eyes. I've never seen a dog act painful. If you have a dog that just doesn't like to be manipulated to put them in, they might struggle, but other than that no discomfort has been noted by this tech.
2007-03-01 12:34:44 · answer #1 · answered by ER Vet Tech 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's because his face is all smushed in, which screws up the anatomy in this area. The eyeballs protrude more, which leaves them more prone to irritation, and the tear ducts are small and smushed so they don't drain well. So there's more tears being produced, a smaller "drain" for those tears to leave the eye through, and the extra runs out on to the fur. Clear to brown is normal, green or yellow is a problem. Trimming the fur if it's getting into his eyes can help, but other than that, not much you can do except keep him cleaned up like you are.
Yes, KCS (keratoconjunctivits sicca, which is Latin for dry eye) is common in this breed... but it falls into the yellow/green category, NOT clear. A 30-second tear production test can tell you if that's what it is or not, and the treatment info is correct.
2007-03-01 20:29:51 · answer #2 · answered by lizzy 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My old yorkie developed dry eyes and he was given a lubricant called artificial tears--- brand was Butler AHS. At the bottom of the tube it says "Ophthimal." He had the tear test done and they said he had a problem.
This twice-a-day lubrication limited his production of dry goop around his eyes. He was supposed to be on it for life. (He passed away recently due to an unrelated cause.)
Another idea is Eye Envy for the stains around his eyes. I heard that works well although I have never used it.
2007-03-01 21:42:07 · answer #3 · answered by lexi m 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋