Eyemergencies in our

dogs and catsBy Dr. Emily Credit

General disclaimer

This presentation does contain pictures of unhealthy

eyes…

What we’ll be talking about today

Anatomy and physiology of the eye

Corneal ulcers

Anterior Uveitis

Glaucoma

Retinal detachment

Anatomy of the eye

Tapetum Lucidum

Corneal ulcers/scratches

Common causes

Trauma/foreign bodies/chemicals

Viral infections in cats

Eyelid or eyelash abnormalities

Common Clinical signs

Squinting/pain

Tearing

Eye discharge

Rubbing face on carpet or furniture

Two differently sized pupils

What you see:

What we see:

Treatment

Uncomplicated eye ulcers

Triple antibiotic (NeoPolyBac) every 4 hours for 7 days

+/- Atropine

Complicated eye ulcers

By mouth antibiotics

Serum

Grid keratotomy/eye ulcer debridement

Consult with an ophthalmologist/surgery

Anterior Uveitis

What is the Uvea?

The Uvea of the eye is made up of 3 structures- The iris,

ciliary body, choroid

Vascular portion of the eye

What is anterior uveitis

Inflammation (itis) of the vascular portion (uvea) of the

eye

Clinical signs are seen in the anterior chamber

What to watch for!

Common clinical signs

Corneal edema

Increased blood vessels

Hypopyon

Hyphema

Rubeosis iridis

What we see

Fluorescein stain- Negative

Intraocular pressures- low

Aqueous flare

Scattering of light when a slit beam of light is directed at

an angle towards the iris

Cause- Irregularly high protein levels and inflammatory

cells in the anterior chamber

Aqueous flare

Normal Abnormal

What causes it?

Systemic disease

Infectious

Fungal

Protazola

Algal

Immune mediated

Uveodermatologic syndrome

Cancer

Lymphoma

Multiplemyeloma

Cardiovascular

Systemic hypertension

Jackson Johnson

Retinal detachment/collie eye anomaly

Treatment

Pain management/supportive care

Diagnose and treat underlying disease

They may not all be treatable…

??Jackson Johnson

Glaucoma!

What is it?

Abnormally high pressures in the eye

Why does it happen

The outflow track of aqueous humor (fluid portion of the

eye) is blocked

Too much fluid is produced

Who’s blocking whom?

Causes of glaucoma

Primary

Genetic predisposition

Cocker Spaniel

Chow

Siberian husky

Sharpei

Bassett hound

Boston Terrior

Secondary

**Chronic anterior uveitis

Advanced cataracts

Lens luxation or subluxation

Chronic retinal detachment

Iris cyst

Bailey Combs

ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!

Clinical signs

Anterior uveitis

Corneal edema

Increased blood vessels

Hypopyon

Hyphema

Iridis

Aqueous flare

Tearing

Dilated pupil

Bupthalmia

unilateral or bilateral

Blindness

Lethargy, decreased appetite

Gizmo Credit

Damage done

Permanent blindness

Damage to the optic nerve

Retinal detachment

Eye rupture…

Treatment

Medications

Latanaprost (Xalatan®), Bimatoprost (Lumigan®)

Dorzolamide (Trusopt®)

Timolol (Timoptic®)

Dorzolamide / Timolol combination (CoSopt®)

Treat underlying disease

Enucleation

Retinal detachment

What is it?

Retinal detachment is the sudden, or slowly progressive separation of the retina (vision center) from the back of the eye

Causes

Hypertension (CATS!)

Kidney disease, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes (rare)

Cataracts (Progressive retinal atrophy/detachment)

Lens luxation (causes glaucoma retinal detachment)

Collie eye anomaly (retinal dysplasia)

Neoplasia ( Glaucoma)

Sudden Retinal Detachment Syndrome

Retinal detachment

Rorschach Credit

Treatment

Treat underlying condition

Get blood pressure down

Treat hyperthyroidism

Treat kidney disease

Questions?