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Writer's pictureDeborah Newman

Uveitis in Canines in Canines


The uvea is the part of the eye which supplies blood to the retina. It is made up of three parts:

  1. Iris

  2. Ciliary Body

  3. Choroid

Uveitis is when any of these parts become inflamed. There are 3 types of uveitis:

  1. Pan-uveitis: inflammation of all three parts

  2. Anterior uveitis: inflammation of the iris and ciliary body

  3. Posterior uveitis: inflammation of the choroid

Uveitis is painful and can harm your dog’s vision. If left untreated, uveitis can lead to other conditions like glaucoma, cataracts or retinal disease.

CAUSES: 

  • Infection: viral or bacterial

  • Diabetes and high blood pressure

  • Tumors

  • Injury to the eye

  • Autoimmune diseases: the immune system attacks the dog’s own cells

SIGNS: 

  • Cloudy eye

  • Red eye

  • Bleeding eye

  • Squinting and avoiding bright lights

  • Extra tearing

  • Loss of vision

  • Puss

DIAGNOSIS: 

In order to properly diagnose your dog with uveitis, most veterinarians will perform the following:

  • Physical examination: a lot of illnesses include uveitis, so your veterinarian will need to rule out any other conditions

  • Eye exam: with an ophthalmoscope or ultrasound

  • Blood tests: to check for any underlying diseases

  • Measure eye pressure: With uveitis, eye pressure will be low; with glaucoma, eye pressure will be high

  • Aspirates: fluid samples taken from the eye with a needle for testing

TREATMENT: 

Most veterinarians will recommend the following treatment for a dog with uveitis:

  • Steroids and antibiotics: eye drops, ointments and oral tablets (for pain relief, to reduce inflammation and to prevent glaucoma)

  • Surgery: to repair the eye or to remove any foreign object

  • Follow up visit: to monitor the eye

PREVENTION: 

For cases of uveitis that are preventable, it is best to avoid eye trauma and exposure to ticks and fungal diseases.

PROGNOSIS: 

Simple cases of uveitis that you treat quickly and properly usually improve within 24 hours. Cases that are more complicated take a few days to get better.

Severe cases can sometimes result in irreversible blindness.

Uveitis can recur, often with further complications.

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