Shih Tzu's eye
corneal ulcerations and injuries - what is a Descemetocoele?
Dr
Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
First written: 5 June, 2009
Updated:
24 August, 2010
A
corneal ulcer is painful and
animals with ulcers often squint
their eyes. It is wise to
consult your veterinarian
immediately as the ulcer may be
a deep one or an infected one.
When the animal continues to rub
its eye, the corneal ulcer
ruptures and the gelatinous
aqueous or vitreous substance
comes out.
The eyeball collapses and the
animal will have lost it vision.
When this happens, there is very
little the doctor can do except to
cut out the eyeball. If the
bacteria goes into the aqueous and
the vitreous, the eyeball becomes
infected and is very painful. This
infected eyeball may need to be
removed by surgery too. Hence, it is always important to
treat eye injuries as an
emergency and consult your
veterinarian.
In the case below, there is a deep
corneal ulcer. This was a
Descemetocoele but the dog kept
rubbing till there was bleeding
in the iris and blood and
aqueous leaked out from the
anterior chamber.
Eye injuries are emergencies.
Treatment by your vet in <24
hours will be best for your dog
but many Singapore Shih Tzu dog
owners procrastinate for several
days before seeking treatment.
Blood comes out from the
inside of the eye, as there
is bleeding in the anterior chamber
Under general anaesthesia,
the ulcer is very deep with
the Descemet Membrane
broken. Therefore this case
is not a Descemetocoele
tarsorrhaphy - eyelids sewn together.
Stitches will be removed in 10 - 14
days. Ulcer will heal but not 100%
depending on nursing care and extent
of the ulceration
Descemetocoele - a deep
corneal ulcer in which the Descemet Membrane bulges out of the
eye. In this case, the integrity of the Descemet Membrane had
been breached and is no longer a Descemetocoele
TOA
PAYOH VETS
