Overview
Keratitis is mainly characterized by corneal tissue lesions, which are characterized by corneal opacity, neovascularization around the cornea or ciliary body congestion, fibrous deposition in the anterior chamber, corneal ulcer, perforation, and corneal macula.
Causes of Keratitis in Dogs
It is often caused by trauma (stabbing by sharp objects, fighting between pets, etc.) or foreign bodies entering the eye. It can be induced by corneal exposure, bacterial infection, nutritional disorders, and the spread of adjacent tissue lesions. Keratitis can occur in the course of some infectious diseases (distemper, canine hepatitis, etc.).
Keratitis Symptoms
Superficial keratitis is common in clinical practice, which is usually caused by direct stimulation of the cornea by foreign factors. Corneal surface opacity and dendritic neovascularization were observed. Deep keratitis is mostly caused by intraocular infection. It can be seen in the course of diseases such as prepigmentis, canine distemper, canine infectious hepatitis, systemic fungal infection, and so on. It is manifested as corneal opacity and thickening, with few branches of neovascularization and a fine broom shape. In ulcerative keratitis, the cornea is ulcerated. Pain in the affected eye resulted in blepharospasm, corneal edema, irregular surface, superficial vascularization, pain, and tearing. The ulcers deep into the stromal layer were mostly round or oval in shape, with gray-white margins due to leukocyte infiltration, and were prone to descemet's membrane protrusion and corneal perforation, accompanied by a large amount of serous mucopurulent secretion.
Diagnostic criteria for Keratitis in Dogs
It can be diagnosed by clinical symptoms and laboratory tests.
Keratitis Treatment
The first step in treatment is to identify and remove the cause of the disease. In the acute phase, when the cornea has not yet appeared suppuration, ulceration, and perforation, chloramphenicol eye drops and cortisone acetate eye drops were alternately used, 3 to 5 times a day. Systemic therapy was also performed. Symptomatic treatment was performed and 5% glucose saline was given intravenously if necessary to improve systemic symptoms and increase animal resistance. Such as keratitis secondary bacterial infection, suppuration, ulceration, or even perforation, with penicillin 80,000 units, 0.5 ml of normal saline mixed after eye drops, 3 to 5 times a day, while systemic treatment.
