How is a corneal ulcer diagnosed?
Superficial corneal abrasions are generally not visible without special tests and equipment. Corneal ulcers are detected with the use of special stains such as fluorescein. A drop of this stain is placed on the cornea. The dye will turn green and adhere to areas of ulceration. Large ulcers are readily visible, while tiny ulcers may be enhanced by the use of special ophthalmic lights and filters. A fluorescein stain test is the most common eye test performed and may be the only test needed if the ulcer is acute and very superficial. If the ulcer is chronic or is very deep, samples may be taken for culture and cell study prior to applying the stain or other medication.
Types
A simple eye injury is a penetrating or perforating injury to either the cornea (transparent outer layer at the front of the eye) or the sclera (white of the eye). In the case of a penetrating injury, the wound or foreign object pierces the cornea or sclera, while in a perforating injury, the wound or object passes through the cornea or sclera.
Complicated
A complicated eye injury is more serious and involves a perforating injury to the cornea or sclera along with other structures of the dog’s eye. This may include the iris, retina, lens, or eyelid.
Be aware that eye scratches are extremely painful for dogs
This is important to remember, because you dog can’t tell you that a cornea scratch really really hurts! I’ve never scratched my eye, but the veterinarian said that dog eye scratches are terribly painful. How do you treat a painful eye scratch? Take your dog to the veterinarian for painkillers. Don’t give your dog baby aspirin or other painkillers unless you are 100% sure it’s safe.
One of my most popular articles is Dealing With Guilt When You Caused Your Dog’s Death. I’m not trying to scare or worry you! I just want you to know that feeling guilty because of a dog’s injury or death is normal – and you have somewhere to go if need be.
3 Vet Tips for Scratched dog eye!! (Corneal Ulcer)
The cornea is the clear, protective layer that covers the outside of your dogs eye. It is not uncommon for it to get scratched, especially if your dog frequently plays with pets in the household, especially cats. A cornea injury dont always lead to permanent damage, but you should have your dog examined by a veterinarian any time you suspect his eye is injured or irritated.
A scratched cornea can possibly lead to blindness, but the final outcome depends on several factors, including the extent of the initial damage. Shallow scratches typically heal without permanent damage to your dogs eye, especially if your dog is young. Deep scratches, however, can turn into corneal ulcers. If an ulcer goes far enough into the cornea, it can create a situation in which fluids from the inner eye leak out, resulting in permanent blindness. Scratches that are less than half the depth of the cornea are considered shallow, or superficial, while those more than half the depth are considered more serious and should be monitored closely by your veterinarian.
The most likely way for a scratch in your dogs cornea to result in blindness is for it to become infected. Swelling caused by an infection prevents the scratch from healing and can even make the abrasion larger and deeper than it was in the beginning. If the infection is stopped soon enough, your dogs eye may heal without any permanent effects. Depending on the depth of the scratch, however, his cornea may be scarred. An ongoing untreated infection is likely to result in blindness.
The first signs of a scratch on your dogs cornea include squinting, excessive blinking and watery eyes. The damage is also likely to feel painful and itchy for your dog, so he may paw or scratch at his eye. A creamy discharge may also accumulate at the corner of your dogs eye and the white of his eye could turn red due to the irritation. If the scratch becomes infected, the cornea may start to look cloudy.
Your veterinarian will use a fluorescein dye to reveal any damage to your dogs cornea. The dye settles in the scratch and washes away from the rest of the eye to allow the vet to examine the size and depth of the damage. Superficial scratches dont always require treatment and often heal in less than a week, but your veterinarian may prescribe drops to soothe your dogs eye if he seems to be experiencing discomfort. Your veterinarian will probably want to check your dogs eye again in a few days to make sure it has healed completely. Deep scratches may require surgery, or your veterinarian may opt to use pain-reducing and antibiotic drops while checking your dogs eye regularly to confirm that it is healing.