The use of general anesthesia for various procedures is common in the small animals clinic. During use, tear production is greatly reduced, the eye care be ing required by the anesthetist, to prevent adverse effects associated desi ccation of the surface of the cornea. The aim of this study was evaluate tear production of female dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) by Schirmer tear test type I. The test was performed in a popui ation of 38 females who entered the Happy Puppy Veterinary Clinic, Concepción (Chile), for surgical ovariohysterectomy. Females were randomi zed into two groups of 19 subj ects each one. Patients underwent clinical and ophthalmoi ogical examination prior proceeded to measure tear production in zero time (without drugs). Both groups were premedicated with acepromaz-ine. After premedication was sampled at 5, 10 and 15 min. One group was anesthetized with ketamine-xylazine association and the other with propofol in the anesthetic period and samples were taken at 30, 35, 45 and 50 min, finally measured at 110 min into general anesthesia. Effects were determined and acepromazi ne each anesthetic protocols on tear production in the times indicated above. Differences in mean tear production in patients for anesthetic period, between the two anesthetic protocols, corresponded to 12.72 mm ± 3.33 mm, showing the greatest difference in the 50th min of the anesthetic period. Premedication and anesthetic period, caused decreased tear production in a statistically significant (P <0.05), when comparing these values with zero time. The post anesthetic period also revealed a statistically significant diminution.