What is happening to cause the lesion in this dog’s cornea? The animal was presented with acute ocular pain in the middle of August. What treatment would you prescribe and what prognosis would you give?
The dog has a melting ulcer – the white uneven surface is characteristic of this lesion occurring most commonly in hot and humid conditions. Gram negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas are often responsible but as well as frequent topical antibiotic (gentamicin or fluoroquinolone every hour for the first 12-14 hours then less frequently later) anti-collagenases are vital. Serum inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases such as alpha-2-macroglobulin make topical serum every hour for the first day an easy and effective option while EDTA chelates calcium, a vital co-factor in these collagenases. In this case such intensive treatment gave a good result as can be seen here but the prognosis should always be grave.