Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eye drops with oclacitinib or tacrolimus for dry eye in dogs
By de Oliveira, Juliana Kravetz et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2019·Departamento de Medicina Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparative efficacy of topical oclacitinib 0.1% and tacrolimus 0.01% in canine keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 32 dogs with dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) were treated with either eye drops containing oclacitinib, tacrolimus, or a combination of both to see which worked better. The dogs showed improvement in tear production and symptoms like eye discharge and redness when treated with tacrolimus, but oclacitinib did not help at all. The study found that tacrolimus alone was effective, while adding oclacitinib didn’t provide any extra benefits. If your dog has dry eye, tacrolimus might be a good option to discuss with your vet.
People also search for: dog dry eye treatment · tacrolimus for dogs · oclacitinib eye drops for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of 0.1% oclacitinib as a single agent, and in combination with tacrolimus 0.01%, for the control of ophthalmic signs of keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) in dogs. ANIMALS STUDIED: Thirty-two dogs (57 eyes) diagnosed with idiopathic KCS were included. Inclusion criteria were Schirmer Tear Test 1 (STT-1) values <15 mm/min and concurrent clinical signs such as ocular hyperemia and discharge. PROCEDURES: The animals were submitted to a randomized, open-label, 5-week study and divided into 3 treatment groups treated with the following ophthalmic solutions: (a) 0.1% oclacitinib, (b) 0.1% oclacitinib +0.01% tacrolimus, and (c) 0.01% tacrolimus. Eye drops were instilled twice daily (12-hour intervals). At each follow-up examination, STT-1, clinical signs, and potential drug side effects were assessed. RESULTS: Oclacitinib did not significantly improve STT-1 values or clinical scores. Tacrolimus alone and in combination with oclacitinib increased mean STT-1 values by 11.84 ± 5.2 and 12.46 ± 5.3 mm/min, respectively (P = 0.0001). Clinical scores of ocular discharge and hyperemia also improved significantly in both groups receiving treatment with tacrolimus (P < 0.05). However, addition of oclacitinib to tacrolimus provided no additional improvement over tacrolimus alone. CONCLUSIONS: Topical 0.1% oclacitinib twice daily is not effective in controlling the ocular signs of KCS in dogs. 0.01% tacrolimus increased STT-1 values significantly and could potentially be used as a treatment for mild-to-moderate cases of KCS. Synergism between drugs did not occur, and therefore the use of oclacitinib is not justified in cases of canine KCS.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30724448/