Hello!
The presence of eye discharge or tear stains in your dogs might have become a concern for many of you.
Hence, we would like to introduce some of the causes and treatments for tear stains found in dogs.
[What are tear stains?]
98% of the tears are colourless.
Normally, tears will not be produced excessively till it overflows. However, when excess tears wet the hairs under the eyes, reddish and brown tear stains will form.
[Causes & Treatments for Tear Stains]
Undeveloped Lacrimal and Nasolacrimal Duct During the Growth Stage
If the muscles around the eyes are underdeveloped, lacrimal fluid (tears) are insufficiently eliminated. In this case, it will heal as your dog grows. On the other hand, an excess of tears might cause infection easily. To prevent this, eye drops and lacrimal irrigation is necessary.
Lacrimal Duct Obstruction
The presence of food compositions, the physical makeup of the dog etc. might cause an obstuction in the thin nasolacrimal duct. The degree of blockage and eye injuries can be examined in the hospital.
Although massaging from the outside is effective, it might not be possible to remove the blockage without a nasolacrimal duct irrigation.
In the case of a complete nasolacrimal blockage, surgery is necessary.
Difficulty in Secretion due to Shallow Location of the Punctum
Tears stains are commonly found in dog breeds having anatomical structures that cause difficulty in secretion. Lacrimal duct obstructions are common in Toy Poodles and Malteses. Japanese Spitz and Papillons, with hairs surrounding their inner canthus, are also vulnerable to obstructions in the lacrimal duct. In addition, dog breeds with protruding eyes like Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus, Bulldogs, Pekingese, and Pugs might find themselves having foreign substances and hair around their eyes.
Since obstructions can be caused by the anatomical structure of the dogs, extra care and regular nasolacrimal duct irrigation is required.
Care at home such as trimming hairs and gently wiping tears around the eyes is required.
Inflammation
An excess of lacrimal fluid (tears) might occur when the cornea is irritated and damaged due to the presence of foreign substances (eyelashes or dust), or by allergic reactions to food, flea pollen etc.
In cases of inflammation due to allergies, the cause of it can be examined and treated in our hospital alongside itchiness and dermatitis.
[Summary]
Tear stains are not illnesses themselves, but there might be some underlying illness hiding behind them. It might also worsen if it is not noticed in dogs with darker fur coats. Hence, daily care and observations are not neglectable. If your dogs are experiencing an excess of tears, please do not come to a self conclusion and instead consult us as soon as possible.
In our hospital, a consultation day catered to ophthalmology patients is available. If you are concerned about symptoms such as whitened eyes, red eyes, evident eye discharges, or excess tears, please feel free to also come for a regular checkup.
Animal hospital in Shibuya, Ebisu and Daikanyama.
HALU Animal Hospital
03-6712-7299
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