SURGICAL REMOVAL OF CORNEAL FOREIGN BODY IN A NON-DESCRIPTIVE DOG

Manju A.*, Gurunathan N., Tina Roshini S., Vigneswari M. and Aruljothi N.

ABSTRACT

A five-year old intact male non-descriptive dog was presented to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, VCC, RIVER with a history of ocular discharge, redness and constant rubbing of right eye for last one week. On clinical examination, all vital parameters were within normal range. On direct ophthalmic examination, there was scleral hyperemia and serous discharge in the right eye, a brown colored foreign body entrapped in the cornea was noticed at 9’oclk position. There was localized corneal opacity around the foreign body. The menace response, palpebral, direct and consensual pupillary light reflexes were present in both eyes. Schirmer tear test values were 22 and 12 mm/min in right and left eyes, respectively. Fluorescein staining was positive surrounding the foreign body in the right eye. Both the eyes were examined under indirect ophthalmoscope which revealed no abnormalities following application of 0.5% tropicamide. Under general anesthesia, corneal foreign body (grass awn) was removed using corneal forcep. Cornea was sutured using polyglactin 910 size 5-0 in simple interrupted pattern. Cornea was protected by third eyelid closure using polyglactin 910 size 5-0. Temporary tarsorrhaphy was done on right eye. Post operatively, topical and oral antibiotics were administered. On 10th post-operative day, temporary tarsorrhaphy was removed and corneal healing was noticed. Animal made an uneventful recovery.

Keywords: Cornea, foreign body, third eyelid closure, dog.