Generic drugs an option to treat dog’s dry eye
QOur 7-year-old spaniel will need long-term medication for dry eye. She must have ointment put in her eyes every day. After only a few weeks, the infection and discharge is gone, her tear production is improved and her eyes look better. Initially, the vet told us that she was producing almost no tears, but now her production is in the normal range based on the testing the vet did after treating her with something called Optimmune. The drug is expensive, so I am wondering if there are other options. A The condition that your dog developed is called keratoconjunctivitis sicca, also known as dry eye. It is a commonly seen condition that develops for various reasons due to insufficient tear production by one of the two glands responsible for that, namely the lacrimal or tear gland and the gland of the third eyelid. Without adequate tears, the eyeball dries out, leaving eyes that are painful and increasingly subject to corneal lesions, infection, inflammation of the surrounding conjunctiva, as well as hyperpigmentation. It is typically seen in dogs that are middle-aged or older, and several spaniel, terrier and short-faced breeds are prone. Some of the causes of dry eye can be traced to certain viruses, medications or endocrine disorders. Previously, surgical removal of the gland of the third eyelid also led to this in older dogs, but that procedure is rarely done nowadays. A veterinarian makes the diagnosis by measuring tear production with the Schirmer tear test. Normal values are more than 18 mm per minute in each eye, but can vary. Additionally, staining of the eye might be done to check for ulceration as well as measuring intraocular pressure to check for glaucoma. The medication you were given is a name brand. Some use the generic cyclosporine to treat the condition, which might be less expensive. Another option is a drug called Tacrolimus. Treatment is usually twice daily, but you might be able to drop it down to once a day. Other moisturizing agents, such as artificial tears or saline, can and should be used to maintain adequate eye moisture. If there is an infection, antibiotics are also used until that resolves. Your dog should do well with continued use of the medication.