Effect of atropine on tear formation in anesthetized dogs.

Tear production (as determined by the Schirmer I tear test) in five dogs given atropine (0.02 mg/kg) subcutaneously and in five dogs given 0.9% saline solution subcutaneously was compared before and during halothane anesthesia. Fifteen minutes after the atropine injections, mean tear production was 15.0 +/- 2.9 mm/minute, as compared with 23.8 +/- 2.9 mm/minute before treatment rate. There was no change in tearing 15 minutes after injection of the saline solution. Tear production declined in both groups during anesthesia. Ten minutes after anesthetic induction, mean tear formation was 20% of pretreatment value in the atropinized dogs and 54% of the pretreatment value in the dogs given saline solution. At the end of 1 hour of anesthesia, tearing was essentially zero in both groups.