What Causes Dry Eyes in a Dog?

Dry eye can affect any breed or gender of dog.

Known in the veterinary world as keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), dry eye can be a serious issue for dogs and their owners. When a dry eye goes untreated, it can result in permanent damage to the affected eye, including blindness.

Anesthetics

Dogs who are going in for any type of surgery or even for a dental cleaning may require an anesthetic. There are multiple anesthetics that can cause tear glands to case all production of tears. Fortunately, this production loss is only temporary and once the anesthesia wears off, tear production should return to normal.

Antibacterial Medications: Sulfonamides

Any type of antibacterial medication that contains a sulfonamide can result in a decrease of tear production. Though this decrease is only temporary, it can still result in dry eye. When the medication is no longer needed, the tear production should return to normal. However, it may be necessary to supplement with artificial tear eye drops as prescribed by the veterinarian until tear production returns.

Canine Distemper

Canine distemper, which is a well-known and serious infection in the veterinary world, can also cause KCS to occur in a dog. When the distemper virus infects a dog, it can wreck havoc on the tear production mechanism within the canine eye.

Eye Infections

Eye infections, especially those that are reoccurring, can cause canine keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Eye infections are often characterized by any type of unusual discharge. However, it should be noted that yellow discharge can also signify that dry eye is already occurring.

Immune Disorders

Certain immune disorders can attack and destroy the tear ducts of the eye and also attack the tear glands themselves, resulting in decreased production of tears. When this occurs, dry eye is inevitable and many dogs also develop secondary eye infections as a result.

Self-Inflicted Injury

Unfortunately, dry eye can be the result of the dog's own actions. For example, if there is a piece of dirt or even a hair within the eye that is irritating the dog, the dog may repeatedly paw at its eye to remove it. This repeated pawing can cause damage to the eye, such as physical trauma or infection, which in turn can damage the tear ducts and glands, resulting in dry eye.

Treatment for Dry Eye in Dogs

Treatment for dry eye will vary depending upon the cause. For example, if an infection has occurred, then treatment will be aimed at curing the infection. In some cases, such as with an immune disorder, the dog may require eye drops for the rest of its life in order to prevent additional damage to its eyes.

References

• PetEducation.com: Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca or Dry Eye in Dogs
• VetInfo: Dog Eye Infection
• VetInfo: Causes of Dry Eye in Dogs
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Canine Distemper