Tear duct blockage

CristianL · Jan 26, 2015

Hello everybody,

we are writing to ask if any of you had this problem: tear duct blockage? We've had our girl at the vets this Saturday for a routine check and her right eye is a bit red (compared to the left one) and the vet said that it might be caused by tear duct blockage. He suggested general anesthesia and a procedure for unblocking the duct. We are reluctant to go through with it cause she is only 5 months old and a general anesthesia (especially since the vets in our city don't have lots of experience with frenchies/brachiocephalic breeds), doesn't sound so good.
He saw our reaction and thus recommended a week of medication (something to drip in her eye once a day) and we'll go back for a check-up next Saturday.

Her eye is red-ish usually after going out for our walks, playing and chewing on her raw hide bone and the rest of the time is just pink-ish, just like the other eye. The thing is that her right eye shows more of the white inner corner and that is why it's more visible and thus "catches the eye" as if something we're wrong(it's been like that since she was a baby).

Any of you guys had this issue with your piggies?

Any advice/hear say/link is welcome.

Have a nice week!

bullmama · Jan 26, 2015

Did your vet test the tear production? One of my girls has dry eye and need drops twice a day.

Reading your post it sounds like your vet was jumping the gun to want to do surgery on a "may have" situation.

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mmclean · Jan 26, 2015

Radar has one eye that is redder than the other. My vet said it was allergies and to give him Zyrtec which seemed to help. I agree that the surgery route seems really extreme.

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Carolyncherie · Jan 26, 2015

One of my frenchies has tear production at 15%. He gets ointment and drops daily. No more redness or dryness around his eye. Hope this helps. [emoji4]

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Tgirl · Jan 26, 2015

It's odd to me that they would suggest a procedure right off the bat. Did they put a little strip of paper in her eye to test tear production?

Alice Kable · Jan 26, 2015

I certainly would want a 2nd opinion before any surgery is done.

davidh · Jan 26, 2015

It could be allergies. Try some Benedryl to see if that helps. Also I saw where you gave you baby a raw hide bone. Please throw it away, as raw hides, pig ears, and bully sticks are dangerous to your baby. Use Kong toys, or Nylabones instead.

CristianL · Jan 27, 2015

Thank you guys for your replies.

The doc didn't test for tear production, he didn't use no colored marker(as I've read is common) to check for possible scratches on the eye and check drainage through the nose, no nothing. He saw the eye was red, looked at it for possible foreign bodies and issued the theory with the blocked tear duct and the need for intervention.
Since then I've kept reading about this issue in dogs in general and french bulldogs in particular and I've found data suggesting the possibility that because she is only 5 months old and her cranium is still developing these kind of problems could arise and to wait for a total development of the head before rushing to surgeries.
Another factor for the red eye, as I found through the various articles and forums, could be the fact that she sometimes sleeps with her eyes not completely shut, problem which again calls for corrective surgery or a lifetime supply of drips to keep the eye from drying.
I don't know if these factors could get better or disappear once her head will be full grown but we hope for the best and try applying a warm compress to the eye in case the tear duct is indeed blocked since I read that it helps and maybe even try some drips to prevent drying of the eye/eyes.

Thank you all for your input and we'll try the Benedryl in case it may be an allergy of some sort.

Don't worry davidh, and thank you for your advice, but the raw hide bones are cow hide, they're the pressed kind, not knotted, and she can't tear off chunks. Usually it takes days, sometimes close to a week, to soften enough of it so that she can chew it off and at that time we cut off the softened part, throw it away and give the rest back to her to start fresh

We're aware of the possible danger of swallowing a big chunk of hide and getting stuck in her throat but we're very careful.

Jakeyjake · Jan 27, 2015

Stella just saw an opthamalogist for a pigment issue with her eyes. Although her problem is different, you are correct that problems can arise when sleeping with eyes not completely shut. We give her lubricating drops every night before bed and the Dr. is going to check her again in 4 - 6 months. If the dr. was indicating Pepper had a blocked tear duct, not sure why he didn't test tear production (a little strip of paper goes in their eye). I would see if it is allergies and try Benadryl initially. Good luck.
I agree with [MENTION=4]davidh[/MENTION] also about the rawhide. It is not worth having it around and the risk it could pose. I lost a dog a long time ago that tried to swallow a piece of rawhide before I knew better and it ripped her esophagus!