eye tear duct is swollen

Question
my lhapsa poo (half Lhapsa Apso and Poodle mix) dog has a red swallen puffness in the corner of her right eye.  It looks like it is the tear duct.  Not sure if she got something in it or if it is infected.  Is there any over the counter meds that we can give her?

Answer
Hi Julianne,

There are several diseases of the eyes dogs can develop, some are minor (but still need medical treatment), some if left untreated  can cause blindness. Because your diagnosis might be wrong, you should not risk losing your dog's eyesight.

If you are are correct, and your dog has blocked tear ducts, she needs to be examined by your veterinarian. If a tear duct becomes blocked, and obstructs tear flow, after a couple of days it begins to swell because now an infection has begun. Once the blocked tear duct swells, there is no room for it in it's normal position, and even strong healthy tissue can no longer hold it. At this point a dog can develop "cherry eye", or a prolapse of the third eyelid. If a blacked tear duct gets this bad surgery can be needed.

The Miniature Poodle and Lhasa Apso breeds are both prone to develop KCS (Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca).
The term technically means "inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva from drying."  When the watery part of the tears is not produced in adequate amounts, the eye becomes chronically inflamed, and scarring and pigmentation of the cornea may lead to a decrease in vision. Another commonly used term to describe this disease is "dry eye." If left untreated, KCS is a potentially vision threatening disease. It may lead to painful corneal ulcerations in the acute stage of the disease. In chronic KCS, vision may be impaired because of scarring of the cornea. This is a condition your vet would have to rule out.

Please do not delay in having your dog examined by your veterinarian.

Best of luck,

Patti