QuestionMy vet wants to lazer the inside corners of my Yorkie's eyes to try to elimenate the excessive tearing, she says sometimes hair grows there and irritates the tear ducts. I am leary about this procedure. Can you help me?
AnswerBetty,
Almost all yorkies have excessive tearing at some point in their lives. Usually as they get older they will have more tearing but sometimes there are individuals that have it their whole life. Keeping the hair shaved close to the skin beneath the eyes and on the bridge of the nose will help. Washing the area with a warm wash cloth will also remove the gooey stuff that cakes in the hair from the eyes tearing. You must do this at least once a day or it won't work because it only takes a day for the fluid to become sticky.
As far as your vet is concerned only you can make that decision. You have to weigh the pros and cons in order to make a decision. The pros would be that the eyes would stop tearing. The cons would be that surgery is always dangerous and your dog could die while under anesthesia. The anesthesia can damage kidneys and it will show up later in life as kidney damage. The older she is the more dangerous surgery is and the more chance she has of complications. You must also consider the cost of such an operation not to mention the trauma it puts the dog through. Also, did the vet guarantee that the surgery would work? If it does work what are the chances it will come back?
Personally if it were my yorkie I would cut the hair short where the tears get goo on her face and wash the hair with a warm washcloth rather than put my dog and I through that.
Remember, only you know what is best for your dog. Trust yourself to make an informed decision.
