By Guest Author Ellen Troyer, MT, MA
A healthy tear film is essential to keep your dog’s cornea healthy. Tears supply
the cornea with oxygen and nutrients, therefore if the cornea is deprived of
oxygen and nutrients, destructive changes occur, leading to a condition called
dry eye. The cornea can become pigmented, scarred and ulcerated, and vision loss
can also result without treatment.
Your dog’s dry eyes sting and burn all the time, just like humans' do. After an
extended period of dryness, the surface of the eye begins to accumulate dark
scar tissue and blood vessels, to the point of blindness in some dogs!
The clinical signs of Canine dry eye include:
Canine Dry Eye Syndrome, also known as Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (KCS), results
from the inability of your dog to produce healthy tears. The cause of your dog’s
dry eye can include:
Although all breeds can suffer from dry eyes, the disease is most commonly seen
in Cocker Spaniels, Shih Tzus, Bichon Frises, Lhasa Apsos, Bulldogs, Schnauzers, and
The Three-Layer Tear Film
Mucin Base Layer – The sticky layer closest to the surface of the eye is
produced by ocular surface goblet cell mucins and lacrimal gland mucins.
Aqueous Layer – The layer between the mucin and lipid layers is secreted by the
lacrimal gland and the canine nictitans gland. It incorporates all water-soluble
components of your dogs tear film including nutrients and oxygen.
Lipid Layer – Think oil on water! The outermost layer is produced by the
meibomian glands in your dog’s eyelids. It retards tear evaporation, thereby
allowing the first two layers of the tear film to adhere to the surface of your
dog’s eye. Tear staining is most often associated with biochemical disruption of
the lipid layer of the tear film.
DogTears – The New Standard-of-Care for Canine Dry Eye Syndrome*
What and Why of Dog Tears Biochemically-balanced Ingredients.
What: Vitamins A, C, B-6, and the mineral magnesium
Why: They are nutritional co-factors required for all fatty acid enzymatic
metabolism. Vitamin A stimulates goblet cell / lacrimal gland mucin production
for the base layer of the tear film.
What: Black currant Seed Oil as a source of Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids.
Why: It’s the most biologically stable source of vegetable-based Omega 6 fatty
acid and it’s vital to the production of the aqueous, or water, layer of the
What: Fish oil as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Why: Because both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are
important fatty acids in the production of the lipid top layer of the tear film.
EPA also plays an important role in controlling the systemic inflammation
With canine dry eye.
What: Apo-lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein.
Why: Lactoferrin stimulates wound healing and acts as an inhibitor of ocular
surface viral and bacterial bio film formation frequently associated with
chronic canine eye infection and canine dry eye.
What: Curcumin (Curcuma longa).
Why: Curcumin acts as a natural anti-inflammatory COX2 inhibitor.