How Deep Is a Corneal Ulcer, and How Do I Know It's Healing?
by Cynthia
(Ottawa, Canada)
My golden retriever is ten years old, the ulcer has been present for a month (he is a very expressive guy and dives into the ground and wiggles out of joy but likely scratched his eye in the process), we have been to the vet five times and the condition of his eye has improved (no redness or discharge).
I can see the ulcer when we are out in the daylight- what are the indicators that the ulcer is healing?
The cornea is the clear front window of the eye, made of layers: a thin surface layer, a thick middle layer, and a thin inner membrane lined by a single layer of cells, with the fluid-filled front chamber of the eye behind it. An ulcer that reaches the inner membrane is an emergency. A superficial ulcer affects only the surface layer; deeper ulcers go into the middle layer.
Signs of healing include less squinting, no redness or discharge, and a clearer eye. Only a stain test shows that the ulcer has fully closed. An ulcer lasting a month is longer than usual, so ask your vet whether it could be an indolent ulcer, which often needs a procedure to heal.
Our page on corneal ulcers in dogs explains the types of ulcer and signs of healing.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.
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