Content
- What is Horner's Syndrome
- Horner's Syndrome Symptoms
- Anisocoria in dogs
- Third eyelid protrusion
- eyelid ptosis
- Enophthalmia
- Horner's Syndrome: diagnosis
- Horner's Syndrome in Dogs: Treatment
Horner's syndrome is a condition that usually appears momentarily and that worries any guardian. If your dog's eye is looking different than normal and you notice that one eye is drooping, the third eyelid is visible and protruding, or the pupils are different size, one being more contracted than the other, then this is likely to be a case. of Horner's syndrome.
If you want to know more about Horner's syndrome in dogs, be sure to read this article by PeritoAnimal.
What is Horner's Syndrome
Horner's syndrome is the set of neuro-ophthalmic signs that originate from the interruption of the sympathetic innervation of one or both of the eyeballs and their adnexa.
There are many causes that can lead to Horner's syndrome. Since it originates in the nervous system, any region that includes the involved nerves can be affected, from the middle/inner ear, neck, chest to portions of the cervical spine, and it is necessary to check each of these regions to rule out or include suspicions.
Thus, Horner's syndrome can give rise to:
- Middle and/or internal otitis;
- Impact trauma or bites;
- Infarctions;
- Infections;
- Inflammations;
- Masses such as abscesses or cysts;
- Spinal disc diseases;
- Neoplasms.
Horner's Syndrome Symptoms
the main clinical signs of Horner's syndrome can appear singly or simultaneously, they are:
Anisocoria in dogs
Anisocoria is characterized by the pupillary diameter asymmetry, in particular, miosis (contraction) of the affected eye, that is, the pupil of the affected eye is more contracted than the contralateral one.
In order to specifically assess miosis in dogs, it is recommended that it be performed in low light environments, as in bright environments the eyes are very squinted and do not allow us to distinguish which pupil has a contracted pupil. If you wonder if anisocoria in dogs is curable, it's a self-limiting condition, which resolves itself.
Third eyelid protrusion
The third eyelid is usually located in the medial corner of the eye, but in Horner's syndrome can move, externalize and stay , being able to cover the dog's eye, depending on the protrusion level.
eyelid ptosis
Horner's syndrome can lead to eyelid ptosis, that is, eyelid drop top over the eye.
Enophthalmia
It is characterized by the retraction of the eyeball into the orbit, that is, it occurs eye sinking.
This condition is due to the decreased tone of the periorbital muscles that support the eye. In this case, the animal's vision is not affected, although the affected eye may not be able to see if it has the associated drooping eyelid.
Horner's Syndrome: diagnosis
Tell your veterinarian if your pet has recently been involved in any sort of fight or accident. The veterinarian must gather all the information from the animal's history, perform a thorough and thorough physical examination., including at the ophthalmic, neurological and otoscopic level, and also resort to complementary exams that it deems necessary, such as blood count and biochemistry, radiography (RX), computed tomography (CAT) and/or magnetic resonance (MR).
In addition, there is a direct pharmacological test, called the direct Phenylephrine test. In this test, are applied one to two drops of phenylephrine eye drops in each eye, since in healthy eyes none of the pupils will dilate. If, on the other hand, it dilates up to 20 minutes after placing the drops, it is indicative of an injury.
Normally, the cause is not discovered of this problem and it is said that this syndrome is of idiopathic origin. Idiopathic Horner's syndrome is very common in dogs of breeds such as the Golden Retriever and Collie, perhaps due to genetic factors.
Horner's Syndrome in Dogs: Treatment
Treatment for Horner's syndrome in cases where an adjacent cause is identified is directed towards that same cause, as the Horner's syndrome has no direct therapeutic resource. Symptomatic treatment can be done with drops of phenylephrine placed in the affected eye every 12-24 hours.
Treatment of the underlying cause may include, among other things:
- Ear cleaning, in cases of ear infections;
- Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory or other drugs;
- Eye drops to dilate the pupil in the affected eye;
- Surgery for operable tumors, and/or radio or chemotherapy.
Horner's syndrome is a set of signs self-limiting, that is, it is a syndrome with a limited and determined period, which ends up resolving by itself, normally lasting between 2 to 8 weeks, but it may last some months. For example, the idiopathic syndrome in dogs usually resolves within 6 months.
The reversibility of the process is closely linked to the underlying cause and severity of the injury.
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 Horner's Syndrome in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our Eye Problems section.