Yorkie Born with Dry Eye

[blondschilli]

Peewee is now 10 months old been to two vets and specialist nothing to due but keep the eye moist she gave him Opitimmune, which caused peewee to always close his eye so it irritated the eye, stopped using it then I went and bought over the counter a rinse to flush out the matter then I started using GenTeal Lubricant eye gel for severe dry eye worked great both twice a day. Now it has stopped working, his eye seems dry more often. Any one have this problem with their dog? What do u use??

[lynnelily]

I have really bad dry eye and at night I use a eye lubricant. The looks lubricant is like Vaseline and last much longer. They sell it at all the drug store it comes in a tiny tube.

[Ladymom]

Have you seen an ophthalmologist? Was Peewee born without lacrimal glands? It is genetic in Yorkies. Did you get a health guarantee from your breeder?

Lady has had KCS/dry eye for a couple of years. Optimmune (Cyclosporin) didn't work for her, either. Some dogs are allergic to a particular tear stimulator which may be the case with Peewee.

Ask about Tacrolimus. It works for Lady. I have recommended it to a few members here who had success with it when cyclosporin failed. Of course, if he has no tear producing glands, no tear stimulator will work.

Have any of the vets mentioned surgery? There is a surgical option that you may want to look into since Peewee is so young. Dogs with dry eye are prone to ulcers and infections and will eventually lose their eyesight form the build up of scar tissue. In such a young dog, surgery might be worth it.

There is lots of information here:

KCS (Dry Eye)

[baby yorkie]

I have an elderly pek who doesn't tear and is almost completely blind. Peks are prone to this because of their little smushed face. Her eyes have been like this forever. The vets gave me Cyclosporine 1% to put in her eyes. One drop in each eye, twice daily. It seems oily and really lubricates her eyes. I also use lubricant eye drops to wash the goop out. I was told a long time ago that there is some kind of surgery, but at the time, we could not afford it. Good luck. Keep the eye lubricated.

[blondschilli]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Have you seen an ophthalmologist? Was Peewee born without lacrimal glands? It is genetic in Yorkies. Did you get a health guarantee from your breeder?

Lady has had KCS/dry eye for a couple of years. Optimmune (Cyclosporin) didn't work for her, either. Some dogs are allergic to a particular tear stimulator which may be the case with Peewee.

Ask about Tacrolimus. It works for Lady. I have recommended it to a few members here who had success with it when cyclosporin failed. Of course, if he has no tear producing glands, no tear stimulator will work.

Have any of the vets mentioned surgery? There is a surgical option that you may want to look into since Peewee is so young. Dogs with dry eye are prone to ulcers and infections and will eventually lose their eyesight form the build up of scar tissue. In such a young dog, surgery might be worth it.

There is lots of information here:

KCS (Dry Eye)

THanks for the information. I remember the vet saying it was the tear gland above the eye. She tested him and his eye was 0. No tear production. Surgery is an option but she many times instead of no tears no they have way to much tears and it just flows all over their face she said. And him being so small at the time she said if I choose surgery wait till he is around a year old which he is now 10 months and 3.2lbs so I do get a little nervous him being put under being so small.

[fifeandshaffer]

I have a dog named cooper who i rescued in july, he has been to the reg vet and the eye dr 14x he is now doing great the cyclosporine didnt work for cooper either and it seemed to burn him, he is now on tacrolimus 2x a day, the eye dr also said that mpost dogs with kcs also have sjogrens syndrome, so they dont make tears or saliva, so cooper was not a good candidate for the surgery, that reroutes the saliva to the eye, thankfuly he is doing much better with the tacrolimus, his tear test was a 1 in one eye and a 4 in the other, he still fails the test but he looks great i use drops a few times a day other than the script when i see that he needs them but eye dr told me to get food grade mineral oil, cheaper and pretty much the same stuff in most drops, i also use smooth xp drops from bausch and lomb it has a lipid in it that keeps the tears they do produce ib the eye. If your dog has kcs make sure you keep and eye on the teeth as they usually have bad teeth because they are dry in the mouth also, cooper is 2 and had the worst teeth i ever saw, he had his teeth cleaned in july and a sealer put on i brush his teeth everyday, and his teeth today dont look bad, but sure dont look great.

[blondschilli]

Originally Posted by fifeandshaffer

I have a dog named cooper who i rescued in july, he has been to the reg vet and the eye dr 14x he is now doing great the cyclosporine didnt work for cooper either and it seemed to burn him, he is now on tacrolimus 2x a day, the eye dr also said that mpost dogs with kcs also have sjogrens syndrome, so they dont make tears or saliva, so cooper was not a good candidate for the surgery, that reroutes the saliva to the eye, thankfuly he is doing much better with the tacrolimus, his tear test was a 1 in one eye and a 4 in the other, he still fails the test but he looks great i use drops a few times a day other than the script when i see that he needs them but eye dr told me to get food grade mineral oil, cheaper and pretty much the same stuff in most drops, i also use smooth xp drops from bausch and lomb it has a lipid in it that keeps the tears they do produce ib the eye. If your dog has kcs make sure you keep and eye on the teeth as they usually have bad teeth because they are dry in the mouth also, cooper is 2 and had the worst teeth i ever saw, he had his teeth cleaned in july and a sealer put on i brush his teeth everyday, and his teeth today dont look bad, but sure dont look great.

Thanks so much for the information, I look online every night for an answer there is none. Any advice would be grateful. S cripes at the vet $50 and if it does not work out the money so every bite of help is greatly appreciated. I will go back to the eye doctor and tell him what u said see if she thinks this would work for him. He does have bad breath as a pup this is not normal and he gets nose bogers i have to pick off. This really sucks I hate to see him like this, I try to do all I can to help him.

[lillymae]

Originally Posted by blondschilli

Thanks so much for the information, I look online every night for an answer there is none. Any advice would be grateful. S cripes at the vet $50 and if it does not work out the money so every bite of help is greatly appreciated. I will go back to the eye doctor and tell him what u said see if she thinks this would work for him. He does have bad breath as a pup this is not normal and he gets nose bogers i have to pick off. This really sucks I hate to see him like this, I try to do all I can to help him.

Has your vet tried to flush the ducts ? sometimes they just get plugged due to allergies.

[blondschilli]

No have not tryed to flush the duck but will ask the vet about it. He was born with this so I do not think it is allergys but the tear duck could be blocked, I hope that would be the only reason for this.

[lillymae]

Originally Posted by blondschilli

No have not tryed to flush the duck but will ask the vet about it. He was born with this so I do not think it is allergys but the tear duck could be blocked, I hope that would be the only reason for this.

Oh, then yes it still could be just plugged. I have a ShihTzu with this problem and will be going in next wed for another flushing. We use eye drops in between but still have to flush now & then.

[blondschilli]

Originally Posted by fifeandshaffer

I have a dog named cooper who i rescued in july, he has been to the reg vet and the eye dr 14x he is now doing great the cyclosporine didnt work for cooper either and it seemed to burn him, he is now on tacrolimus 2x a day, the eye dr also said that mpost dogs with kcs also have sjogrens syndrome, so they dont make tears or saliva, so cooper was not a good candidate for the surgery, that reroutes the saliva to the eye, thankfuly he is doing much better with the tacrolimus, his tear test was a 1 in one eye and a 4 in the other, he still fails the test but he looks great i use drops a few times a day other than the script when i see that he needs them but eye dr told me to get food grade mineral oil, cheaper and pretty much the same stuff in most drops, i also use smooth xp drops from bausch and lomb it has a lipid in it that keeps the tears they do produce ib the eye. If your dog has kcs make sure you keep and eye on the teeth as they usually have bad teeth because they are dry in the mouth also, cooper is 2 and had the worst teeth i ever saw, he had his teeth cleaned in july and a sealer put on i brush his teeth everyday, and his teeth today dont look bad, but sure dont look great.

Hey I went and got some Mineral Oil USP for his eye like u said now I am afraid t use it it says Laxative and skin moisturiser, Sounds a bit scary to put in his eye , this is the only bottle in the health at Walmart, I do not know if this is food grad but i am thinking not. Please respond Do not want to hurt Peewee eye. Thanks

[fifeandshaffer]

Opitimmune is cyclosporine, like I said that didnt work for cooper, he is now on tacrolimus 2x a day and doing well, he is also on over the counter drops as needed, my eye vet suggested that I use food grade mineral oil instead of costly drops for cooper, I also like to use the soothe xp. as far as the food grade mineral oil i bought it at a kitchen store its used to treat cutting boards and salad bowls made of wood. I think bed bath and beyond sells it or sur la table if you have one, it was about 12 dollars for 8 ounces it will say food grade on the bottle. i put it into a dropper bottle for him, i would call your vet tom and let them know that the opptimune burns, maybe h she can write you a script for tacrolimus you will need to go to a compounding pharmacy for it but it did wonders for cooper. Maybe try the soothe xp.

[blondschilli]

Originally Posted by fifeandshaffer

Opitimmune is cyclosporine, like I said that didnt work for cooper, he is now on tacrolimus 2x a day and doing well, he is also on over the counter drops as needed, my eye vet suggested that I use food grade mineral oil instead of costly drops for cooper, I also like to use the soothe xp. as far as the food grade mineral oil i bought it at a kitchen store its used to treat cutting boards and salad bowls made of wood. I think bed bath and beyond sells it or sur la table if you have one, it was about 12 dollars for 8 ounces it will say food grade on the bottle. i put it into a dropper bottle for him, i would call your vet tom and let them know that the opptimune burns, maybe h she can write you a script for tacrolimus you will need to go to a compounding pharmacy for it but it did wonders for cooper. Maybe try the soothe xp.

Thanks so much I did not think this was the right mineral oil, I wonder if a health food store carrys this. I did look for soothe xp did not see it I will try Walgreens.

[ladyjane]

I would not use anything BUT something recommended by your pup's opthamologist.
As for the worries about him having surgery at 10 months and 3 lbs, why not discuss those concerns with the vet? If I were you, I would make an appointment and discuss all options.
Good luck!