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Care Of The Eyes
In the general care of the eyes,
the only thing that the average dog owner can be advised to do is to
keep them clean. This can be done by washing them once a day with a
lukewarm solution of boric acid (made by dissolving one teaspoonful of
boric acid powder in a glass of hot water) or by the application of
boric-acid eye ointment direct to the eyeball. The care of any
significant eye diseases is strictly a job for the veterinarian. For
safety's sake, any injury to the eye should be considered an emergency
and the veterinarian should be contacted immediately. Professional
attention should be given even to very mild eye irritations that do not
readily respond to simple treatment with washings of boric-acid
solution or applications of boric-acid eye ointment. Eye conditions
are so complex that even the veterinarian occasionally has to solicit
the assistance of a human eye specialist in order to arrive at a
correct diagnosis and to determine a proper course of treatment. It is
apparent, therefore, that a detailed discussion of eye diseases would
be useless for the nonprofessional person. It would be well, however,
to describe briefly a couple of the simpler eye ailments in order to
give the reader at least a casual idea of what he may encounter.
Conjunctivitis
The membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the front of the eyeball
is called the conjunctiva. An inflammation of this membrane is called
conjunctivitis. Where only the eye itself is involved, the condition is
called a primary conjunctivitis.
Where the eye irritation is accompanied by another disease, such as
rabies or distemper, the condition is called a secondary
conjunctivitis. Mild forms of primary conjunctivitis are usually not
serious if given prompt attention. If the condition is neglected,
however, it often becomes increasingly resistant to treatment.
Conjunctivitis may be caused by infection, injury, dust or chemical
irritation, or, as indicated above, it may be a secondary symptom of
other primary conditions such as rabies, distemper, and many other
infectious or parasitic diseases. It also appears commonly as a
secondary symptom of various types of stomach upsets, and usually is
one of the first indications of any indisposition of the animal. That
is why the veterinarian always checks the eyes during a routine
examination.
Conjunctivitis is characterized by redness of the conjunctiva with an
accompanying eye discharge that may vary from a watery consistency to a
creamy accumulation of pus. The animal may rub the affected eye with
its paws, and this mechanical irritation will cause further swelling
and redness of the conjunctiva and the eyelids. There may be small
granular elevations on the conjunctiva, the appearance of a false
membrane, or occasionally deeper tissues may become involved.
Resistant and neglected cases may become chronic and lead to more
serious infections that may ultimately impair vision.
Conjunctivitis is treated mainly by the application of suitable
antiseptics and healing agents, either in liquid or ointment form.
Often the veterinarian will inject certain protein substances into the
body to assist in the healing process. These substances cause an
artificial increase in the production of white blood cells, and these
white blood cells are the good soldiers of the blood that help to fight
infection. In some cases, bacteriological examinations of the eye
discharge may be made in order to identify the causative organisms, and
then the specific drugs which can eradicate them may be applied. Such
wonder drugs as penicillin, aureomycin and terramycin
have proved very useful in these diseases. Where conjunctivitis is a
secondary complication, the elimination of the primary condition
usually results in the disappearance of the conjunctivitis.
Dislocated
Eyeball
In dogs, dislocation of the eyeball
is
an emergency. If the eyeball is
not replaced within a couple of hours, it will become dehydrated and
death of the eye tissue will be the unvarying result. When this
occurs, surgical removal of the eyeball is the only practical
alternative. Therefore, when eyeball dislocation takes place, immediate
veterinary treatment is imperative. If it should so happen that it is
impossible to get in touch with a veterinarian within two hours, the
owner will have to take the chance and attempt to replace the eyeball
himself. Usually this is not a difficult task, for most often the
eyeball can be made to slip back into its socket very easily.
Though dislocated eyeball is not
too uncommon in dogs generally, it is
encountered most frequently in breeds with bulging eyeballs, such as
the Boston Terrier and the Pekingese, because the combined factors of
large eyeball and shallow eye socket render these dogs anatomically
predisposed to eyeball
dislocation.
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Dislocated Eyeball in a
Pekingese
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Dislocation
of the eyeball is always due to injury. Much less force is
required to dislodge the eyeballs of Bostons or Pekingese than of the
other breeds. In any case, the diagnosis of the condition is obvious,
for the eyeball will be seen quite plainly to be dislodged from its
socket to a variable degree. If the veterinarian is not immediately
available, the eye should be washed continuously with a warm solution
of boric acid made as described above. This is done in order to retard
excessive dehydration of the eye tissues.
In the average case, the dislodged eyeball is easily replaced into its
socket by gentle pressure and manipulation. The eyeball is then
cleaned with boric-acid solution and flooded with boric-acid eye
ointment. The eye is closed and covered with clean gauze over which is
placed a pad of absorbent cotton; the eye is then bandaged snugly. The
bandage serves to protect the injured eyeball and to secure it in its
socket. The animal is now given a mild sedative such as an aspirin
tablet. The eye is cleaned and the bandage replaced daily for two or
three days. After this time, the bandage is removed altogether and
boric-acid eye ointment is applied two or three times daily until no
further evidence of eye inflammation is apparent.
Third Eyelid
and the Gland of Harder
On the inside corner of the eyeball
is a
membrane that is called the
third eyelid or the nictitating membrane. This third eyelid acts as the
windshield wiper of the eye by wiping away any foreign matter that may
find its way to the surface of the eyeball. It can be seen rather
easily when the animal repeatedly opens and closes its eyes.
Underneath this third eyelid is the Gland of Harder or, as it is
commonly called, the haw. The Gland of Harder is never seen unless it
is inflamed or tumefied. When it is so affected, it appears as an
unsightly, swollen protrusion at the inside corner of the lid. If the
swelling does not recede after a couple of days of
treatment with washings of boric-acid solution or applications of
boric-acid eye ointment, it is advsisable to have the veterinarian
remove it surgically. This is a rather simple operation.
Paralysis of the third eyelid is
quite common. In such cases, the
membrane is plainly visible as a sheet of tissue, sometimes covering as
much as half the front of the eyeball. It gives the dog an unsightly
appearance and is uncomfortable to the animal. Treatment consists in
surgical removal of the membrane by the veterinarian.
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An Inflamed Gland of Harder
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