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Treating Dog Eye Ulcers

My Bulldog has recently undergone major surgery removing sections of his upper / lower lids with the aim of reducing the loose skin to assist in holding the eyeballs more securely in place and to eliminate the eye ulcers.


Approximately 5 weeks have past and he has another eye ulcer (one eye only). I have also noted that his ear on the same side is hot.

As soon as I noted the return of the ulcer I have used a topical cream called Conoptal I have also being using a vet issued ear drop to kill any bugs that maybe in the lower canal. I have also booked him into see my local Vet but in the interim I have 2 questions & really hope that you can help.

1. Is it possible that the ulcers are secondary to a potential ear infection?
2. Are there any more potential causes for dog eye ulcers than those listed on your site e.g. lack ofvitamin or mineral in diet - there are 45 potential causes to eye infections in humans.

Thanks in advance and appreciate any information you can give.



Vet Suggestions on Causes of Dog Eye Ulcers


Hello there,

The chances of a potential ear infection being responsible for your dog’s eye ulcer are very small. It is possible for severe ear infections to cause damage to the nerves that control some aspects of eyelid and tear gland function, which could theoretically lead to ulcers, but you would be seeing other symptoms as well. I guess it’s also possible that a dog with an ear infection might aggressively rub his head against objects, possibly leading to a wound on the surface of the eye.

I think it is more likely that the surgery to correct your dog’s eyelid anatomy was not fully successful. This is not a criticism of your veterinarian’s technique; it is simply a fact of life with these surgeries. It is impossible to know exactly how much tissue to remove, and the worst thing a veterinarian can do is take too much as this can lead to problems that are very difficult to resolve. I always tell my clients that I’d much rather take too little and have to repeat the surgery than take too much and permanently disfigure the dog.

Make a follow-up appointment with the veterinarian who performed your dog’s surgery or your primary care veterinarian. He or she should be able to determineif your dog needs an additional surgery or if something else is to blame.



Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM

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