Eye disease. Blepharitis in domestic animals.
Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids. The disease is quite common in dogs, some breeds are especially predisposed to it (bulldogs, mastiffs, labradors, rottweilers, pugs and some others).
Causes of illness
The causes of the disease may be the following factors:
congenital anomalies of the structure of the auxiliary apparatus of the eyes (volvulus, trichiasis);
tumors, injuries;
allergic reactions;
parasitic invasions (demodicosis);
infection with a bacterial or fungal infection.
Clinical manifestation
Blepharitis in dogs occurs most often chronically, with bilateral lesion of the eyelids. The disease is accompanied by redness and swelling of the eyelids around the edges, their thickening, severe itching – the animal constantly seeks to comb the itchy spots, while seeding the tissues with microbial flora and aggravating the course of inflammation.
The clinical picture of blepharitis is characterized by lacrimation, blepharospasm, the discharge from the eyes of serous, mucous or purulent outflows of yellowish color, drying on the surface of the eyelids in the form of crusts. The long course of the purulent process often leads to inflammation of the cornea due to constant irritation of the eyeball with lytic enzymes contained in pus.
Blepharitis can occur foci or diffuse. Focal superficial blepharitis is barley – inflammation of the sebaceous gland of the lid of the eyelid. With the defeat of the middle layer of eyelids occurs meybomit, in which meibomian glands are inflamed. Chalazion (hail), which occurs with purulent inflammation of meybomium glands and blockage of the excretory duct of the abscess with compacted purulent masses, is the most difficult and difficult to treat.
Diffuse blepharitis most often develops with chronic keratitis and conjunctivitis, demodicosis, mycoses, allergies.
Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis of blepharitis should be carried out exclusively by a veterinarian in the clinic, best of all, if it is a specialist in blepharitis. After examining the eyelids, an ophthalmologic examination is carried out to clarify the extent and depth of tissue damage. If necessary, the material is taken for analysis (KLA, bakposev, allergy tests). It is extremely important to establish the cause of the disease, since the treatment tactics depend on it.
Treatment of blepharitis is carried out on the basis of the identified etiological factor. As a local treatment, the eyelids are treated with antiseptics (chlorhexidine solution, sterile saline solution), and purulent crusts are removed. For ever impose warm saline compresses.
In case of bacterial inflammation, the affected tissues are treated with an antiseptic solution, an ointment with antibiotics, and systemic antibacterial preparations may be prescribed. With demodicosis, external and systemic antiparasitic agents are used, with mycoses – antifungal drugs.
When allergic genesis of blepharitis, antihistamine medication is prescribed. When congenital anomalies of the structure of the eyelids, tumors, chalasion surgery is necessary.
In the veterinary clinic, treatment of blepharitis in dogs is carried out by experienced highly qualified doctors using the most effective regimens and medications.
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