Mechanical damage to the eye in a dog. Types of eye injuries in dogs and how to treat them

Dogs often get eye injuries. This may be the result of a walk in a field with tall, tough grass or in a forest when the dog, in the excitement of hunting, does not notice a twig or branch, fights with relatives or cats, car accidents or other accidents.

Eye injuries can be superficial (corneal injury) or penetrating. Corneal injuries occur more frequently and, if no corneal perforation occurs, have a better prognosis. The most common cause of corneal injury is cat scratches.

Blunt trauma to the eye, in which the traumatic object does not penetrate the eye itself, can lead to prolapse of the eyeball, bleeding into the anterior chamber of the eye (hephema), dislocation of the lens, detachment of the retina, fracture of the bones of the orbit, rupture of the eyeball.

Acute eye injury occurs when pierced by a sharp object (cat's claw, thorn, knot, sharp toys, etc.). Such an injury is accompanied by lacerations of the eyelids, conjunctiva, sclera, penetrating wound of the cornea, hephema, lens displacement, etc.

An animal can get an eye injury at any age, but puppies and young dogs are more likely to suffer eye damage, as they are more active and less careful. Also at risk are dogs of brachycephalic breeds with large bulging eyes (pugs, French bulldogs, Pekingese, etc.).

signs

With a minor eye injury in a dog, the owner may notice:

anxiety (the dog rubs the injured eye with its paw);
blepharospasm (the dog squints one or both eyes);
minor bleeding;
clouding of the cornea;
fallout of the third century;
injury to surrounding tissues.

For serious eye injury:

obvious severe pain (the dog does not allow to touch the head, muzzle);
change in eye color;
protrusion of the eye;
mucous or bloody discharge from the eye;
lethargy, refusal to feed.

If there are any signs that suggest an eye injury, it is necessary to take the dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible!

Diagnostics

When making a diagnosis, the doctor takes into account the data of the anamnesis and physical examination. This is especially important in case of blunt trauma to the eye, since, in addition to the eye, the vital organs of the animal can be seriously injured (for example, in a car accident or other strong blow). Chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound may be recommended. The presence of signs of trauma to the facial region (orbit, nose, oral cavity) is assessed. An x-ray of the head may be required.

A complete ophthalmic examination is performed and a fluorescein test is performed to detect corneal defects. If necessary - ultrasound of the eye. Due to severe pain, the patient may need to be sedated for an examination if the action of local anesthetics is not enough.

If a traumatic brain injury is suspected, a neurological examination is performed.

Additionally, a CT or MRI of the head may be required.

Treatment

If an eye injury is suspected, the dog should be taken to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible. The dog is experiencing severe pain and discomfort, do not try to examine or treat the injured eye yourself. Before examination by a doctor, it is necessary to protect the dog's eye from additional injury (protective collar). Do not use any eye preparations without a doctor's prescription. For corneal wounds, any additional exposure to the head, neck, or eye area may result in rupture of the cornea.

The visual system is one of the most important and vulnerable in the human and animal body. Good vision is important for almost all mammals, with the exception of mole rats, moles and similar animals, which spend most of their lives underground. Therefore, an eye injury in a dog is a reason for an urgent appeal to a veterinary clinic.

In most cases, important components of the eye are injured: the eyelid, cornea and sclera. The most dangerous damage to the last two "components", since in this case there is a high risk. In general, the sclera and cornea have a fairly high degree of mechanical strength, but still they are far from bone hardness. Therefore, if a foreign body enters the eye, a non-penetrating (at best) wound may occur.

In medicine or veterinary medicine, this term refers to a situation where a wound channel or a foreign body, even if it captures the surface of the cornea (that is, there is penetration into the eye), does not affect the deeper layers. A penetrating wound, respectively, is much more dangerous, since in this case the wound channel or foreign matter reaches deep tissues. It goes without saying that in this case the risk of developing blindness (or even losing an eye) is much higher. Such damage is easily inflicted by cat claws.

There are also wounds simple and complex, complicated and uncomplicated. A complicated wound involves extensive damage to the sclera, cornea, and other parts of the eyeball. Most often, it is precisely such injuries that lead to the need for surgical removal of what is left of the eye as a result of strong mechanical impact. Worst of all, when the choroid of the eyeball is damaged. At the same time, some kind of infection may be introduced there, as a result of which it will develop (inflammation of the choroid). This is a rather dangerous pathology. If the dog was not at all lucky, and she had damaged lens, then with vision in one eye, the animal can say goodbye for sure.

Read also: Conjunctivitis in dogs - signs and first aid

Note that even comparatively A “harmless” eyelid injury can lead to serious consequences, since the focus of inflammation (if any) will be located in close proximity to the brain, and you should not forget about the danger of the transition of the pathological process to the deep layers of the eyeball. In addition, all pathologies of the choroid are fraught with the development of glaucoma and the risk of increased intraocular pressure. All these violations have an extremely negative effect on the visual acuity of the dog.

Predisposing factors

Most often, eye injuries occur when the following predisposing factors act on it:

If a dog chasing cats over thickets of bushes. Sticking branches are a serious danger to the eyes (and not only in the case of dogs).

On New Year's Eve, animals often come to the reception, affected from explosions of firecrackers. Completely unlucky dogs receive fireworks right in the eye, which in many cases ends in blindness.

Hunting and service dogs are always at risk, because during work, branches, dry stubble from grass, leaves, sand, etc. often get into their eyes. It is especially difficult for the eyelids of these animals: scratches and small wounds occur there all the time (especially during the hunting season). Keep in mind that a simple tetracycline ointment in this case can only slightly muffle the symptoms. If you do not go to the clinic, your pet is at risk of becoming a one-eyed dog!

Young, excitable and overly nervous dogs often injure their own eyes. during violent play or "fights" with other animals.

Of course, fighting dogs, as well as dogs "oriented" to protection, also have an increased chance of eye injuries.

Symptoms and diagnosis

The main sign of mechanical damage to the eye is the suddenness of its appearance. He , eyelids and swell, the dog constantly puts a paw to the eyes. It is not uncommon for blood to “leak” from there. In some cases (subconjunctival hematoma), it remains in the tissues of the eyeball, causing the latter to swell and increase dramatically in volume. In the presence of a foreign body, it can often be detected visually. If this “body” sticks out of the eye at all (grass stubble stuck in), then it can be very difficult to miss it.

Read also: Impetigo in dogs: the essence of the disease and methods of treatment

You need to be careful when pupil does not respond to light, it has an irregular shape, or it contracts too slowly in the light. All this points to the fact that the injury was much more serious than first thought. Extremely dangerous in any case. darkening of the surface of the eyeball, as well as situations when it begins to protrude beyond the orbit. Any of these symptoms may indicate severe consequences of the injury, including contamination of tissues with pathogenic microflora. In all these cases, the treatment of eye injury should be started immediately, using the most modern and effective drugs.

High-quality diagnostics for any eye injury is extremely important, since the safety of the dog's vision depends on the timeliness of treatment. The speed and adequacy of the reaction to light is determined, a visual examination of the affected eye is performed. It is very important to check if the dog can follow one or more objects with his eyes: this simple test helps to determine whether the eye muscles are inflamed (which directly indicates an infected injury), whether the injury has affected the basic, unconditioned reflexes of the animal. If the cause of the animal's condition is in a foreign body that has entered the eye, it is necessary to carefully determine the depth of its occurrence and the potential danger to maintaining the integrity of the organ.

Therapeutic methods

The course of treatment will depend on the severity of the wound and the location of the injury. If the wound is classified as non-penetrating, there are no noticeable signs of inflammation, and the appearance of the damage does not cause concern, you can get by with a surgical collar and the appointment of antiseptic ointments. Also appointed drops, compresses soaked in antiseptic agents will not interfere. In cases where there is suspicion of bacterial contamination of the wound, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents are prescribed.

Sapgir Anastasia Grigorievna
ophthalmologist

Traumatic injuries

Traumatic eye injuries are a very serious problem, in the worst case they can lead to blindness or loss of an eye. Therefore, as a rule, a pet with eye damage needs urgent qualified help.

No one is safe from injury, but there is a risk group.
Cats walking on the street, brachiocephalic (due to anatomical features) and hunting (due to lifestyle) breeds of dogs.

How do our patients most often get injured?
Playing with relatives, in a fight, on a walk (sharp cut grass, plant seeds that have fallen into the conjunctiva, thickets and branches), playing with children.

What symptoms should alert you?
After communicating with other animals, after a walk, or just unexpectedly, the pet suddenly squinted or closed its eyes (blepharospasm), profuse lacrimation or purulent discharge began from the eye, an unevenness appeared on the shiny surface of the cornea.

As a rule, one eye is injured, if both are affected, first of all, it will be necessary to look for the infectious / viral nature of the disease.

What to do?
Try to show your pet to an ophthalmologist as soon as possible, as there is a real danger of losing an eye. Small dog breeds can show signs of general depression, which is most often associated with the pain that accompanies the injury.

Before the doctor, you can: if there is leakage, rinse the eye and conjunctiva, for this you can use ordinary boiled water, a solution of furacilin (1 tab. per glass of boiled water). You can also use drops with an antibiotic, for example, Tsipromed, Tobrex, Normaks, Bars, Gentamicin eye drops, depending on the size of the animal, from 1 to 3 drops in the eye 4-6 times a day.
Drops should contain only an antibiotic or antiseptic component.
The use of Albucid is undesirable, because. these drops cause very strong burning and irritation.

The use of eye drops containing corticosteroid hormones (prednisolone, dexamethasone) without a doctor's prescription is strictly prohibited!

When examining a doctor, it is necessary to diagnose the injury visually and with the help of a special solution (fluorescein), which stains the lesions.
Depending on the nature of the damage, its size, the condition of the cornea and other eye structures, the time elapsed since the injury, the doctor prescribes conservative (drops) or surgical treatment.

Eye redness

If the proteins of the eyeball, usually white, turn red, this may indicate an increase in both intraocular and general pressure, an inflammatory process. Perhaps the injury went unnoticed, and we see a hematoma. Any of the options requires diagnosis, and if it turns out that the redness of the eye structures was a sign of an allergic reaction, then consider that you got off lightly. All other violations require emergency therapeutic measures, because if this is an increase in intraocular pressure, then there is a risk of losing an eye, and if it is a hematoma, then the task is to prevent the development of blindness. It is necessary to exclude hematomas (hemorrhages) in the fundus, check the safety of all intraocular structures, and assess the neurological status of the animal as a whole.

The use of non-specific treatment in this case does not make sense.

Purulent discharge

Sudden onset of purulent discharge from the eyes and / or itching may be a sign of an acute inflammatory reaction, an injury unnoticed in time, the presence of a foreign body in the conjunctiva, or a systemic disease. You can wash the eye as described above, apply drops with an antibiotic, but to find out the cause, you should immediately see an ophthalmologist, since there is a significant difference between the treatment of a mechanical problem (trauma, foreign body) and the treatment of a viral infection that led to inflammatory symptoms.

Enlargement of one eye

A sudden increase in one eye (sometimes two) is also a reason to see a doctor as soon as possible, as it may indicate an increase in intraocular pressure, which in turn develops for a variety of reasons, ranging from an inflammatory process inside the eye and dislocation of the lens, ending with chronic renal failure (CHP). In addition, it is possible that the other eye is reduced and ill. It is necessary to measure intraocular pressure, examine the fundus, and possibly conduct a blood test if the doctor at the appointment finds signs of a systemic problem, a reflection of which was an increase in intraocular pressure. Before contacting a doctor, you do not need to use any medications and drops, again due to the variety of reasons that provoked the problem.

Eyeball prolapse

Eyeball prolapse is a common reason for owners to treat brachiocephalic dogs, the anatomical features of which are a flattened muzzle, a very wide palpebral fissure, and eyes that seem to “bulge out”.
What to do?
First, don't panic.
Secondly, constantly moisturize the dropped eye, this can be done with water, preferably boiled, but if it is not available, then use any. Place a gauze bandage over the eye and keep it moist, do not allow the bandage to dry out. Also, to moisturize and retain moisture, you can thickly apply antibiotic eye ointments to it - for example, tetracycline, colbiocin, floxal.
After you have taken care of this, you must URGENTLY contact the clinic. In this case, you do not have to wait for an ophthalmologist, if he is out of the access area, an experienced enough surgeon who can set the eye into place, under general anesthesia.

A red swelling appeared in the inner corner of the eye.

Contrary to popular belief, this, as a rule, is not a tumor, not an adenoma of the 3rd century, which is quite rare, but a prolapse of the Garder gland, which is necessary for the eye to produce tears (according to various sources, the Gardner gland accounts for up to 40% produced tears).
It must be set, not removed, because with a lack of tears, a “dry eye syndrome” develops over time, which will then have to be treated for a lifetime. If everything is left as it is, it is likely that the development of a corneal ulcer at the site of its contact with the gland and / or conjunctivitis, keratitis. Antibiotic drops can be used before seeing a doctor. But the faster the gland is set, the more likely is successful drug treatment, since prolapse often occurs against the background of acute inflammation of the conjunctiva. If conservative treatment does not bring the desired result, surgical fixation of the gland is performed.

Health to you and your pets!

Dogs are extremely curious and love to play. Even extremely calm dogs sometimes get scratches and other injuries. This can happen while playing, wading through bushes, or simply digging holes. Eye injuries in dogs are a fairly common problem.

More often than other injuries, eye injuries require immediate attention to a veterinary ophthalmologist.
You, as a dog owner, need to be aware of the types of dog eye wounds and what to do in different cases.

Symptoms of damage to the dog's eyes

Some symptoms of visual impairment indicate problems with the eyes themselves, but it is not always about injuries. There are many eye diseases. Signs of dysfunction can occur in one or both eyes. If your dog has vision problems due to injury or other causes, you may experience the following symptoms:

Dog squints or has eyelid twitching
The dog can't open his eyes
Dog rubs eyes on objects or paw
Excessive lacrimation
Dog blinks fast
Yellow or green discharge from the eyes
Bloodshot eyes or redness of the white part (conjunctiva) of the eye
Redness of the mucous membrane around the eye
Blurred or discolored eyes
Photophobia, hypersensitivity to light
Prolonged dilation, prolonged constriction of the pupil, or other abnormal condition
Asymmetrical looking eyes
Swelling of the eye
sunken eyes
Bleeding from the eye area

If you find one or more signs in your pet, we recommend that you contact your veterinary ophthalmologist.

Sometimes eye conditions in dogs can be more severe than they first appear. The disease can develop very quickly, usually eye damage is quite painful.

Don't risk your dog's eyesight and leave him in pain - see your veterinarian!

Types of Dog Eye Injuries

Eye injuries occur when an object comes into contact with a dog's eye and injures it. Eye injuries occur after a fight or "quarrel" with another dog. An animal bite, a cat's claw, a horse's hoof strike can easily cause eye injury.

Many things in nature can cause eye injury: twigs, insect bites, dirt are just a few causes of eye injury in dogs. Dogs that stick their head out of the window of a moving car can get hurt by specks that get in their eyes at speed.

Chemicals sprayed around your dog can also cause eye injury. Your dog may hit something or be hurt by a sharp object (furniture corners, fence, fishhook, tools, etc.), injuring his eyes. There are many other dangers that can damage an animal's eyes - fireworks, hot coals, and so on. A dog can injure his eyes by scratching his head with his paws or other objects.

Eye injuries can be moderate or severe. One or both eyes may be affected. You can't always see how bad an injury is just by looking at a dog's eyes.

Most Common Dog Eye Injuries

Damage to the cornea of the eye - a cut or scratch on the surface of the eye
Corneal ulcers - from chemicals or motes, or secondary if the dog scratches the eyes
Punctures - often from teeth, fangs, or foreign objects
Eyelid rupture - happens if the dog's eye runs into some object
Exophthalmos - prolapse of the dog's eye from the orbit; most common in brachycephalic (flat-faced dogs) such as pugs and Shih Tzu

Treatment of dog eye injuries

If you think your dog has an eye injury, see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

Do not attempt to treat your eyes yourself at home unless you have been instructed to do so by your veterinarian.
As a first aid for eye injuries Maybe you will need to rinse the eye or apply a cold compress. Do this only if your veterinarian has advised you to do so!
Since the damaged eye is most likely to cause pain to the dog, you need to be very careful when doing something in the eye area. It's better if someone from home helps you
Use sterile saline solution to flush the eye. Do not use contact lens solution or any medical/veterinary drug
Go to a place where you have good access to the dog. If the dog is not large, it will be better to place it on the table
Wrap the towel around the dog. One person should hold the dog with one arm around the body and the other around the head. Be careful not to put pressure on the neck area. Hold the dog's eye open with one hand while directing a jet of water into the injured eye with the other hand. Use a small towel to wipe up the saline solution leaking from your eye
Take your dog to a veterinary ophthalmologist.

The doctor will begin by asking about the circumstances of the injury and looking for possible causes. Then he will examine the injured eye and assess the health of the animal.

Several eye tests may be done, such as assessing the level of lacrimation, eye staining to detect ulcers or wounds, and measuring intraocular pressure. The veterinarian will advise treatment depending on the diagnosis and the condition of the eyes. It can be as simple as a solution in the form of special veterinary eye drops, or surgery. Some eye injuries are so severe that surgical removal of the eye (enucleation) may be required. In some cases, the eye may be saved, but the dog will remain blind.

If your dog is being treated with medication, it is extremely important to strictly follow the doctor's orders!
If multiple medications are prescribed to be applied to the eyes, wait at least 5 minutes between applications of different medications
If you have been prescribed eye ointment and drops, use the drops first
Do not skip or delay the next dose of the drug

Most dogs with eye injuries need to wear a medical collar (the infamous cone) during eye recovery.

This is an important part of the treatment and should not be ignored! This collar will not allow the dog to injure himself. The collar must be worn at all times, unless the doctor makes an exception.

No matter how much a dog dislikes a collar, it's still better than a lost eye!

How to Prevent Dog Eye Injuries

Accidents do happen, but here are a few tips to help minimize their chances:

Avoid fights with other dogs
If a dog lives with a cat, make an effort so that they exist peacefully with each other.
Walk your dog on a leash
Don't let your dog stick its head out the car window
Keep your dog away from chemicals and don't use them around your dog

At the first sign of injury to your dog's eye, contact your veterinarian. Remember that a visually minor injury can actually lead to severe consequences for a dog's vision if left untreated!