Tear ferning test in healthy dogs.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Veterinary Medicine
• Diagnostic Testing

Background:

• The tear ferning test (TFT) is a diagnostic method to evaluate tear film stability.
• Assessing tear quality is crucial for diagnosing ocular surface diseases in animals.
• Standardizing TFT procedures in veterinary medicine is essential for reliable results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare three distinct tear sampling methods for the TFT in healthy dogs.
• To evaluate the applicability of two grading scales (Rolando and Masmali) for TFT in canine tear samples.
• To determine the most feasible and effective method for tear collection for TFT in dogs.

Main Methods:

• Tear samples were collected from 90 healthy dogs (180 eyes) using millimetered strips (Schirmer group), micropipette, and microcapillary methods.
• Collected tear samples were air-dried on glass slides at room temperature.
• Ferning patterns were analyzed under polarized light microscopy and graded using Rolando and Masmali scales.

Main Results:

• All three tear sampling methods were found to be feasible for TFT in dogs.
• The Schirmer tear test (STT) method was identified as the easiest to perform in clinical settings.
• Type I ferning patterns and Grade 1 classifications were most prevalent (64.17% and 61.7%, respectively) across all methods.

Conclusions:

• The TFT is an appropriate diagnostic tool for evaluating tear quality in dogs.
• The study confirms the utility of three different tear sampling techniques for TFT in canine patients.
• Both the Rolando and Masmali grading scales can be effectively employed for classifying tear ferning patterns in dogs.