"The Willow Veterinary Clinic Taking General Practice to a Higher Level"
This horrible eye condition affects the tissues that cover the eye and third eyelid and can be really painful. You can see the patch of abnormal tissue infiltrating the clear part of the eye from the white of the eye. It has a characteristic geographic pattern. The most important thing is to rule out more serious problems by measuring tear production, intraocular pressure with a tonopen, examining the interior of the eyeball with a specially designed ultrasound probe and inspecting the outer structures of the eye with a slit lamp. Fortunately if diagnosed early, which we are able to do at Willow because we have all the equipment available, the condition responds amazingly well to steroid eye drops.
Here is Leia just one week later - amazing!
The condition can reoccur and seems to be more prevalent in certain breeds - collie types and greyhounds. It is thought to be caused by the body's own immune system (autoimmune). We always prefer to see eye conditions early as they can get worse quite quickly, so please don't hesitate to bring in your pet if you are at all concerned about their eyes.