Keratoconjunctivitis
sicca (KCS), also referred to as dry eye syndrome, is the poor lubrication of
the eye surface. The tear produced in the animal is either insufficient or not
of optimal quality to adhere to and lubricate the cornea.
KCS may appear in different ways. The eyes may be bloodshot, the cornea may be dull and opaque, and the dog may have mucopurulent rheum that often recur, even if cleaned. Over time, more severe pathologies, such as corneal ulcers or blindness, may appear as a consequence of vascularization and the edema produced by the inflammation of the cornea and the conjunctiva.
There are breeds of dogs that are more predisposed than others to suffer from KCS, such as the West Highland White Terrier, the Cocker Spaniel or the English Bulldog. In addition, there are diseases or pharmacological treatments that may cause KCS, but in most cases, they are immune-mediated processes.
The prognosis for the animal will be better if we make an early diagnosis of the disease and start a treatment, which in most cases will be permanent.
The medicines used in the treatment of KCS increase the amount and quality of tears, lubricate the eye surface, or treat any secondary infections that may appear. They are usually daily topical treatments, which require treating the animal several times a day and are deceptive for the owner.
The use of phytotherapy would be recommended for these types of chronic pathologies, where we can use oral products once a day with great results.
In this case, we have to take into account the extract of maqui berries Maquibright© (Aristotelia chilensis) which can increase the amount and quality of tears, as proven by different studies with humans.
The easy dosage of the treatment with Aristotelia chilensis facilitates the owner to follow it and reduces topical uses —quite annoying for our pets—, efficiently improving eye comfort in animals.
