Disease Description: Abnormal draining of tears often due to overproduction.

Inherit Mode: -

Disease Symptom: -

Disease Cause: Epiphora is caused by an overproduction or an inadequate removal of tears caused by blockage of the tear ducts, although often the cause is unknown.

Disease Diagnose: To determine if the tear ducts are blocked, a special test using a staining solution is performed.

Treat Method: Cases caused by blockage of the tear ducts often respond to medical treatments with antibiotic eye ointment and sometimes oral antibiotics, but many require flushing the ducts under anesthesia or surgical opening of the ducts. If the epiphora is due to an eye diseases, such as conjunctivitis and keratitis, then treatment of these diseases will usually clear up the problem. In some chronic cases that do not respond to therapy, surgical removal of the third eyelid helps reduce tear production. The disadvantage of this procedure is that the tear production may then be inadequate, and this can lead to other eye problems. If the cause of epiphora cannot be determined, or if it becomes chronic despite treatments, the dog owner must learn to live with the problem. Although the cosmetic effect of epiphora is unattractive, the dog's eyes and health are usually not affected in such cases. Daily washing and frequent clipping of the hair in the affected area will keep the staining to a minimum.

Breeder Advice: -

Disease Description Source: Link