Common Canine and Feline Eye Diseases: Symptoms & Treat

Section 1: Abnormal Eyelash Growth and Ectropion of the Third Eyelid GlandEyelashes serve as a protective barrier for the eyes, typically growing along the eyelid margin and pointing outward. When the direction or position of eyelash growth changes, it is referred to as abnormal eyelash growth. Interestingly, cats do not have eyelashes, so this condition is more common in dogs, including conditions like entropion, superciliary, double eyelashes, and ectopic eyelashes.Symptoms:Abnormal eyelash growth can be congenital, often seen in breeds like St. Bernard, Golden Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, and Shih Tzu, where double eyelashes and superciliary eyelashes are common. Acquired factors, such as eyelid trauma, moderate entropion, eyelid spasms, or scar formation at the base of the eyelashes, can also lead to abnormal eyelash growth. Dogs with these issues may exhibit symptoms like excessive tearing, conjunctivitis, eyelid spasms, photophobia, and even keratitis, corneal opacity, and corneal ulcers. If a dog frequently scratches its eyes and appears anxious, it's essential for owners to examine their pet's eyes for signs of abnormal eyelash growth.Treatment:Most cases of abnormal eyelash growth do not require treatment unless they cause chronic keratitis or corneal ulcers. In such cases, surgical intervention is necessary to remove the abnormal eyelashes. After surgery, owners can use neomycin sulfate eye drops to aid in the recovery of their pet's eye health. These drops are effective in combating bacterial and fungal infections, which can occur due to eye ulcers, inflammation, or itching.Third eyelid gland prolapse, also known as "cherry eye," is primarily caused by glandular enlargement, leading the gland to extend beyond the third eyelid margin and onto the surface of the eye. This condition is more common in dogs, particularly in breeds like the Cocker Spaniel, Bichon Frise, Bulldog, and Shih Tzu. Enlargement is often due to excessive glandular secretion. Inflammation of the eyelid, conjunctiva, tarsal glands, and cornea can also lead to third eyelid gland prolapse. If left untreated, it can cause conjunctivitis, keratitis, and even vision loss. Surgery is typically required to remove the prolapsed gland, and antibiotic eye drops can be used to treat inflammation if the prolapse is caused by infection.Section 2: Entropion and EctropionEntropion refers to the inward rolling of the eyelid margin towards the eye. It can affect one or both eyelids and may occur in one or both eyes. In dogs and cats, entropion can cause eyelashes to irritate the conjunctiva and cornea, leading to excessive tearing, conjunctivitis, and potentially keratitis and corneal ulcers. breeds like the Shar Pei and Tibetan Mastiff are more prone to this condition.Most cases of entropion are congenital, resulting from small eyes or eyelash abnormalities. Conditions like foreign bodies, conjunctivitis, keratitis, corneal abrasions, and eyelash inversion can also cause entropion, usually in one eyelid. Eye socket fat loss or cheek muscle atrophy, which can lead to enophthalmos, can also trigger entropion. Chronic conjunctivitis or scarring after conjunctival surgery can also cause entropion.Entropion Symptoms and Treatment:The clinical signs of entropion include one or both eyelids rolling inward, causing eyelashes and eyelid skin to constantly irritate the conjunctiva, cornea, and eye. This can lead to excessive tearing, eyelid spasms, conjunctival congestion, and potentially secondary conjunctivitis or keratitis. If left untreated, dogs and cats may develop corneal vascularization and ulcers. If entropion is detected, owners should seek veterinary care promptly for diagnosis and surgical treatment. After surgery, a Elizabethan collar should be used to prevent the pet from scratching its eyes. The incision site can typically be sutured within 1014 days postsurgery.Ectropion Symptoms and Treatment:Ectropion is an abnormal outward flip of the eyelid, most commonly seen in the lower eyelid, particularly in breeds like the St. Bernard, Cocker Spaniel, and Newfoundland. As the eyelid margin moves away from the eye surface, the cornea becomes exposed, leading to symptoms like conjunctival congestion, swelling, redness, and tearing. The conjunctiva may also accumulate exudate, become rough, or thicken. Incomplete eyelid closure can lead to pigmented conjunctivitis, keratitis, or vision impairment. If medical treatment fails or keratitis and conjunctivitis occur, surgical intervention may be necessary.Section 3: Blepharitis and Meibomian GlanditisBlepharitis is inflammation of the eyelid tissue, often accompanied by conjunctivitis and meibomian glanditis. When the eyelid margin or edge is stimulated mechanically or chemically, the meibomian glands and tarsal glands may overproduce secretions, potentially leading to bacterial or fungal infections and subsequent blepharitis.Symptoms:Acute bacterial infections are a common cause of blepharitis, with symptoms like red, swollen eyelid margins and yellow crusts. After the crusts fall off, small pustules can be seen at the base of the eyelashes. When the inflammation spreads to the conjunctiva and meibomian glands, the eyelid conjunctiva may become congested and swollen, with small grayishyellow pustules appearing on the margin of the eyelid conjunctiva, and purulent discharge may be secreted from the inner corner of the eye.Treatment:The primary treatment for blepharitis is to eliminate the source of infection and then perform local antiinflammatory treatment. Owners can clean the eyelid margin of their pets with physiological saline to remove crusts and scales, cleaning twice or three times a day. Antibiotics can also be administered to combat bacterial and fungal infections.Meibomian glanditis, also known as hordeolum, is usually caused by the invasion of staphylococcus aureus into the eyelash follicle. It is a suppurative inflammation of the eyelid margin and tarsal glands. The main symptoms are redness and swelling of the eyelid margin, with a firm lump. External hordeolum appears as a painful, painful pustule on the outer eyelid margin, while internal hordeolum has a smaller lump and a small white pustule at the base of the tarsal gland. Pain is more pronounced. The abscess usually matures within four to seven days, with a yellowishwhite pustule appearing, which can spontaneously burst and discharge pus. In severe cases, it can cause orbital cellulitis or sepsis. In the early stages of hordeolum, owners can apply heat to the pet's eyes and use antibiotic eye drops, which may improve the condition. However, if the condition is severe, surgical treatment may be required. Owners should never squeeze the hordeolum on their pet's eyes, as this can lead to orbital cellulitis or sepsis.Section 4: Conjunctivitis and KeratitisConjunctivitis occurs when the conjunctiva is stimulated or infected by external factors. This condition can lead to inflammation and discomfort in the eyes.Symptoms:The symptoms of conjunctivitis in dogs and cats include photophobia, excessive tearing, conjunctival congestion, and pain. The causes of conjunctivitis include mechanical irritation, infectious factors, diseases of adjacent tissues, and allergic reactions. Early symptoms of conjunctivitis are catarrhal conjunctivitis, with conjunctival congestion and a large amount of serous or serousmucoid discharge. If it progresses to purulent conjunctivitis, there will be a large amount of purulent discharge in the eyes, and the upper and lower eyelids may stick together, leading to corneal opacity and conjunctival dermatitis.Treatment:The treatment principle for conjunctivitis is antiinfection and inflammation. During treatment, dogs and cats should be kept in a dark environment. In the early stages, antibiotic eye drops like neomycin sulfate can be used to effectively kill and inhibit the infection of bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis that cause eye inflammation.Allergic conjunctivitis can be treated with hydrocortisone acetate eye drops, a corticosteroid medication with antiinflammatory and antiallergic effects. It can cool and soothe pain and redness caused by eye problems, relieve symptoms such as eye inflammation, itching, and iris discoloration in dogs and cats.Chlorphenamine maleate tablets can effectively treat allergic conjunctivitis and keratitis, quickly relieve itching and desensitize. It can relieve symptoms such as conjunctival congestion, lacrimation, and aversion to light in dogs and cats with eye allergies.Keratitis occurs when the cornea is inflamed due to viral infection, injury, chemical irritation, or other factors. The typical symptoms include photophobia, persistent tearing, eye pain, eyelid closure, corneal opacity, and corneal ulcers, with the potential for corneal perforation. Keratitis can be classified into traumatic, superficial, chronic superficial, stromal, and ulcerative types, with different symptoms depending on the nature of the keratitis and the extent of corneal damage.The treatment for keratitis involves removing the cause of the inflammation, such as praziquantel tablets for keratitis caused by schistosomiasis or eye flukes. This broadspectrum antiparasitic drug can effectively kill schistosomes, flukes, and tapeworms, and alleviate symptoms of keratitis.Dog and cat eye diseases can cause significant damage to their eyes and vision. Therefore, pet owners should take good care of their pets' eyes, prevent eye injuries, and consider using appropriate eye drops to help clean their pets' eyes regularly. If you have any other questions about dog and cat eye diseases, you can consult an online veterinary doctor.