You wiped his eyes this morning. By lunch the thick yellow goo is back in the corners, and the last antibiotic drops only helped for a week.
Quick answer: Dry eye in dogs (keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or KCS) means the tear glands make too little of the watery part of tears. The signs are thick, sticky discharge that returns within hours, a dull eye, redness and squinting, usually in both eyes. A one-minute Schirmer tear test confirms it: 15 mm or more is normal, under 10 mm is dry eye. Cyclosporine or tacrolimus drops, usually for life, restore tear production in most dogs, more reliably the earlier they start.
Dry eye in dogs: the symptoms
- Discharge that keeps coming back. Thick, ropey yellow or green goo that returns within hours of cleaning.
- A dull eye. The surface looks matte or bluish-grey instead of wet and glossy.
- Redness and discomfort. Red, inflamed conjunctiva, squinting, rubbing his face on the carpet or furniture.
- Infections that never quite go away. Conjunctivitis or corneal ulcers that respond to antibiotics, then return.
- Over months, brown film and vessels. Pigment and blood vessels creep across the cornea. It is the eye protecting itself, and it blocks vision.
Both eyes are usually affected. Dry eye on one side only, especially after an ear or eye infection, can be nerve-related, so mention any recent infections to the vet.
Is it dry eye or conjunctivitis?
This is where many dogs lose months. The discharge looks like an infection, so dry eye is often treated as conjunctivitis several times before anyone runs the tear test. The antibiotic clears the bacteria, but the missing tears are still missing, so the goo comes back.
The rule of thumb: if your dog has had more than two bouts of goopy eyes in a year, ask for a Schirmer tear test. It takes one minute and settles the question.
Is dry eye painful, and can it cause blindness?
Yes, it is uncomfortable, which is why these dogs squint and rub. Left untreated, it leads to repeated ulcers and infections, and over months the pigment and vessels the cornea lays down can scar it and block sight. Caught early and treated, most of that is avoidable.
What causes dry eye in dogs?
- The immune system attacking the tear glands. By far the most common cause, and the reason certain breeds are over-represented.
- Medicines. Certain sulfa drugs and anaesthetics, often temporary.
- Nerve damage after ear or eye infections.
- Other illness: hypothyroidism and canine distemper.
- Removal of the third-eyelid gland, the old treatment for cherry eye, now avoided for exactly this reason.
- Age. Senior dogs make fewer tears as the glands age, which pushes borderline eyes over the line.
Which breeds get dry eye?
Cocker Spaniels, English Bulldogs, West Highland White Terriers, Pugs, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Bloodhounds, Boston Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers and Pekingese. Flat faces expose more cornea to the air, which makes any shortfall in tears worse. If your dog is one of these, ask for a tear test at every senior visit; dog breeds prone to eye problems has the other tests worth asking for.
The Schirmer tear test: what the numbers mean
A strip of calibrated paper is tucked into the lower eyelid for sixty seconds and the wet length is read in millimetres.
- 15 mm or more: normal tear production.
- 10 to 14 mm: borderline. Worth rechecking, especially if the signs fit.
- Under 10 mm: confirms dry eye.
The vet will usually also stain the cornea to look for ulcers, and check for the pigment and vessels of long-running disease. Ask for the number for each eye and write it down. Rechecks after starting treatment tell you whether the drops are working.
Dry eye in dogs: treatment
- Cyclosporine or tacrolimus drops or ointment, usually twice a day for life. They calm the immune attack and restart tear production in most dogs, more reliably the earlier they are started. Expect four to eight weeks before the full effect, and know that stopping brings the disease back.
- Artificial tears while the main drops take effect, and as a top-up on dry or windy days.
- Antibiotic drops for an active infection or ulcer.
- Parotid duct transposition, a surgery that reroutes a saliva duct to the eye, for the minority of dogs who do not respond to drops.
How to give eye drops to a dog without a fight
Dry eye means drops every day for years, so make it easy on both of you.
- Pair it with something good. Same time every day, right before breakfast or the evening walk.
- Clean first. Wipe away discharge so the drop reaches the eye.
- Come from behind or the side. Cup his chin, tilt the nose up, and gently pull the lower lid down with your thumb.
- Drop, do not touch. Let the drop fall onto the eye without the tip touching it or his lashes.
- Treat straight after. He learns that drops mean something good.
- More than one medicine? Ask the vet which goes first and how long to wait between them.
Dry eye in dogs: home care
- Keep the face clean. Warm water on a soft cloth at the corners of the eyes, morning and evening. Sterile eye wipes make it easier.
- Trim the hair around the eyes so it does not wick tears away or scratch the cornea.
- Protect from wind and dust. No head out of the car window, and dog goggles for beach days if he tolerates them.
- Humidify the room he sleeps in during heating season.
- Keep a discharge diary. A line a day on how much goo and how red the eye looks. It shows the vet whether treatment is working between tear tests.
Dry eye is one of seven reasons an eye can look cloudy; for the rest, see cloudy eyes in dogs.
Support the tear film from the inside
Tears are not just water. A thin oily layer on top slows evaporation, and the glands that make it need omega-3 fats his body cannot make enough of on its own. They only get in through what he eats. That is the case for adding DHA alongside the prescription drops, never instead of them; omega-3 DHA for dogs' eyes covers how much matters. OcuLabs Vision Support Bites carry it, with three other eye nutrients, in a chicken chew for dogs 7 and up.
- Comfortable, moist eyes. Algal omega-3 DHA 100 mg per two chews supports the tear film and eye moisture.
- Retina support in bright light. Lutein 6 mg concentrates in the retina and helps filter blue light.
- Back-up for aging eye cells. Astaxanthin 1 mg gives antioxidant support where the daily wear happens.
- Normal eye health, every day. Beta-carotene 1.5 mg adds antioxidant protection.
Give 2 to 4 chews a day depending on your dog's weight (the chart is on the jar and the product page). It supports the eye; it does not replace cyclosporine, tacrolimus or any drop your vet prescribes.
Your first jar is covered for 90 days. Not happy, email support@ocupetlabs.com for a full refund of the product price, even if the jar is empty.
Keep reading
- Omega-3 DHA for dogs' eyes: why the tear film needs it, and how much
- Best eye supplements for dogs: evidence, ingredients and how to choose
- Diabetic dog cataracts: why they happen so fast
- Cloudy eyes in dogs: 7 causes and when to worry
- Dog breeds prone to eye problems
Frequently asked questions
What does dry eye look like in a dog?
Thick, sticky yellow or green discharge that comes back within hours of wiping, a dull or cloudy-looking eye instead of a wet shine, red conjunctiva, squinting, and conjunctivitis or ulcers that keep returning. It usually affects both eyes.
How is dry eye diagnosed in dogs?
With a Schirmer tear test: a small paper strip sits in the lower eyelid for one minute and measures tear production. Fifteen millimetres or more is normal, under ten confirms keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and between the two is borderline and worth rechecking.
Can dry eye in dogs be cured?
Usually it is managed rather than cured. Most cases are immune-mediated and respond to lifelong cyclosporine or tacrolimus drops, which restore tear production in most dogs when started early. Stopping the drops brings the disease back.
Can dry eye cause blindness in dogs?
Left untreated, it can. Chronic dryness leads to repeated ulcers and infections, and the cornea protects itself with brown pigment and blood vessels that slowly block vision. Started early, treatment keeps most dogs comfortable and seeing.
Do omega-3s help dogs with dry eye?
Omega-3s support the oily layer of the tear film, which slows evaporation, so they are a sensible addition around prescription treatment. They do not replace cyclosporine or tacrolimus in immune-mediated dry eye.
General information for dog parents, not veterinary advice. If your dog's eye is red, squinting or painful, or the discharge keeps coming back, see your vet this week, and today for a sudden change.