Corneal Distrophy..any info?

[73junebugz]

I'm going to try to do a net search, but one of my babies was diagnosed with this and just wondering if anyone has heard of it or has any info. Thanks.

[ObedienceGrrl]

Can you tell me what type of corneal dystrophy?

I am an ophthalmic nurse.

Was it Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy? Keratoconus? Peripheral Corneal Degeneration? Any type of Keratitis?

More info please!

:)

Then I will tell you what it is.

[73junebugz]

Jen, thanks.
We didn't get any info on a specific type, but she was tested with the fluorescein (sp?) and there were no ulcers present. The vet said basically there's nothing to do, but did give me drops to use this week, since the eye seems to be bothering Bolero. She's been rubbing at it, so the vet just thought it might be best to take precautions against secondary scratches on the cornea.

On my initial net search, Afghans were indeed listed as predisposed to this problem, so I'm not surprised. But only one eye is affected at this point. My concern, of course, is that it is irritating her (that, and the possibility of this reducing her vision later.)

[ObedienceGrrl]

Okay.....so then this sounds to me more like a dry eye problem, correct? Fuchs' corneal dystrophy wouldn't affect the front layer of the cornea. There are several layers to the cornea.....each can have it's own problems.

What are the drops you were given, if I may ask?

It just sounds like a keratoconjuntivitis sicca. Or....dry eye. KCS. That's what the staining was for. It leaves a nice yellow tinge to the fur for a while. Do you get an itemized bill from your vet? If so, he should have tested the dog with a Schirmer's Test. This is a tear production test. See if he did that.

If it is just dry eye, you can purchase over the counter preservative free tears to use. Make sure they are preservative free, though. There are several brands. Refresh Plus, Genteal PF, Systane PF, Bion Tears. They will be in individual vials.....not in bottles. They are a little pricey, though.

So just let me know about the drops, k?

[73junebugz]

No, there wasn't a Schirmer's test, because it isn't dry eye. She has no trouble with tearing properly. She has a spot on her cornea that was mildly irritating her, so that's why we took her in. The drops are a neomycin base, and from what I understood, they're for reducing irritation and preventing infection if she happens to rub or scratch at it. Of course I could be wrong on that...the vets talk to fast, it's sometimes hard to understand all the jumble. I did indeed try to research this on line, and found afghans listed as a predisposed breed. The only thing I really found, though was that the "spots" are more or less fatty deposits and would come right back if removed. :-?

[ObedienceGrrl]

But dry eye can cause ulcers and spots of irritation on the eye itself. I am not sure if Afghans are prone to dry eye....I know some breeds are, such as Cockers and Chinese Cresteds.

An eye will be extra teary if it is dry and irritated. I know it sounds funny.....but as the eye gets really dry, it starts to produce 'reflex tearing'. Just massive amounts of tears to make up for the poor quality ones it was producing. So it makes quantity.....not quality. It's hard to explain!! I do much better with my diagrams at work!!!

I hope everything works out well.....we ran into a bad ulcer with our white GSD a few months back. Lets just say the opthalmologist was very pleased when she saw my treatment plan and how well he was doing! But he will always have a scar on that eye....and we use artificial tears now and then....because his cornea will always be a little weak in that eye now.