Dry Eye (Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca) in Dogs - Causes, Treatment and Associated Conditions

Key takeaways

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) refers to an eye condition in dogs commonly referred to as “dry eye.”

KCS causes decreased watery tear production, which leads to inflammation of the eye and surrounding tissues
KCS has the potential to cause blindness if not diagnosed or treated in a timely manner
Symptoms include increased squinting, eye redness, and eye discharge
Potential causes include autoimmune disease, injury to the tear glands, viral infection, side effects from medications, metabolic disorders, and breed predisposition
Diagnosis involves ophthalmic exam and testing tear production with a test called the Schirmer Tear Test
KCS is treated with eye drops that stimulate tear production, artificial tears, and sometimes antibiotics to clear secondary infections
Severe cases may require surgical therapy
Treatment is lifelong
Prognosis depends on the severity of disease and how promptly treatment starts after onset of symptoms

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A closer look: Dry Eye (Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca) in Dogs

KCS, like many eye injuries and diseases, can cause impaired vision, severe eye inflammation, and even result in blindness if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. For this reason, dogs with squinting, a change in eye discharge, and eye redness require prompt medical attention.

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Risk factors

KCS is a common condition, especially in small-breed, middle-aged to senior dogs. With proper treatment, dogs can maintain eye comfort and vision. Dogs with cherry eye (prolapsed third eyelid gland) are at an increased risk of KCS if left untreated.

Other conditions are often associated with KCS, including bacterial infections and ulcerative keratitis.

Possible causes

Additionally, KCS can result as a rare side effect from certain medications. KCS as a side effect can be temporary, however, the damage can also be permanent and there is no way to predict this.

Main symptoms

Even though KCS causes dryness of the eyes, the eyes may actually appear to be ‘wet’ due to the increased production of discharge and mucus.

Testing and diagnosis

Diagnosis of KCS involves:

Full physical exam, including a full ophthalmologic exam
Schirmer Tear Test (quantifies tear production)
Fluorescein Staining (checks for corneal ulcers)
Intraocular Pressure (checks for glaucoma and/inflammation)
Routine blood work
Culture and/or cytology of discharge (rules out secondary infection)

Steps to Recovery

Treatment of KCS may include:

Eye drops to stimulate tear production
Artificial tears
Antibiotic drops to treat secondary bacterial infections and corneal ulcers
Steroid eye drops to treat inflammation
Severe cases may require surgical therapy, which involves re-routing a salivary duct to the eye to provide lubrication.

To check the effectiveness of treatment, ophthalmologic monitoring is repeated every 3 to 4 weeks. Treatment is adjusted accordingly. KCS requires lifelong treatment, which is often most intensive in the first few weeks.

KCS is a lifelong condition in most cases. With treatment, symptoms are expected to improve within 4-6 weeks. Treatment of associated conditions are also usually life-long.

Prognosis depends on the severity of disease and progression of disease at time of diagnosis, but early diagnosis and treatment increases the likelihood of maintaining vision.

Prevention

Surgical correction of cherry eye, if present, can help prevent KCS. Otherwise, prevention of KCS is generally not possible. Regular health exams can help identify symptoms of KCS before the disease becomes severe.

KCS is not contagious. However, it can be caused by other infectious diseases as listed above.