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Ocular Trauma - Animal Eye Care

Ocular Trauma
in Dogs and Cats

Ocular injury is unfortunately a common occurrence in animals. Many kinds of injuries occur, such as eyelid lacerations, proptosis (where the eye is forced out of the eye socket), blunt injury to the eye and/or eyelids, thorn or other foreign body injuries, cat claw injuries, dog bite injuries, lacerations of the cornea, gunshot pellet wounds, and severe head/eye socket injury from being kicked by a horse, or hit by a car. Other injuries can be chemically induced, such as mace sprayed into the eyes, or paint or soap burns of the cornea. Still other injuries can occur secondary to periocular insect or spider bites. The key to any eye injury is to seek immediate veterinary attention and prevent further trauma to the eye. The injured pet often wants to rub the eye, and this must not be allowed. It is a good idea to have a cone shaped restraint collar (E collar) on hand, that has been custom fitted for your pet. You can purchase this from your family veterinarian, and it can also be used in other emergencies, to prevent your pet from traumatizing other parts of its body, such as the hindquarters. It is also a good idea to have a bottle of eye irrigating solution on hand, such as sterile saline solution (NOT contact lens cleaning solution) to irrigate the eye, especially if the eye is proptosed (pushed out of the socket). Seeking immediate veterinary assistance and placing an E collar on the pet can make the difference between a blind eye and a visual eye, or whether or not the eye needs to be removed. Often, however, the injury is so severe that no matter how soon the pet is treated by a veterinarian, the eye cannot be saved. It is a good idea to ask your veterinarian if they think your pet should be referred to a veterinary ophthalmologist for evaluation, if you are willing to be referred to a specialist.