Corneal ulcers - Dog, cat, NAC | Agoravet Strasbourg

Corneal ulcers in dogs and cats

The corneal ulcers are lesions of the cornea, the transparent surface of the eye, which can be painful and potentially serious if not treated promptly. In dogs and cats, these conditions are common and require accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment to avoid complications that can lead to loss of vision.

Cat with eye ulcer - AgoraVet Strasbourg

Causes and symptoms of corneal ulcers

What causes corneal ulcers?

Ulcers can have several origins:

Trauma (scratches, bumps, foreign bodies)

Dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)

Bacterial or viral infections (such as feline herpes virus in cats)

Eyelid abnormalities (entropion, distichiasis, ectopic eyelashes rubbing against the cornea)

Healing defects (indolent ulcers)

Some corneal ulcers can be complicated by keratomalacia, a purulent melting of the cornea, which can spread to the entire cornea and lead to permanent loss of the eye.

What are the signs of a corneal ulcer?

An animal suffering from a corneal ulcer may present :

A red, painful eye
Excessive watering
Increased sensitivity to light
Frequent blinking or keeping the eye closed
Loss of corneal transparency (white or bluish appearance)

In certain brachycephalic breeds, a corneal ulcer can worsen in a matter of hours, rapidly progressing to perforation, a particularly serious complication requiring emergency treatment.

Surgical management of corneal ulcers

conjunctival graft veterinary ulcer — Comparison of different surgical techniques for treating corneal ulcers in veterinary ophthalmology

Treatment of corneal ulcers depends on their type and severity. When a patient is referred to us, it's usually because the medical treatment already in place has been unable to bring about healing. In the majority of cases, the ulcers we treat are already advanced or complicated, requiring surgical treatment to avoid irreversible complications, such as corneal perforation or loss of the eye.

Surgery removes the infected or atonic portion of the cornea(superficial keratectomy) and, if necessary, restores the eye's integrity with a corneal graft (2 & 3) or conjunctival flap (1).

At Agoravet, we are committed to offering the best possible chance of visual recovery, with the emphasis on transparent corneal grafting techniques that preserve the animal's vision as much as possible.