Ophthalmology and Dermatology for pets where minimizing tissue damage leads to quicker healing and less discomfort:
Corneal Ulcers in Pets:
Definition: A corneal ulcer involves a loss of tissue in the transparent covering (cornea) of the eye.
Causes: These ulcers can result from trauma (such as bumps or scratches), foreign bodies, or abnormal eyelashes (distichia or ectopic cilia).
Risk Factors: Breeds with short faces and prominent eyes (like pugs, bulldogs, and Boston terriers) are at greater risk due to increased corneal exposure and decreased sensitivity.
Treatment:
Superficial Ulcers: These involve loss of tissue in the outermost layer (epithelium) of the cornea. They are treated with topical antibiotics, artificial tears, oral analgesics, and sometimes atropine. Large superficial ulcers typically heal in five to seven days with minimal scarring.
Indolent Ulcers: Some superficial ulcers (called indolent ulcers) do not heal within a week. These chronic ulcers may take months to heal. The cause is not fully understood, but abnormal layers in the corneal stroma may prevent normal adhesion of the epithelium.
Healing Process:
Surrounding epithelial cells spread out to cover the ulcer bed.
The adhered epithelial sheet replicates to form a new, strong epithelial layer.
Takeaway: Minimizing tissue damage in corneal ulcers leads to faster healing and less discomfort for our furry friends1.