Dog Virus

[Eric]

I'm sure I caught my dry eye from my dog. She had dry eye. I was giving her tetracycline eye drops and she shook her head. The drops and went right from her eyes to mine. About a year later, I had dry eye too. Coincidence? No way! Now I have MGD and lacrimal gland problems. I'm a otherwise super healthy 41 year old. Can anyone help? I've tried all eye treatments available today. Seems like my dry eyes were caused by a virus. I cannot understand how scientists can study this all day every day and have no idea what is going on. 11 year old Restasis, heat, antibiotics, and steroids. Please! No progress what so ever. All treat the symptoms and not the cause. I think they are only interested in selling pills and eye drops, not finding a cure. I'm disgusted!

[PotatoCakes]

Tetracycline is an antibiotic prescribed for bacterial infections; antibiotics have no effect on viral infections.

[y-gwair]

I'm sure I caught my dry eye from my dog. She had dry eye...About a year later, I had dry eye too. Coincidence?

Yup, complete coincidence. Dry eye in dogs is not caused by viruses, it's most commonly caused by breed-specific hereditary anatomical problems, or more rarely by autoimmune diseases which are a genetic, not a viral, disease. The bacterial element of dry eye is entirely secondary to vascular or glandular abnormalities, a person with healthy eyes would not develop dry eye from transfer of bacteria.

Scientists do understand a lot if what is going on, which is not the same as saying they have found good solutions, which only leaves symptomatic relief. The science of regenerating damaged nerve or gland tissue is only just beginning.