Corneal Ulcer

Overview:

Corneal ulcers are quite common in both dogs and cats. Ulcers are very painful to pets, and require immediate veterinary care. When the corneal injury is mild, treatment is generally topical only and the prognosis is good. If the injury is not treated immediately, it can continue to erode through the cornea quickly and become quite serious.

Causes:

Anything that can puncture the eye can cause an ulcer (scratch, gunshot, sticks, etc). There are also eye disorders that can predispose pets to ulcers, such as: dry eye (KCS), distichia, entropion, ectropion, or chronic conjunctivitis.

Symptoms:

As stated earlier, ulcers are very painful and most pets will squint, paw at the eye, and have abundant eye discharge. The symptoms often seem very abrupt, especially if the pet had just been outside.

Treatment:

Treatment for ulcers needs to be aggressive. Topical antibiotic ointment is prescribed and can be applied to the eye every hour if needed. Most doctors recommend at least 6 times daily. Atropine drops or ointment can also be prescribed to help with discomfort. An e-collar needs to be applied if the pet is scratching or pawing at the eye. Rechecks at the veterinarian are very important to assess whether the ulcer is healing. It is not uncommon for the ulcer to not heal correctly and to continue to grow. Some cases need to be referred to an ophthalmologist for surgical intervention. Seeking veterinarian care very early can help prevent a need for a referral.