Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eye surface changes in dogs before and after distichiasis surgery
By Zwiauer-Wolfbeisser, V et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2025·Department of Companion Animals and Horses·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of ocular surface parameters before and after cryo- and laser therapy for distichiasis in dogs: A pilot study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 12 dogs with distichiasis (an eye condition where extra eyelashes grow in the wrong place) underwent either cryotherapy or laser therapy to improve their eye health. Before and after the treatments, the dogs were examined for tear production and eye surface health. While there were no significant changes in tear production or other eye surface measurements, the treatments did not appear to harm the dogs' eye health either. More research is needed to draw firm conclusions, but the initial results suggest that these treatments are safe for dogs with this condition.
People also search for: dog distichiasis treatment · dog eye problems extra eyelashes · cryotherapy for dog eye issues
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pilot study was to establish a satisfactory, scientific approach to effectively compare quantitative measurements of various ocular surface parameters before and after surgical treatment in dogs suffering from distichiasis. METHODS: An ophthalmic examination was conducted on 12 dogs (23 eyes) before and after surgical treatments for distichiasis, at four different time points, (t = before surgery, t = 1-2 h after surgery, t = 1 week after surgery, t = 1 month after surgery, and t = 6 months after surgery) between 2021 and 2022, and analyzed retrospectively. The examination included Schirmer tear test-1 (STT-1), interferometry, noninvasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT), tear meniscus size (TMS), and meibography. RESULTS: No statistically significant changes were found in STT-1 (t: 22.2 ± 6.5 mm, t: 22.5 ± 5.7 mm, t: 20.8 ± 5.1 mm, and t: 22.6 mm ± 4.8 mm) before and after surgery. Mean interferometry scores showed a slight, not statistically significant, decrease from tto tand t(t: 2.1 ± 0.8, t: 2.1 ± 0.7, t: 2.1 ± 0.9, t: 1.8 ± 0.6, and t: 1.9 ± 1.1). Mean NIBUT did not change significantly between time points (t: 3.9 ± 1.3 s, t: 4.0 ± 1.3 s, t: 4.0 ± 1.4 s, t: 3.5 ± 0.7 s, and t: 3.5 ± 0.9 s). TMS showed a slight, not statistically significant increase (t: 0.5 ± 0.3 mm, t: 0.5 ± 0.3, t: 0.5 ± 0.3 mm, t: 0.6 ± 0.2 mm, and t: 0.7 ± 0.3 mm). There were no changes in the gross morphology of the meibomian glands (MG). CONCLUSION: This pilot study could not detect a negative effect of different forms of treatment of distichiasis on the precorneal tear film parameters in dogs. However, due to the study's retrospective nature and small sample size, no definitive conclusion can be drawn regarding the changes at the different time points.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39278843/