Dry eye medication not working

[bogey45638]

My dog is being treated for dry eyes with Optimmune (cyclorsporin). I apply it twice a day . She has been on this medication for over 2 years and her eyes are not doing or looking any better. She now has a spot on her eye that is cloudy so I have stopped using the medication until I can see Vet. This is the second time she has had a spot come on the eye. I am using the medication the Vet gave me the last time she had the spot on her eye and it is Neomycin and Polymyxin ointment. Is there any other treatment or medication that I can use that helps her more than the Optimmune? I have also used artificial tears in between the Optimmune as prescribed by Vet but still not any better.

[Ghilly]

Tacrolimus eye drops, while they do work, come with the added risk of bladder cancer, so while they ARE a possible alternative, they are not without their problems.  If the Optimmune keeps the condition from worsening, even though it doesn't clear it up, it may be the lesser of the evils.

Ghilly

[tree1126]

My dog was using optimmune as well, but we have since switched her  to tacrylimus in corn oil as optimmune wasnt providing the help she needed.!  Westwood pharmacy in nj makes it.  My dog responds very well to this treatment and they even have a great deal if you buy a few.

[Ghilly]

Sometimes, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or Dry Eye, is just not all that responsive to treatment.  Optimmune is probably the drug of choice for treating the condition because where other Dry Eye preparations have soap in them as a preservative, Optimmune does not, which helps by not further irritating the eye while trying to help it.

What I am worried about is that even though the Optimmune doesn't seem to be helping the condition to improve all that much, if at all, if you stop using it, you may soon see a drastic worsening of the condition.  So while you may not be seeing the dramatic results that are often seen with this product, it could be that it's actually doing more than you thought by way of preventing the Dry Eye from getting much worse without it.  If the condition is going to worsen without the Optimmune you will see signs of that within a few days of stopping the medication, so if you see this happening, I would put her back on it right away so that it at least maintains the status quo.

Ghilly

[Faybee]

Please see my post dated earlier today.... faybee

[meg321]

I use the same med for my Cavalier King Charles Spaniels eyes, I have to use it the rest of her life.  She is blind in one eye and almost blind in the other. But I understand that the dryness will just get worse and worse without the meds everyday and they did not paint a pretty picture.

I don't think you can tell on a daily basis but you need to keep using it.

meg

[deadgamegrrl]

I had a bulldog several years ago that was on the same treatment for several years.  The condition never really improved, at best I think I was limiting the progression and fending off ulcers that often come with this.

Has the vet suggested surgery?  I thought about doing it but my dog was not a really great candidate for it and since the eye was not ulcerating the vet and I decided to just keep going with the drops. Some dogs do really well with surgery though.

[Jerry_NJ]

Sorry for the eye problem, our Westie has dry eyes that I treat with the same stuff that doesn't work for you.  Given the cost of the stuff ($35 for a month supply, very small tube) I'd not use it for years if it didn't give results.

We were told twice a day for the life of the dog, the med treats only the symptom, not the cause.  I generally use only one a day and twice if I see any mucus formation.  Is that what you see, a coating on the eye, or is the spot on your dog's eye internal to the eyeball?