How to use eye drops for an eye injury in a cat? When is it urgent to remove a cat's eyes?
The most common reasons for which enucleation is indicated in animals eyeball are:
Severe injuries with destruction of the eye;
Purulent inflammatory processes (panophthalmitis, endophthalmitis);
Painful absolute glaucoma;
Malignant tumor processes in the eye area;
Threat of sympathetic ophthalmia;
Long-term inflammation in the blind eye;
Atrophy and subatrophy of the eyeball;
Removal of an eye for cosmetic purposes.
Enucleation of the eye is a very aggressive procedure that requires deep anesthesia. Very often the operation is accompanied by significant blood loss, and changes the appearance of the animal far from completely better side. This circumstance is extremely painful for animal owners, especially those with an exhibition animal. In addition, with an unfavorable course, there may be poor tissue regeneration; a cavity remains inside the orbit, which is potentially dangerous hotbed inflammation.
Enucleation, execution technique
First of all, the conjunctiva is separated from the limbus, then the eye muscles are grabbed with a hook, stitched (except for the oblique muscles) and cut off. Special scissors are carefully placed behind the eye and used to cut off optic nerve(after moving the eye forward). Stopping bleeding - important point, it is carried out using tamponing with a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide. An operative-motor stump is formed; for this, a special implant is placed in the area of the muscular funnel and the muscles above it are sutured. Tenon's capsule is sutured with a purse-string suture, and a continuous suture is placed on the conjunctiva.
Enucleation of the eyeball in dogs, as well as in cats, takes place under conditions of absolute sterility using the most modern methods, instruments and drugs used in veterinary medicine.
IN last years a cosmetic restoration method was developed and successfully implemented appearance animals so that owners do not perceive the visual defect too strongly pet.
Ocular prosthetics are used after enucleation and are produced to restore the cosmetic appearance of dogs and cats.
Essence of the method intraocular prosthetics consists of implanting a spherical prosthesis inside the eyeball, which, after complete healing of the surgical wound, performs the following functions:
Maintains normal shape and size of the eyeball;
Provides anatomically correct location the eyeball in the orbit and the fit of the eyelids (and third eyelid) to the eyeball;
Saves normal work extraocular muscles;
Provides an excellent cosmetic effect, the animal looks almost the same as in in good condition;
The operation to install the implant does not last longer than half an hour, and is carried out under general anesthesia. But, it is contraindicated for intraorbital and intraocular neoplasia, purulent inflammatory processes in the eye, ulcerative and degenerative changes and lesions of the cornea, which are accompanied by its thinning.
After enucleation, the animal must wear a special protective collar for at least a month to prevent damage to the suture. Shown local application antibiotics in solution and keratoprotectors (2-3 times a day, for a month). Systemic therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics are used. The use of absorbable suture material allows you not to remove the stitches; they gradually dissolve on their own.
Evisceration of the eye in animals
Evisceration – consists of completely removing all intraocular structures, after which only the fibrous membrane remains.
Technique of the operation
After the conjunctiva is separated from the limbus and sclera, the cornea is removed with special scissors, capturing a small strip of the sclera. The contents of the eye are removed with a surgical spoon, leaving only fibrous membrane. The cavity is washed using hemostasis lavage and treated with antiseptic solutions. Evisceration of the eye is performed using 4 incisions on the sclera, and the conjunctiva is sutured with a continuous suture, and a drainage is inserted into the eye cavity.
There is evisceration of the eyeball with excision of the posterior pole and neurotomy.
Frequently asked questions to the doctor.
How complex recovery period in a dog after eye enucleation?
It all depends on the severity of the pathological process and the traumatic mechanism that preceded the operation. As a rule, the recovery period takes place in at least a month.
Is it necessary for the animal to wear a surgical collar after surgery?
Yes, it is desirable, since the animal will definitely “try” to wipe the newly operated eye with its paw. As a result, the sutures will be removed, and pathogenic microorganisms will inevitably enter the fresh wound.
To what extent does evisceration and enucleation spoil the appearance of an animal?
It all depends on the perception of others and on the extent of the owner’s love for his four-legged pet. Of course, one cannot expect the same appearance, but in this case the question arises not about a cosmetic effect, but about saving the life of the animal.
Veterinary center "DobroVet"
Indications for eyeball removal – a blind and painful eye, for example, with panophthalmitis, uncontrolled glaucoma, buphthalmos, chronic uveitis with retinal detachment, subatrophy of the eyeball (with secondary entropion), proptosis with complications (hemophthalmos, rupture of the membranes), and removal is also necessary for intraocular neoplasms.
Technique of surgery to remove the eyeball
There are 2 methods of eye removal: subconjunctival and transpalpebral. In my opinion, the second one is preferable, as it allows you to perform the operation as cleanly as possible.
The fur from the eyelids is shaved, the skin is treated with 10% betadine. A circular incision is made in the skin and subcutaneous tissue around the palpebral fissure, 5-7 mm away from the edges of the eyelids. The incision is deepened with scissors so as to completely cover the conjunctival sac and the anterior part of the eyeball. It is important to completely remove the third eyelid and its gland, the conjunctiva. Next, they continue to separate the tissue from the eyeball, exposing the sclera and cutting off optic nerve. A purse string type suture is placed on the retrobulbar tissue with absorbable suture material to stop bleeding. Next they are sutured subcutaneous tissue, the skin is sutured without leaving any holes.
IN postoperative period use a systemic antibiotic for 5-7 days, treat sutures once a day, a protective collar is most often not required.
After 14 days, the sutures are removed (Figure 1).
Removing the eyeball has its advantages: speed (20 minutes), short recovery period (3-5 days), low likelihood of complications, low likelihood of needing a second operation.
The only conditional disadvantage of the operation is the cosmetic effect; it may not satisfy the owner (the patients themselves did not complain).
Eyeball prosthetics (evisceration) is an operation in which the entire contents of the eyeball (lens, vitreous, retina, choroid) are removed through an incision in the sclera, leaving the cornea and sclera, and a silicone implant is placed in the resulting cavity.
Indications for prosthetics this is a blind and painful eye, but it is important for the success of the operation good condition auxiliary apparatus of the eye (normal humidity, full blinking), and there is also contraindications : infected eye, chronic uveitis, intraocular neoplasms.
A patient with eye subatrophy or severe buphthalmos is also a poor candidate for prosthetics, since the prosthesis is placed according to the size of the eye minus 1-2 mm.
Cats are also poor candidates because the main cause of eye loss in cats is glaucoma secondary to uveitis or intraocular neoplasm, and there is evidence that trauma to the intraocular structures in cats can provoke the development of post-traumatic feline sarcoma, so enucleation is advisable for cats.
Technique of eyeball prosthetic surgery
Preparation surgical field carried out as during removal, the conjunctival sac is irrigated with a 0.2% betadine solution. An incision is made bulbar conjunctiva and sclera along the limbus 180 degrees. The contents of the eyeball are removed and a prosthesis is placed inside. The choice of prosthesis is carried out in advance by measuring the eye using ultrasound; the prosthesis should be slightly smaller size eyes in order to properly suture the sclera. The sclera is sutured with absorbable suture material, a continuous suture, and the bulbar conjunctiva is also sutured.
Video of the operation (prosthetic eyeball after eye loss):
In the postoperative period, a systemic antibiotic is required for 7-10 days, non-steroidal systemic anti-inflammatory drugs, local antibiotic, protective collar.
14-20 days after surgery, the eye does not require any care.
Prosthetics have their disadvantages: surgery lasts longer (up to 45 minutes), longer recovery period (up to 10-14 days), higher risk of complications (reaction to the prosthesis, corneal erosions), potentially risk of re-operation (removal in case of complications) .
Eye prosthetics has the only advantage: a good cosmetic effect (Figure 2).
Eye surgeries for cats and kittens
Our four-legged friends often have problems with their eyes. We recommend visiting your veterinarian regularly, at least once a month, for an examination. This is especially important to do at a young and mature age.
There are situations when treatment can be done with drops or antibiotics, but in case of severe damage and illness visual organ Complications may arise that require eye surgery in cats.
Symptoms of eye disease
The best way to preserve your pet's vision is to have regular eye exams. You can do this yourself at home or in a veterinary clinic. Having discovered problems on early stages, they can be eliminated with medication without resorting to surgery. When examining the animal, be sure to wash your hands and treat them with alcohol. Gently open the eyelid without pressing on it.
If you notice the following symptoms of eye disease in cats, contact your veterinarian immediately:
- Redness - most common problem, which may be caused by illness varying degrees severity, which can lead to total loss vision.
- Pus is released - a sure sign of conjunctivitis. This inflammation occurs quite often and is accompanied by purulent discharge, the appearance of a crust on the eyelid.
- An injury has occurred and because of severe pain, the cat won't let you get close to him.
- Blepharospasm - inability to open the eyelid or constant squinting.
- Increased tearfulness, fear of light.
Operations on the eyes of a cat
Surgeries on the eyes of cats are performed for the following pathologies:
- Corneal ulcer the most difficult diseases that require immediate treatment. Extensive and deep damage It is necessary to urgently operate to prevent blindness.
- Turn of the century It is less common than in dogs, but such cases still occur. It's a pathology when skin fold tucks inward. Because of this, eyelashes and fur touch the cornea, irritating the mucous membrane. If the problem is not corrected in time, this will lead to loss of vision and even removal of the eyeball.
- Cataract- characterized by clouding of the lens, deterioration of vision to complete blindness.
- Enucleation- removal of the eyeball. It is required in cases where the visual organ cannot be saved, its functions are lost or it threatens the life of the animal.
Benefits of treatment at the Komondor veterinary clinic
To the feline ophthalmology department in veterinary center Komondor accepts patients with eye problems. The clinic is equipped with European ophthalmological equipment for complex diagnostics, carrying out the required conservative or surgical treatment.
Our veterinary center employs experienced, highly qualified ophthalmologists who will provide professional medical care to your pet.
If you notice symptoms of eye disease in cats or you see that your pet has been injured, consult a doctor immediately. Timely detection of pathology and prescription of treatment will avoid eye surgery and maintain the health of the visual organ.
Eye damage in cats is serious and dangerous. traumatic injury. During examination, the veterinarian can provide assistance, but it is not always possible to save this organ. In these cases, it may be necessary to remove the cat's eye. But in order for this procedure to be successful, you need to know the main features of its implementation.
What diseases require eye removal?
Surgery to remove an eye in cats, as well as dogs, may be required in the presence of a serious pathological process. But first you need to carry out a series therapeutic procedures, which can save at least part of the vision. If the situation is very serious, the veterinarian often recommends removing the cat’s eye.
Surgery to remove a cat's eye may be required for the following pathological processes:
- Availability infectious lesions internal view, which can transfer to other organs;
- damage to the back of the eyeball, but within the orbit;
- congenital deformations of the visual organs;
- oncological tumors;
- infectious and inflammatory processes of the eyeballs (superficial and internal), which can only be cured using surgical intervention;
- glaucoma with difficult character currents;
- the presence of severe physical injuries from which it is impossible to recover independently.
Many cat owners often have a question: why remove the eyeball from an animal? Enucleation is required to reduce pain in animals, as well as to eliminate all suffering. In addition, the damage can often affect other internal organs in addition to the eye.
Rules for eye removal surgery
When performing an operation to remove an eye from a cat or dog, veterinarians must follow certain rules that can prevent dangerous consequences for the health of the animal.
When performing this procedure in a clinic, specialists must fulfill the following requirements::
- During the operation, the doctor must cause minimal harm to the cat’s health;
- The doctor must perform the operation correctly, observing all necessary measures, this will avoid complications after surgical intervention;
- The procedure must be done using anesthesia so that the pet cannot feel everything. unpleasant feelings. In addition, so that the cat does not feel pain after removal of the eye, it is necessary to inject special painkillers;
- The anesthetic used during surgery should not be used large quantities so as not to cause serious harm animal health.
Types of operations
If the doctor detects symptoms of a serious illness in a cat, he can take various measures. therapeutic therapies up to surgical intervention.
Operations can be carried out using several methods:
- enucleation. During this procedure, the pet's eyeball is removed, but the eyeballs are fully preserved. muscle fibers and ligaments in the apparatus of the visual organ;
- evisceration. With this method of treatment, the apple and intraocular structures are completely excised. After completion of the operation, the size of the eye decreases throughout the entire recovery period; this process takes about a month. But after this procedure, postoperative inversion and inversion of the lower eyelid may appear;
- exenteration. During this procedure, both the eyeball and other important parts of the visual organ are removed - extraocular muscle fibers, lacrimal glands, adipose tissue orbits, third eyelid. After this, the edges of the eyelids are sutured. This method of surgical intervention is performed only when severe forms purulent lesion with inflammatory in nature, as well as for oncological formations.
In order for the cat to recover quickly, the doctor must comply with everything necessary rules during the operation. It is also important to ensure complete care for a cat after eye removal, which can speed up the recovery process. The veterinarian at the clinic will be able to tell you how to care for it and what actions need to be taken after the operation.
In case of some diseases in animals, surgery to remove the eye becomes necessary, since the eyeball becomes a source of suffering for the animal, and the pathological processes that develop in it can threaten the health and life of the animal.
The procedure is performed when the intraocular structures are severely damaged, and visual functions cannot be restored. Such diseases include: buphthalmos ( terminal glaucoma), penetrating wounds into the eyeball, blunt trauma and contusions, which are combined with damage choroid, with extensive hemorrhages and retinal disorders and vitreous. Surgery to remove the eyeball is necessary in cases where therapeutic treatment turns out to be meaningless. Pathological processes that rapidly develop in an animal’s eye can only be stopped with the help of surgical intervention to relieve the patient of pain and return him to normal life.
Operations can be planned or emergency. At the Antistress clinic of the SQ-lap veterinary hospital they are carried out after a preoperative examination of the animal, which includes ultrasound, ECG, General and Biochemical Analysis Blood, you definitely need to stick to the 8-hour diet. Before the operation, the doctor and the owner draw up a document on informed consent for the operation, after all the risks of these activities are explained to the owner.
It is very important that the owner brings a warm blanket to the operation; it will be needed to warm the animal after the operation, disposable absorbent diapers, and napkins.
REMEMBER! POSTOPERATIVE CARE IS COMPLEX! IT IS BEST TO PERFORM IN A HOSPITAL CONDITION!
What are the requirements for eye removal surgery?
The operation to remove an eye from an animal must meet the following requirements:
1. minimal injury;
2. low risk of postoperative complications;
3. small volume of anesthetic substances;
4. short period pain after operation;
5. satisfactory result.
What surgical techniques are used to remove the eyeball?
The methods used to remove a cat's eye are called evisceration, enucleation and exenteration.
1. Evisceration– removal of the contents of the eyeball, leaving the sclera, which, together with the external muscles of the eye attached to it, is subsequently used as a movable dense base of the ocular prosthesis.
In recent years, a method of cosmetically restoring the appearance of animals has been developed and successfully implemented so that owners do not perceive the visual defect of a pet too much. For this purpose, ocular prosthetics are used. It is carried out after enucleation to restore the cosmetic appearance of dogs and cats.
The essence of the intraocular prosthetics method is to implant a spherical prosthesis inside the eyeball, which, after complete healing of the surgical wound, performs the following functions:
- maintains normal shape and size of the eyeball;
- ensures the anatomically correct location of the eyeball in the orbit and the fit of the eyelids (and the third eyelid) to the eyeball;
- preserves the normal functioning of the extraocular muscles;
- provides an excellent cosmetic effect, the animal looks almost the same as in normal condition;
2. Enucleation– complete removal the contents of the eyeball and all intraocular structures. After resorption blood clot Only the fibrin frame remains in the cavity, which prevents complete atrophy of the eye. Usually after a month, the size of the operated eye becomes significantly smaller than that of a healthy one. After a year or two after surgery, the fibrinous framework that supports the shape of the eye completely resolves, resulting in complete atrophy, and in some cases the diameter of the eyeball does not exceed 0.5 centimeters.
Evisceration of the eye is performed under local anesthesia or under anesthesia. Local anesthesia consists of blocking the ophthalmic nerve. The conjunctival sac is irrigated with a solution before anesthesia boric acid(3%) or rivanol 0.1 0.2% concentration. Then, spreading the eyelids, insert the needle into the conjunctiva of the outer corner of the eye. The needle is deepened (without touching the eyeball) in the direction jaw joint the opposite side until it touches the bone. To anesthetize one eye, 5-10 ml of a 2% novocaine solution is required. After a few minutes, the operation begins, for which they fix the eyeball with tweezers, and then pierce the cornea near the outer corner of the eye with a linear knife. One branch of curved eye scissors is inserted into the resulting hole and the entire cornea is cut off with them. Using a small sharp spoon, they penetrate the inside of the eyeball and scrape out all its contents, leaving only one sclera. The eye cavity is irrigated several times with hydrogen peroxide and tightly tamponed to stop bleeding. To hold the tampons, several stitches of an interrupted suture are applied to the edges of the eyelids, and a bandage is placed on top. The sutures are removed after 1-2 days, the tampon is removed and the usual antiseptic treatment is applied until healing. Prolapse (or dislocation) of the eyeball (Prolapsus, s. Luxatio bulbi).
There are some disadvantages of this method and they are expressed in postoperative volvulus upper eyelid, eversion and inversion of the lower, which subsequently leads to injury to the conjunctiva, an increase in mucous and lacrimal secretions. It may begin purulent conjunctivitis. The gland of the third eyelid, which is normally held between the eye itself and the third eyelid, falls out and can be pinched by the eyelids.
3. Exenteration- This is a radical way to eliminate the pathological process in the eye. This technique involves enucleation combined with removal of the extraocular muscles, eyelids, orbital fat, third eyelid, lacrimal gland, and all conjunctival tissues. The cut edges of the eyelids are sewn together. This method is indicated for the treatment of severe purulent processes eyeball, orbit, as well as in neoplastic processes. This method is the most complex, but when used, the long-term consequences of the operation are minimal.
How difficult is the recovery period for a dog after eye enucleation?
It all depends on the severity of the pathological process and the traumatic mechanism that preceded the operation. As a rule, the recovery period takes place in at least a month.
Is it necessary for the animal to wear a surgical collar after surgery?
Yes, it is necessary, since the animal will definitely “try” to wipe the newly operated eye with its paw. As a result, the sutures will be removed, and pathogenic microorganisms will inevitably enter the fresh wound.
To what extent does evisceration and enucleation spoil the appearance of an animal?
It all depends on the perception of others and on the extent of the owner’s love for his four-legged pet. Of course, one cannot expect the same appearance, but in this case the question arises not about a cosmetic effect, but about saving the life of the animal.
ATTENTION!!! Unfortunately, it is not always possible to save an animal’s eyeball, especially in cases of late contact with an ophthalmologist or in cases of severe eye injury, tumors and complicated cases of eyeball prolapse. An eye is removed only when vision is irretrievably lost and when it causes suffering to the animal, as well as in cases of risk of involvement in pathological process organs and tissues adjacent to the orbit or the neighboring eye.
