Tear Staining in young dogs

RE: Tear Staining in young dogs

Robert Lowe — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 21:27:09 GMT

I think the majority of these are due, as Martin says, to facial shape. However some are due to conjunctival membranes over normal ducts and can be treated by snipping out the conjunctival covering.

We try not to do much with the facial shape ones unless the owner is very persistent. Medial canthoplasty seems to help with them by reducing the hairs touching the eye from the medial canthus and resolving the sub-clinical entropion. Bizarrely it would seem that even if you obliterate the tear duct with the medial canthoplasty (ideally you preserve it) then these case seem to no longer have as much tear overflow and staining.

Also I like the idea of stuff being posted when you get a reply back from referral centres. I am more than happy for anything I send back to anyone being posted (with client details removed) in order to provoke discussion etc.

RE: Tear Staining in young dogs

Jill Butterworth — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 19:01:18 GMT

A client, who was a physiotherapist, told me years ago, that in humans, massage of the medial canthus is advocated. I've been telling clients to try it for years in addition/instead of the standard treatments mentioned. Clients feel proactive about it, and I think it helps a bit.

RE: Tear Staining in young dogs

Niall Taylor — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 15:26:50 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]I've given up worrying about these... I've tried flushing tear ducts but either fail or it recurs. I suspect they have deformed tear ducts and you'll never sort them.[/quote]

Me too, I used to flush them regularly and use gcs drops or even flush dex down the ducts to reduce contraction/scarring but I can't remember one where the problem resolved long-term. I approach them now more as management/grooming problems.

Niall

RE: Tear Staining in young dogs

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 13:16:11 GMT

I've given up worrying about these, they are invariably short snouted dogs with white coats (other colours probably get it but you can't see the staining). I've tried flushing tear ducts but either fail or it recurs. I suspect they have deformed tear ducts and you'll never sort them.

RE: Tear Staining in young dogs

Neil Wheadon — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 11:45:44 GMT

Well I could do, but then I'd learn something and no-one else would, that's the joy of this forum.

If all the regulars posted something once a fortnight, that would be really interesting. The best thing would be those queries to referral centres that come back with an explanation, always good to read.

Neil

RE: Tear Staining in young dogs

Bob Russell — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 11:43:37 GMT

Just send him an email!

advice@optivet.com