Content
- Symptoms and Types of Keratitis in Dogs
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca in dogs
- Corneal ulcer in dogs
- Infectious keratitis in dogs
- Interstitial keratitis in dogs
- Vascular and pigmentary keratitis in dogs
Keratitis in dogs is an eye disease that can have different causes, as we will see in this PeritoAnimal article. We will also explain what your symptoms are so that you can identify them and immediately seek veterinary care.
The eyes are very sensitive organs, susceptible to suffering from diseases that will need treatment, because if they are not medicated or if treatment starts late, the condition can worsen until it causes blindness. That is why it is important that you know the types, causes and treatment of keratitis, with emphasis on the corneal ulcer in dogs to continue taking good care and ensuring the health of your furry best friend.
Symptoms and Types of Keratitis in Dogs
Keratitis consists of corneal inflammation, which is the front, transparent and protective part of the eye. Tears, secreted by the tear glands, which are two in each eye, moisten the cornea, preventing it from drying out and thus helping to protect the eyes.
When there is a problem with the cornea, it is common for the dog manifest pain, touching with the paws, tearing excessively, presenting photophobia, visible nictizing membrane and loss of transparency, although there may be variations depending on the type of keratitis.
The most common keratitis in dogs is ulcerative keratitis, also known as corneal ulcers. It is one of the most common causes of eye disease that causes the vision loss in dogs and, therefore, require greater attention from the guardians.
The most common symptoms of keratitis in dogs are:
- constant itchy eyes
- eye secretion
- One eye is closed more than the other
- Inflammation
- red eye
- light sensitivity
It is important to know that all types of keratitis must be treated as they can cause partial or complete blindness. In this other article you can check the care of blind dogs. And then we'll look at the most common types of keratitis in dogs.
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca in dogs
Also known as dry eye, keratoconjunctivitis sicca in dogs occurs when the lacrimal glands are affected, producing an insufficient amount of tears and causing the eyes and, therefore, the cornea, to become dry, also presenting thick secretion, mucous or mucopurulent, which can be confused with conjunctivitis. The difference is that in the case of dry eye it is possible to notice the opaque cornea which, over time, can ulcerate and even lead to blindness.
There are several causes for dry eye in dogs, such as immune-mediated diseases, but many cases are idiopathic, ie, its origin is unknown. Also, dry eye can appear as a result of diseases such as Addison's or canine distemper. Some breeds are more likely to suffer from this condition, such as:
- bulldog
- cocker spaniel
- Pastor dog
- Siberian Husky
To diagnose this disorder, the veterinarian will do the Schirmer's test to measure tear volume. Treatment is lifelong and may include the use of eye drops, cyclosporine and antibiotics. In some cases, corticosteroids and even surgery may be recommended. In this other article you will better understand cataracts in dogs - treatment and surgery.
Corneal ulcer in dogs
Ulcerative keratitis or corneal ulcer occurs when there is some lesion in the cornea, the transparent part of the eye, and it is a very painful inflammation which can appear as a complication of keratoconjunctivitis. The cornea is blurred, white, or opaque.
The treatment for this keratitis uses medication to reduce pain and antibiotics, in addition to eye drops and, normally, it is necessary for the dog to use the Elizabethan necklace so that the dog doesn't scratch his eyes, thus causing more damage to his eyes.
In more severe cases, surgery is recommended, so if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, seek immediate attention from a veterinarian. This is the best way to prevention.
Infectious keratitis in dogs
When ulcerative or dry keratitis is complicated by bacterial infections, we have a picture of infectious keratitis in dogs. In addition to the typical pain, the purulent discharge which is produced and also inflammation of the eyelids. The difference from conjunctivitis, which also produces purulent secretion, is the eye pain characteristic of keratitis.
This type of keratitis in dogs, like the previous ones, requires veterinary treatment with antibiotics, and a culture is recommended to determine which is the most appropriate. Sometimes the infection occurs due to the presence of fungi, which leads to fungal keratitis, much less frequent. It usually appears after long-term antibiotic treatments. It is also necessary to culture and treat with antifungals.
Interstitial keratitis in dogs
Known as blue eye, as the cornea starts to present a bluish tint, it is caused by the infectious hepatitis virus and produces signs about ten days after contact with the virus. So if you notice that your dog has a whitish or bluish eye, this could be the problem.
Although dogs can recover, in some dogs whitish eye remains as a sequel.
Vascular and pigmentary keratitis in dogs
Although vascularization and pigmentation are different processes, they usually occur together. THE vascular keratitis appears when blood vessels and connective tissue grow into the eye, which is known as neovascularization and causes the cornea to lose its transparency. At pigmentary keratitis in dogs, the pigment melanin is deposited in the cornea.
Both keratitis can arise as a consequence of continuous irritation of the cornea, such as that which occurs in entropion (eyelids facing inwards of the eye) or lagophthalmos (inability to close eyes completely). If these circumstances are eliminated, the keratitis will also be cured.
It should be noted that a specific and painless type of pigmentary keratitis is corneal pannus, which occurs in breeds such as the German Shepherd, Belgian Shepherd, Border Collie or Husky. Although keratitis in dogs is curable, vascular and pigmentary keratitis, which is not related to corneal irritation, is progressive and incurable, and therefore treatment is focused on controlling its progression. For this, corticosteroids and cyclosporine can be used. Of course, the treatment lasts a lifetime.
Now that you know the types, symptoms and how to treat the different types of keratitis in dogs, you may be interested in this other article on how dogs are viewed.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Keratitis in Dogs - Types, Causes and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our Eye Problems section.