So after reading others concerns regarding immune system depression and cancers I addressed these concerns with the vet. This vet is a specialist, she's an ophthalmologist for animals. So I wanted to pass on some info. Those concerns about immune suppression and cancers are for oral use. (This drug can be prescribed orally.) And it would only happen after long term use, meaning years. The only risks of cancer with ophthalmic use is in that specific region, like eyelid masses, and again it would take years. You can't get cancers in other parts of the body from topical use on the eyes. They also said there is not an alternative medicine. (We were talking about my dog, who has an autoimmune disorder, it's worth checking with your own vet regarding other conditions.) My dog was in a lot of pain before this medication. She actually has an autoimmune disorder that was attacking her tear ducts. One eye can't produce any tears and the other one has a 50% reduction in tear production. Being that it is an autoimmune disorder I imagine an immune suppressing drug would be necessary to manage the disorder. I know that now that we've caught it and are treating it it will no longer progress and she is also comfortable and not in pain anymore. I hope this info. helps you make the best decision for your pet, I know how hard it can be sometimes. My only complaint is that it is supposed to be kept out of direct light but they package it in a clear bottle which is why I only gave it 4 stars. The other pharmacy I've bought this from uses white bottles, so much better, but charges twice as much. I wrapped my bottle in duct tape to block light.

Our three-year-old German Shepherd developed a case of Pannus and was prescribed a steroid by the urgent care vet. While steroids can be used to treat this condition it is not recommended for long-term care due to the possibility of eye ulcers and over time steroids lose their effectiveness. Since this is a lifelong condition we were looking for a better treatment so our regular vet prescribed Tacrolimus, and we ordered it easily through Petmeds. Not only does this medication work far better than the steroids we were using before but it is actually cheaper when we order in bulk. The medication was shipped to our door in a temperature controlled package withvery specific instructions to refrigerate and protect from light. Our dogs eyes have cleared up dramatically and we will be using this medication for the rest of his life.

I used this for my dog who was suffering from dry eye. The drops helped alleviate the symptoms of dry eye. However, I had read reviews in blogs regarding the possible side effect of developing cancers in other parts of the body as a result of the immune system suppressing nature of the drug. My dog developed cancer within a few months of using this. Considering that he was perfectly healthy before, I think there is a possible correlation.

This is a very dangerous drug to administer to dogs. Though I had read numerous articles and papers indicating that this drug has not been studied extensively for use in dogs, I followed our veterinary ophthalmologist's direction and administered this to my dog. He developed cancer just like numerous people had indicated in blogs about their dogs. There are numerous instances of dogs developing cancer within months of administering the tacrolimus eye drops. This drug suppresses the immune system to fight off cancer cells. Best to avoid this drug. If I had known this I would have elected to have his eyes removed, rather than have him die a painful death.

The specialist dog eye doctor never told us it should be stored in the fridge and in a light blocking bag. I ordered the 15ml and they split it into 3 bottle so the formula stays fresh/sealed. The old vet just gave us 1 giant bottle that we opened daily for a year. Will definitely order again!

I purchase .03% tacrolimus 15ml @ eye vet for $40. I was checking this site to ascertain if their compound is the clear or white liquid type. We prefer the clear because of the application. In addition, our dog is more cooperative when using the clear.