Blepharitis

[Daxilly]

Hi,

I posted a topic yesterday about my ACD and medication (Tricin) she was prescribed for an injury to her eye.

It appears that the medication has caused more problems than the original injury. I kept an eye on her today, and while the redness and swelling have gone down a small amount, it has not been dramatic.

She appears to have severe inflammation of the third eyelid, possibly blepharitis caused by the ointment. I have spoken to the Vet today and she has seen my ACD twice since it happened. The Vet was hoping there would be improvement within 24 hours. This has not happened!!

Is this time frame realistic or should I expect it to take longer to improve? The next step is a GA for a more though exam of the eye. I do not want to put her through this if all it needs is more time.

My gut feeling is it is caused by the medication. She is fine, eating, sleeping and playing as normal.

Thanks for your input!!

[BlitznBear]

Im sorry about your girl daxilly, sorry I cant be of any help but I hope she has a speedy recovery and all goes well

BnB

[Athena GSD]

Daxilly, if you are concerned, my recommendation would be to seek a second opinion or ideally get a referral to an eye specialist.

Have you been given an alternative eye cream.??

[Daxilly]

Thanks,

No I haven't been given an other eye cream as, they didn't have only pure cortisone.

Will taking to another Vet this morning, good suggestion.

[~Anne~]

Blepharitis... I am still really intrigued by this eye problem. How does the cream cause blepharitis? I wasn't even aware that dogs can get this condition? I suffer from blepharitis myself and it is similar to a 'dry skin dandruff' of the rim of the eyes. Off to investigate blepaharitis in canines.

I would defnitely be getting a second opinion. Without being on an antibiotic of some sort I would be worried about infection. I am not overly confident that your current Vet is leading you up the right path.

[~Anne~]

Just researched a little on blepharitis in canines and it doesn't mention it being caused by an adverse reaction to drugs but I guess that doesn't rule it out. The comon associations it mentions are mange and other dermatitis type conditions and reactions to acids and fire trauma to the eye.

I've learnt a new thing today. Dogs and cats can suffer from blepharitis the poor buggers, as a sufferer myself I know how irritating it can be.

[Springergirl]

I've learnt a new thing today. Dogs and cats can suffer from blepharitis the poor buggers, as a sufferer myself I know how irritating it can be.

Ditto on both counts. It's horrible unless kept under control

[InspectorRex]

I would be getting an eye specialist to look at is asap- sounds more like Horner's Syndrome to me( google that and see if that is what your dogs eye is doing)

Don't muck about with eyes- Vets are GP's not specialists and this requires a specialist to look at it.

Horner's Syndrome can cause the third eyelid to come over like you have described and in the research I have seen on it it rectifies itself in about 90% of cases within about 16 weeks - you need a diagnosis not a "guess"

[~Anne~]

Although I recommend not self-diagnosing but having a Vet diagnose the condition I still say it sounds like the eye has ulcerated due to the injury. Ulcerations in Pugs are as common as white bread and I have seen many and treated many.

For a quick overview see this;

CORNEAL ULCERS AND EROSIONS

One of the classical eye problems veterinarians must address is THE RED EYE. The red eye may or may not be obviously painful but when it is, the pet can be observed squinting or even rubbing at his/her face. The conjunctiva (the pink moist tissue lining the inner surfaces of the eyelids) becomes an angry red and can even swell or puff up around the eye (a condition called “chemosis”). In short, it is clear when the eye suddenly hurts and that veterinary attention is needed.

THE CORNEAL EROSION

There are several causes of acutely red and painful eyes and one of the most common causes is a wound or scrape to the surface of the eye. The clear surface of the eye is called “the cornea” and because it is the outermost layer of the eye, it is prone to scrapes and tears. Common causes of corneal erosions include:

Rough contact with plants, thorns, or bushes.

Scratches from another animal (note: the cat scratch wound can be especially serious as the wound quickly heals over, sealing infection within the eye.)

Self trauma (rubbing or scratching at a painful ear or even at the eye due to some other eye problem can lead to an inadvertent scratch to the eye.)

Chemical irritation (such as getting shampoo in the eye during a bath.)

Foreign body injury (plant material can get stuck under an eyelid and can scrape the cornea.)

A special fluorescent stain is used to confirm the presence of the ulcer or erosion. Normally, water will run smoothly off the surface of the cornea, like rain washing off a windshield. If the cornea is damaged, the stain will stick to the damaged area and show bright green under a fluorescent lamp.

TREATMENT

A routine corneal ulcer or erosion should heal easily. Since the damaged cornea is at risk for becoming infected (or may even already be infected, as demonstrated by a purulent discharge), a topical antibiotic is needed and ideally should be used four times a day or more. Since it is a rare pet owner that can accommodate any medication administration four times a day, we usually have to make do with three times a day but to properly sterilize the eye surface, the antibiotic should be used four times a day. Either drops or ointment can be used depending on the owner’s preference.

The second part of treatment is pain relief: Atropine 1% drops or ointment. The atropine acts by temporarily paralyzing the pupil’s ability to contstrict (the pupil spasming from the ulcer is the main source of pain). Pupillary dilation is to be expected when this medication is used and the pet may be reluctant to experience bright sunlight while under the influence of this medication. Because the tear duct system is connected to the nose and mouth, the patient will also taste the above medications and atropine is famous for its bitter taste. Dogs do not seem to mind this unduly but cats will drool shortly after the medication is given in an effort to get the taste out of their mouths. This is a normal reaction to the Atropine as is the dilated pupil.

Daxilly, has the Vet ruled out ulceration or mentioned this at all? I responded in the other thread about this too. Does the first paragraph in the quote above describe what has happened to the eye?

I will search for a pic of an ulcerated eye to illustrate what it might look like.

Edited April 10, 2008 by PugRescueSydney

[Daxilly]

Pug Rescue Sydney,

I think you have hit the nail on the head!!

Went to the Vet this morning as the eye was not improving and I was concerned. They put her under a light sedative and gave the eye a good examination and flush out. There is nothing in the eye but when they put the green dye in, (sorry don't know the technical name) it showed a scratch, but nothing else. It was not there initially so may have been caused by her dew claw before we put the Elizabethan collar on.

I suspect from what the information you posted said, that she developed red eye from the irritation of the ointment we put on initially. She then scatched the eye. Both have caused the problem we have now.

The blepharitis was something I thought it could be as it looked like her eye. I shouldn't google!!! Knowledge without perspective is not helpful!!!My brother is a Doctor and he says he can always tell when patients have self diagnosed using google. Any time I get sick he tells me to stay off the Internet. This should apply to when our animals are sick as well.

The Vet has given her some more antibiotic ointment for the scatch, which hopefully she won't be allergic to.

Thanks for all your help! Hopefully things will improve over the next few days.

Edited April 11, 2008 by Daxilly

[~Anne~]

Ulceration is very common with eye injuries. With quick action there usually isn't any long term damage done. Sometimes some scarring may remain. Good to hear it is now diagnosed and treatment started.

When you say the scratch wasn't there initially... did they use the flourescent dye in the beginning? I thought a stick actually penetrated her eye??

[Daxilly]

Yes, they did use the green dye.

There was bleeding so we were concerned that it had punctured the eye. When we got to the Vet, there was no obvious injury apart from a some redness. All of the swelling and "red eye" occurred on the way home from the Vet. That is why we concluded it was the ointment as it reacted within one hour of application.

Sorry if it appeared as though the eye had been punctured, but thankfully it wasn't.

Her eye is now on the mend and is alot better than this morning.

Thanks.

[~Anne~]

Good news. Great to hear she is on the mend.