Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Severe dry eye in one eye of young Yorkshire Terriers not helped
By Herrera, Héctor Daniel et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2007·Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Severe, unilateral, unresponsive keratoconjunctivitis sicca in 16 juvenile Yorkshire Terriers.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 16 young Yorkshire Terriers, aged between 5 months and 4 years, were brought in with severe dryness in one eye, causing squinting, discharge, and changes in the cornea. Despite trying a common eye medication (cyclosporine), none of the dogs showed improvement. However, some dogs did experience subjective relief with a different eye solution (20% chondroitin sulfate), and three dogs underwent a surgical procedure to help with tear production. The findings suggest that these dogs may have a genetic issue affecting their tear glands, leading to the severe dryness.
People also search for: Yorkshire Terrier eye problems · dog dry eye treatment · keratoconjunctivitis sicca in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To present ophthalmic findings, clinical data, and treatment outcomes of 16 juvenile Yorkshire Terriers with severe unilateral keratoconjunctivitis sicca. RESULTS: Each of the 16 dogs exhibited extreme unilateral dryness associated with blepharospasm, mucoid discharge, and corneal vascularization. Ages of affected dogs at presentation ranged from 5 months to 4 years. Mean Schirmer tear test (STT) result for affected eyes was 1 mm/min. Topical application of 0.2% cyclosporine to the affected eye was not associated with improvement in STT values in any dog. Clinical signs subjectively improved with topical application of 20% chondroitin sulfate ophthalmic solution in some dogs, and transposition of the parotid duct was performed in three dogs. Histopathologic examination in one dog failed to show evidence of orbital lacrimal gland tissue. Clinical signs, age of presentation, disease severity, and lack of response to treatment are consistent with breed-related unilateral aplasia or hypoplasia of the lacrimal gland. CONCLUSION: Lacrimal gland aplasia or hypoplasia should be considered in young dogs with severe unilateral ocular dryness, especially female Yorkshire Terriers.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17760706/