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What is Anterior Uveitis and why I should I care?
If you own a pug, you should know what Anterior Uveitis is because pugs (among other dogs) are prone to eye problems and this could be one of them.
The anterior urea is composed of the iris (tissue around the pupil) and the ciliary body. The ciliary body sits directly behind the iris and is not usually visible. Any inflammation of these tissues is called Anterior Uveitis.
Uveitis can sometimes arise as an isolated eye problem, but it is more commonly a sign of some illness elsewhere in your dog’s body.
Causes of Anterior Uveitis:
- Eye problems that cause uveitis include corneal ulcers, cataracts, trauma or tumors.
- More than 25 different infections can cause uveitis, which may include: fungal, tick-borne, bacterial, viral, protozoal, and parasitic infections. Some of these infections occur more often in dogs, whereas others are more common in cats.
- In rare instances, the immune system may attack the uvea. In these instances, other parts of the body may also be affected.
- Tumors that arise elsewhere in the body may metastasize to the eye.
- Hypertension (high blood pressure), elevated circulating levels of protein or fat, and other blood disorders may cause uveitis.
Sometimes,uveitis occurs for unknown reasons or the cause of it is never found. If no cause of the Anterior Uveitis is found, it is called idiopathic. In these idiopathic cases, all laboratory tests come back normal.
Signs of Anterior Uveitis
Uveitis can begin suddenly, or it can develop slowly and remain undetected for a long time. Eyes that are affected with Uveitis are often red and painful. Dogs may squint or not want to open their eyes (especially in bright light). Eyes can also look cloudy or have discoloration. If Uveitis is affecting only one eye, the size and mobility of the pupils may be different. Your dog may have decreased vision and blindness is possible in severe cases. If glaucoma occurs, the eye may be enlarged. If a generalized infection is the cause, the animal may act ill and show other clinical signs.
Testing for Anterior Uveitis
To find out if your dog has Anterior Uveitis, your veterinarian will do an eye examination, which may involve tear testing, fluorescein staining of the cornea, and glaucoma testing. If these tests cannot be performed or are inconclusive, your veterinarian may refer your pet to a veterinary ophthalmologist. A general physical examination is usually performed to search for any other changes that may signify the presence of a generalized (systematic) illness.
Laboratory tests are done to rule out infections and look for underlying causes. Chest and abdominal x-rays and an abdominal ultrasound are sometimes recommended. If hypertension is suspected, blood pressure will be measured. If your dog’s eyes cannot be examined well because of cloudiness, an ultrasound may be performed. The cause of uveitis can be difficult to find and may require numerous tests.
Treatments for Anterior Uveitis
Treatment involves administering medications for the eye problem and for any underlying causes. Typical eye medications include topical anti-inflammatory drugs (usually steroids), pupil dilators/pain relievers (such as atropine), and sometimes antibiotics and anti-glaucoma drugs. The severity of the inflammation often dictates how frequent and intense the therapy must be.
Once an underlying cause is determined, appropriate treatment is started for that condition. Examples include antibiotics, anti-fungal agents, and drugs for hypertension and blood disorders. Oral anti-inflammatory agents may also be used, but the administration of steroids is often delayed until infectious diseases are ruled out.
Removal of the eye may be recommended in cases of suspected intraocular tumors, blind eyes that remain painful, eyes with unresponsive glaucoma, or concern that an infection may persist in the eye and spread to other parts of the body (especially certain fungal infections).
Follow-up Care
Some cases of uveitis respond quickly to medications and resolve within days. Other cases of uveitis are more stubborn and require months of therapy. Prolonged therapy is often needed in cats with chronic uveitis, in dogs with fungal infections, in eyes with severe inflammation, and when the underlying cause is difficult to treat.
Recheck visits are done to assess response to treatment and to monitor for complications, such as glaucoma. Certain laboratory tests may also be repeated to monitor for side effects associated with the oral drugs used to treat uveitis.
Report any worsening of signs, particularly increased pain (squinting) or cloudiness, to your veterinarian immediately.
Prognosis
Whether uveitis will successfully resolve often depends on the underlying cause, the severity of the inflammation, and the diligence of the treatments. Many cases resolve with adequate therapy, but the animal must be monitored closely for recurrence of the inflammation as medications are tapered and stopped. Some cases of uveitis do not respond well and result in blindness or loss of the eye.
**This information came from Kansas State vet hospital- Rhea V. Morgan, DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal), DACVO
MOLLY-
the reason I wrote about Anterior Uveitis is because back in August, Molly was treated for this. We had gone for our daily walk at the park and later that evening, my son and I both noticed that Molly was closing her eyes when sitting. At first, we thought she was just tired, but even when we talked to her, she was not wanting to open her eyes. I first thought it might just be allergies from the walk, so we gave her a Benadryl. The next day, I took her to the Kansas State Vet clinic. They did an eye examination on her and found that her eyes were red and irritated and the blood vessels in her eyes appeared larger than normal (which, they said was consistent with conjunctival hyperemia). She also had pronounced anterior uveitis and iris (inflammation of the iris causing it to take on a reddish color). Molly had aqueous flare in each eye which was worse in her left eye. She also had some cloudiness due to the inflammation in her eyes.
Kansas State vet clinic did a full blood work up on her. They also did heart worm tests, a chemistry profile, a Urinalysis test, and a test for Histoplasmosis. (Do I understand what all of these are- NOPE).
I did tell the clinic that this last summer (last week of July), we were in Arkansas at Beaver Lake for a week. To get down to the lake, we had to walk through woods. Molly and Dolly both went and walked to the lake several times that week. When we got home, one night I noticed a dark spot on one of Molly’s feet. I started to scratch it to see what it was and Molly immediately starting biting at it. Hundreds (literally) TINY ticks fell off of her leg. I didn’t even know what they were at first; they were that small. I started picking them up and they started crawling around in my palm. I found out they were seed ticks. After some research on this, I found out that dogs can get seed ticks from anywhere. If they step in a nest of seed ticks, the ticks will quickly crawl up the dog’s leg. Evidently, that’s what happened to Molly. After we got all the ticks off of her leg, bathed her and treated her for fleas and ticks, we hope we have seen the last of them. The Kansas State vet clinic thinks maybe her Anterior Uveitis came from those seed ticks.
All of Molly’s tests came back negative so that was good news. The clinic gave her Doxycycline and an eye solution to treat the Anterior Uveitis.
Molly did fine on her medicine and her eyes improved significantly throughout the next week. Two weeks later, we took her back to the clinic and they re-examined her eyes. The clinic said they couldn’t even tell she had had Anterior Uveitis two weeks earlier. Her eyes looked great. We were very thankful for that news, but we do continue to watch and monitor her eyes in case this comes back.
So… what did all these visits, tests and medicines cost?? About $800 all together!! Are pugs expensive?? YES!!! Are they worth it?? ABSOLUTELY!!! My pugs are worth every penny I spend on them to keep them healthy!!!
Until next time,
Love and Pug Kisses,
Candy
