Retrospective cohort study on the development of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in dogs treated with trimethoprim sulfonamide: a VetCompass Australia study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) is a common and important eye disease of dogs and has been associated with the administration of trimethoprim sulfonamide (TMS). HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Determine the prevalence of KCS after TMS treatment at a population level and describe risk factors for KCS development. ANIMALS: Dogs evaluated in general veterinary practice in Australia with records in VetCompass Australia between 2012 and 2022. METHODS: Natural language processing was used to detect dogs treated with TMS and to detect dogs that subsequently developed KCS. Cox proportional hazards modeling was performed to investigate risk factors such as drug dose, duration of treatment, and pa..