Opthamology Question

Hello All! Looking for advice from a Vet and BONUS if they specialize in ophthalmology! Our 2 year old Boston has been having issues with his left eye for a while now. When he was a puppy he used to "wink" sometimes which we thought was cute. Fast forward to this past December and we started noticing he didnt want to open his eye all the way and that it looked to have a green slime in it. Our vet did a tear test and found his tear production was pretty much non existent.  She thinks his tear duct probably had problems from birth. She had him on several different tear production eye drops along with antibiotic ointments. The antibiotic would clear the infection but it would come right back after being off meds for a week or so. The tear production never got better. We took him to a Vet Ophthalmology Specialist here in Nashville and they too tried him on a few different medications for tear production AND different antibiotics both in his eye and orally. Nothing was working to get his tear production up and they said the reason for the chronic infections was his eye was so dry. They suggested a surgery where they take a saliva gland and move it to his tear duct. We did it and it went very well! His "tear" production has been perfect - no more dry eye! It's honestly been like a miracle! However, he STILL is having chronic infection in that eye! Since his surgery a few months ago he does really well as long as we have him on an antibiotic ointment and oral but as soon as he comes off of them.. he has about a week or so before it comes right back! The eye is staying lubricated perfectly.. My questions is has anyone had exerpeince with this and or what suggestions might you have? We talk to the specialist again on Wednesday and I wanted to bring some new ideas if any other professionals might have some!

Hello - and as you may have predicted, I do not specialise in opthalmology.  You do have an opthalmogical specialist, so they are 100% better set to give you advice than I am, not just because of their superior knowledge but because they have actually seen the patient!  Furthermore, eye specialists know other eye specialists and it's likely that they discuss difficult cases together.  However, I know what I'd ask if I was the client in this situation.  I'd want to know;  is there definitely an infection causing this?  If there definitely is an infection, might it be worth culturing the bacteria and doing culture and sensitivity - particularly when it first appears - to identify the correct antibiotic to kill the bugs?  What other reasons might there be for the green coming back - could there be a focus eg a foreign body hidden away somewhere?  Is there a way to check? It sounds to me that this is a difficult case to solve! - we all come across them from time to time and specialists in particular will usually do as much research as they can to uncover the answer for you. We would be delighted to hear what works for this case in the end.

Thank you so much for your response! I will absolutely bring all of that up at our next appointment! I am assuming it is actually infection because the meds do make it "go away" where his eye looks perfect even upon them looking with dyes under a microscope. We just can't understand why it keeps coming back again and again. We were told it as because his eye was so dry.. but now that isn't a problem and the infections are still constant. Very worried.