Association between glycaemia, tear production and conjunctival bacterial flora in diabetic dogs with cataracts: A preliminary investigation.

Background: Ocular complications of diabetes mellitus, such as dry eye and bacterial infection, are thought to be common in dogs, but their actual incidence is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the associations between glycaemia, tear production and conjunctival bacterial flora in diabetic dogs with cataracts.

Methods: The medical records of 30 diabetic dogs with cataracts were retrospectively examined to determine if there was an associations between blood glucose concentration at examination, Schirmer tear test (STT) results and positive bacterial cultures from conjunctival swabs.