Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tear film salt levels in Pugs and Shih-Tzus with dry eye disease
By Brito, Fábio L da C et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2022·Fabio Brito Oftalmologia Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of tear film osmolarity using the IPenVet osmometer in Pug and Shih-Tzu dogs with and without keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Pugs and Shih-Tzus were tested for eye problems, specifically keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), which can cause dry eyes. The dogs with KCS had much lower tear production compared to healthy dogs, and their tear film osmolarity (a measure of tear quality) was significantly higher. This means that dogs with KCS not only produced fewer tears but also had poorer quality tears. Understanding these differences can help veterinarians better diagnose and treat eye issues in these breeds.
People also search for: Pug dry eyes treatment · Shih-Tzu keratoconjunctivitis sicca symptoms · dog tear production test
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To establish tear film osmolarity (TFO) values in Pugs and Shih-Tzus, with and without keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS). ANIMALS STUDIED: A total of 82 adult dogs were evaluated. PROCEDURE: The inclusion criteria for the healthy group was a Schirmer tear test (STT-1) ≥15 mm/min with no clinical signs of KCS, whereas those with KCS had clinical signs and a STT-1 ≤10 mm/min. All animals underwent complete ophthalmological evaluation prior to STT-1 and TFO. Student's t tests were used to compare STT-1 and TFO in KCS and healthy eyes as well as possible differences in TFO between breeds. In addition, a linear regression to model the relationship between the two variables (STT-1 and TFO) was performed. A P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: STT-1 results were significantly lower (p = 0.0001) in the KCS group (4.46 ± 1.74) compared with the control group (18.80 ± 2.02). Mean TFO results were significantly higher in the KCS group (353.02 ± 16.58 mOsm/L) (p < 0.0001) compared with the control group (315.27 ± 6.15 mOsm/L). The formula Y = 365.059-2.625 * X significantly predicts (p < 0.001) the value of the variable Y (TFO mOsm/L) as a function of the variable X (STT-1 mm/min), with a coefficient of determination of 0.71. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed differences in TFO and STT-1 between KCS and healthy dogs. Additionally, STT-1 and TFO values were correlated with the aim to use STT-1 values to predict TFO values in brachycephalic breeds.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34929058/