Breed predisposition to congenital alacrima in dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical characteristics and breed predisposition of congenital alacrima in dogs. Animals studied Dogs with congenital keratoconjunctivitis sicca.


METHODS
A search of the medical records of the University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching Hospital from 1974-2005 and the University of California-Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital from 1986-2006 for dogs under 1 year of age with a diagnosis of keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) was performed. These cases were further reviewed for dogs with a Schirmer's tear test I of <or= 5 mm/min before 6 months of age, with no known causes for KCS, which did not respond to appropriate KCS therapy; these cases were considered to have congenital alacrima. These breeds were compared to all other breeds using the Fisher's exact test with correction for multiple comparisons.


RESULTS
Congenital alacrima was identified in 19 dogs representing 11 breeds and mixed breeds. Yorkshire Terriers and Bedlington Terriers were statistically overrepresented compared to reference populations (P < 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Yorkshire terriers are significantly at risk for congenital alacrima compared to other breeds. The significance of the increase in congenital alacrima in Bedlington Terriers in this study may not be clinically relevant and may be due to the small total number of dogs of this breed that presented to the both hospitals. Based on the poor response to therapy in humans with congenital alacrima, it may be prudent to offer guarded prognoses for KCS in juvenile Yorkshire terriers.
Westermeyer
Hans D
HD
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
Ward
Daniel A
DA
Abrams
Kenneth
K
D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004285:Dogs; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000151:congenital / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D007638:Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca / Q000151:congenital / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000503:physiopathology; D054327:Lubricants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D054327:Lubricants; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions