Disorders of the eyes

Admin Posts : 154 Join date : 2014-06-28

Injuries to your dog's eyes usually result from objects in the environment such as sticks, weed seeds and cat claw scratches. Once in a while, your dog's eyes may be exposed to caustic or irritating household or garden chemicals.

Even his paws can injure his eye.

The major signs of an eye injury are pain and excessive secretion of tears. The dog will usually keep its eyelid closed tightly over the injured or inflamed eye.

If you are sure that some object or chemical irritant entered your pet's eyes, immediately flush the eyes with warm water or if you have it in your medicine cabine, a sterile ophthalmic irrigating solution such as Bausch and Lomb eye rinse. (contact lens solution)

If you see a foreign object protruding from between the eyelids don't remove it yourself, take the dog to a vet.

Admin Posts : 154 Join date : 2014-06-28

A frequent sequel to infection with the virus of infectious canine hepatitis is a sudden loss of clarity in one or both corneas. The corneas become milky blue. Even without therapy this cloudiness usually will clear within a few days. Your vet will most likely prescribe medication that will hasten this clearing.

Admin Posts : 154 Join date : 2014-06-28

The loss of clarity in the crystalline lens of the eye is called a cataract. Normally the substance of the crystalline lens is absolutely clear, and light passes unimpeded through the lens, to be focused on the retina at the back of the eye.

Two major types of cataracts are known:

juvenile and mature

The juvenile form usually occurs rather suddenly and prior to the eighth year of life. The mature form develops much more slowly and is usually seen in dogs at least 9 or 10 years old.

It is unusual for schnauzers to develop juvenile cataracts, but if they are see, your vet should be examined by a qualified vet, skilled in the treatment of eye diseases.

Unless there are secondary changes within the eyes, such as glaucoma, little need be done to treat mature cataracts. They are a result of the gracefully aging dog.

Admin Posts : 154 Join date : 2014-06-28

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is defined as an abnormal increase in the pressure within the eye. Each normal eye must have a fluid pressure slightly higher than that of the atmosphere to maintain the internal structures in their normal locations within the globelike eye. This fluid is normally secreted by specialized tissues within the eyes.

If anything acts to block the normal drainage of fluid from the eye, the pressure within that eye will increase. Then the eye will enlarge to accommodate the increased fluid volume and pressure. As this happens, delicate nerve tissues can suffer irreparable damage, and total blindness can ensue.

Glaucoma can be either acute or gradual, or chronic. The result is the same, but whereas the chronic form is painless the acute form is very painful.

An ophthalmologic examination should be part of each annual physical examination.