Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How acute conjunctivitis affects dog eye health and tears
By Sebbag, Lionel et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2020·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Impact of acute conjunctivitis on ocular surface homeostasis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Beagle dogs with induced conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) showed changes in their tear production and quality. The dogs experienced increased tear volume but lower tear film stability, meaning their tears weren't as effective at keeping their eyes moist. Despite these changes, there was no impact on how sensitive their corneas were to touch. The study suggests that while conjunctivitis can lead to more tears, it can also affect the quality of those tears, but the eye's normal function returns quickly.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of acute conjunctivitis on tear film characteristics and corneal sensitivity in dogs. ANIMALS STUDIED: Eight female spayed Beagle dogs (1.5-2 years old, 7.5-10 kg). PROCEDURES: On two consecutive days, one randomly selected eye in each dog received 1 or 375 mg/mL histamine solution to induce mild or severe conjunctivitis, while the contralateral eye served as control. Diagnostic tests were performed in the following order: fluorescein instillation and repeated tear collection over 20 minutes (to determine tear volume [TV] and turnover rate [TTR] by fluorophotometry), Schirmer tear test-1 (STT-1), tear ferning, corneal esthesiometry, and tear film breakup time (TFBUT). RESULTS: Results are presented as median values for severe conjunctivitis, mild conjunctivitis, and control eyes. Eyes with severe conjunctivitis had significantly higher STT-1 (24, 19.5, 17.5 mm/min; P = .002) and significantly lower TFBUT (10.5, 13.5, 15.5 s; P = .002), but no changes were noted in corneal tactile sensation (2, 2.5, 2.5 cm) or tear ferning (grades 2, 2, 2.5). Severe conjunctivitis significantly increased TV by nearly 10-fold (631, 97, 65 µL) initially (reflex tearing), although basal TV returned rapidly (<5 minutes) in all eyes (46, 58, 48 µL). Finally, there was a nonsignificant trend for higher reflex TTR in the conjunctivitis vs control eyes (68, 58, 43%/min). CONCLUSIONS: Experimentally induced conjunctivitis increases tear quantity and decreases tear quality in dogs, but has no impact on corneal sensitivity. Changes in tear film dynamics could affect ocular pharmacology (eg, precorneal retention time), although homeostasis of lacrimal volume and drainage is rapidly restored.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32666689/