Red Eye Due To Corneal Ulcer or Irritation

What Is a Corneal Ulcer or Irritation?

Corneal irritation medical terms: corneal irritation (keratitis), corneal ulcer (ulcerative keratitis), exposure keratitis, Schirmer tear test, fluorescence dye

Corneal irritation, also called keratitis, occurs when cells covering the clear outer surface of the eye, the cornea, are irritated or become infected. Wind, dust particles, your pet’s own hair, bacteria and viruses can irritate the cornea. A corneal ulcer, also called ulcerative keratitis, occurs when a nonhealing sore develops in the clear cornea over the eye. Corneal irritation can progress to become a corneal ulcer if the eye isn’t treated.

What's the cornea?

The cornea is the first thing you see when you look into your pet’s eyes. It’s a clear layer over the front of the eyeball. The cornea is 5-7 cells thick and is made of epithelial cells, rather like the skin. Also like the skin, corneal cells grow rapidly and are replaced rapidly. It takes about a week for new corneal cells to completely replace damaged cells. No blood vessels grow in a healthy cornea; the cornea relies on tears to bring oxygen and nutrients and remove waste. The cornea has nerve fibers, so it is very sensitive.

We underappreciate the cornea because we never notice it, but we look through it each time we look into our pets’ eyes and see a colored iris and dark pupil.

Why is the cornea important?

The cornea is the part of the eye almost always affected by disease. For example, glaucoma, foreign bodies, infections within the eye (toxoplasmosis, herpes) or anywhere within the body, affect the cornea.

What’s good about a corneal irritation? What’s bad?

The good: A corneal irritation can heal within a week.

The bad: A corneal irritation is painful. Without treatment, an irritated cornea can become infected, ulcerate, and cause blindness.

What happens if dirt or a foreign body scratches the cornea?

Anything other than tears—grass awns, grit, eye lashes— that slides under the eyelids can scratch the cornea. Your pet’s eye may automatically respond by making tears to flush out the foreign material. And your pet may rub its eye because it hurts. The eye becomes inflamed and white blood cells rush to help out. While inflammation in many parts of the body is helpful, inflammation in the eye can cause permanent damage. Your veterinarian will work with you to stop the inflammation.

On your way to the veterinary clinic, soothe the eye with a cold, damp cloth or cool, moistened tea bag. If your pet is anxious, give a homeopathic anxiety medication, which will not interfere with any other medication your pet is taking, and will not interfere with an anesthetic—if that is necessary. We recommend HomeoPet Anxiety Relief for anxiety, and oral Traumeel, a homeopathic medication that stimulates the eye to immediately begin healing naturally.

What happens when the cornea becomes cloudy?

The cornea is normally clear because it is made of cells arranged in a neat, linear structure. When your pet’s cornea is damaged, the cell membranes lose the ability to keep out water and the cells swell and become cloudy. Corneal cells can absorb enough water to be 4 times their original thickness. Swollen and damaged cells may not be able to maintain their linear structure and the crisscrossing of new cells creates cloudy scarring. Inflammation of the cornea is called keratitis. If the inflammation doesn’t cause permanent damage, the cornea heals and remains clear. With permanent damage, the cornea may be scarred, covered with pigment, or infiltrated by blood vessels.

Pets with bulging eyeballs – exposure keratitis

If your pet’s eyelids don’t close over its eyes, the cornea can dry out leading to keratitis, inflammation of the cornea. Pets with flat noses and bulging eyes (brachycephalic) are predisposed to exposure keratitis.

Exposure keratitis is different from an eye infection or foreign body in the eye. Pets with exposure keratitis do not have red eyes, blink, or squint like pets with painful or infected eyes.

Work with your veterinarian to examine your pet’s eyes to make sure the lids close properly. Observe your pet while it sleeps. Even though the lids may close normally, they may not cover your pet’s eyes while it sleeps. Your veterinarian will also check that your pet makes enough tears. If your pet doesn’t make sufficient tears, your vet will treat it for dry eyes (KCS or keratoconjunctivitis sicca). For exposure keratitis, your veterinarian may recommend a topical lubricant such as LiquiTears.

If your pet rides in the car with its head out the window, protect its eyes with goggles.

Red eyes for other reasons

Corneal irritation is not the only cause of red eyes. Allergies also commonly cause red eyes. Rather than damaging the cornea, allergies stimulate inflammation in the conjunctiva, the thin mucous membrane on the inside of the eyelids. Conjunctivitis, like corneal irritation, responds to a cold, damp cloth, but for the inflammation to resolve, the pet needs an environment free of allergens. Because the allergens can be inhaled or ingested, work with your holistic veterinarian to determine the cause. The veterinarian may recommend a novel diet, Omega 3 fatty acids, an air filter, homeopathic eye drops, antihistamines, or topical steroids.

Who Gets Corneal Irritation or Corneal Ulcers

Pets who ride with their heads out the window in moving cars are at risk for developing corneal irritation. Working and hunting breeds who traverse through high brush and grass are at risk for corneal irritation and foreign bodies. The dogs and cats with flat noses and bulging eyes (brachycephalic) are predisposed to exposure keratitis because their eyelids don’t always protect their eyes completely. Examples of brachycephalic dogs are the Boxer, Bulldog, Pekingese, Boston Terrier, and Pug. Examples of cats with flat noses and bulging eyes are the Persian and Himalayan.

The articles here were answered by a variety of pharmacists and veterinarians   Date Category Topic 02/26/06  Eye Care  EYE IS CLOSED, LITTLE BIT OF DISCHARGE 02/26/06  Eye Care  EYE LOOKS SWOLLEN 02/22/06  Eye Care  EYE WON'T OPEN 02/14/06  Eye Care  ANTIBIOTIC 02/05/06  Eye Care  CONTINUES TO SQUINT 02/02/06  Eye Care  EYE COLD 01/18/06  Eye Care  PUG EYES 01/12/06  Allergy  EYES 01/08/06  Eye Care  COUDINESS OF EYE 12/27/05  Eye Care  GREEN MUCUS 10/24/05  Eye Care  SEVERE DRY EYE AFTER ULCER SKIN GRAFT 10/23/05  Allergy  RED EYE

 

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