How has meibometry been applied in veterinary medicine?

• A. Used exclusively in canine keratoconjunctivitis with consistent results
• B. Applied only in horses; no canine data
• C. Not yet used in veterinary medicine
• D. Has been performed in healthy dogs and dogs with ADDE, with high variability

Answer: (D)

Meibometry measures the lipid component of the tear film produced by the meibomian glands, and in dogs it has been explored as a way to assess meibomian gland function. It has been performed in both healthy dogs and in dogs with aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE), with researchers looking to see how lipid output or quality changes with disease. A consistent finding across these studies is substantial variability in the measurements. This high variability stems from multiple sources: natural differences between individual dogs and fluctuations within the same dog over time, how the eyelids are manipulated during measurement, where on the lid the reading is taken, and timing relative to blinking or tearing. Device calibration, protocol differences, and environmental factors further contribute. Because of these factors and the lack of standardized reference ranges for dogs, meibometry isn’t a routine clinical test yet, though it provides useful insight in research on canine meibomian gland function and the lipid layer of the tear film.