Dry eye syndrome

My cocker hunts away nicely but once in his kennel always seems to have screwedup red eyes. Is it just the grass and dust?

Neil says: I might be a little concerned. A recent study showed that spaniel breeds are more than three times as likely as others to suffer from ‘dry eye’. Properly called Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, this is an immune mediated disease that results in reduced tear production. Tears are complicated; not just water, they lubricate, flush away dirt, oxygenate, prevent infection and nutrify the front surface of the eye. Tears are normally a three-layered ‘sandwich’, with an oily outer layer, an inner mucus layer and a watery middle. It is this filling that is reduced with dry eye, leaving the eye looking gloopy and sticky. Any dog that suffers recurring infections should have its tear production checked by a vet. This is cheap, simple and painless. Tear production can usually be increased by the use of drops and early intervention is more successful.

Failure to treat can result in permanent, painful corneal changes, which can lead to blindness. Lubricant drops, applied before working, will help, as can regularly flushing the eyes with water or saline. There is also the possibility that there are other issues – such as extra eyelashes, or distichia – so do have him checked out.