![]() Eye Injuries in DogsTreatment
The course of treatment will depend on the severity of the injury and the part of the eye that was injured. If the wound is nonperforating and has no wound edge or opening, an Elizabethan collar for preventing the dog from scratching at the eye is often prescribed, along with antibiotic or atropine eye solutions. Nonperforating wounds that have a mild break in the tissue, or a pinpoint wound perforation, may be treated with a soft contact lens, an Elizabethan collar, and antibiotic or atropine solutions.
Injuries requiring surgical exploration or repair are as follows:
Your veterinarian will prescribe medications that are suitable to the seriousness of the wound. Antibiotics are usually prescribed, as well as anti-inflammatory medications and analgesics for pain.
Living and Management
Deep or wide penetrating wounds that have not been sutured need to be rechecked every 24 to 48 hours for the first several days. If the penetrating wound is superficial, rechecking every three to five days until it is healed is advised.
As to prevention, take care when introducing new puppies to households with cats. Discourage your dog from running through dense vegetation. Minimize a visually impaired or blind dog's exposure to dense vegetation. If you are in an area that carries the risk of having debris transmitted to the eyes, like wooded areas, beaches, etc., it would be a good idea to have a bottle of saline eyewash to irrigate foreign debris from the eye.
Most eyes with corneal lacerations or a retained foreign object in the cornea are salvageable. The further back the injury, the poorer the prognosis for retention of vision. Cases that would warrant a poor prognoses, for example, would be an injury to the white, outer membrane of the eyeball, the sclera, or to the fluid part, the vascular layer of the eyeball; if there is no light perception; a perforated injury involving the lens; a significant hemorrhage in the vitreous, the clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eyeball; or, retinal detachment. Penetrating injuries usually have a better prognosis then perforating injuries, and blunt traumas carry a poorer prognosis than sharp traumas.
Related ArticlesEye Ulcer in Dogs A corneal ulcer occurs when deeper layers of the cornea are lost; these ulcers are... READ MORE Degeneration of the Cornea in Dogs Corneal degeneration is a one-sided or two-sided condition, secondary to other eye... READ MORE Eye Inflammation (Choroid and Retina) in Dogs Chorioretinitis is a medical condition that affects the eyes; the term refers to... READ MORE
Hurry Before All Seats are Taken!
Enroll
Be an A++ Pet Parent! Take fun & free courses to earn badges & certifications. Choose a course»
Latest In Dog NutritionHow Your Overweight Pet Could Benefit from ... Pet obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Fortunately, there are some things... READ MORE Pet Food Ingredients that Promote Longer Life Pet foods, in order to promote a healthy long life, must be balanced and complete... READ MORE How Obesity May Shorten Your Pet's Lifespan
Obesity is a nationwide epidemic for our pets. Unfortunately, being obese can shorten... READ MORE |