Interest and safety of a preservative-free carbomer 0.2Percentage eye gel on canine dry eye A case series

Abstract

Dry eye is a common ophthalmic disorder in dogs that can lead to serious ocular complications. The objective of this case series was to evaluate a new preservative-free carbomer 0.2% eye gel in five dogs with dry eyes. Ophthalmic examination was performed on D0, D15, and D30, rating conjunctivitis, keratitis, ocular discharge and irritation from 0 to 3. Global ocular clinical (GOC) score was obtained by the sum of the individual scores. Tear film quantity and quality were measured using STT1 and tear film break-up time (TBUT). The dogs’ quality of life (QoL) was assessed by the owners. GOC, conjunctivitis, and ocular discharge scores decreased significantly on D15 and D30 compared to D0 (p = 0.0062, 0.0152, and 0.0152, respectively). QoL significantly improved at each time point compared to baseline (p = 0.0008). However, the decrease of keratitis and ocular irritation scores and the increase of STT1 and TBUT values were not significant. The use of the preservative-free carbomer 0.2% eye gel could be an interesting option for dry eye management in dogs by significantly improving clinical signs and tear production while avoiding potential sides effects of preservatives.