Uveitis and Ulcer

[BostonTerrierMum]

I took my dog to the vets (he’s a Boston Terrier) as his eyes were all red and watery and one just didn’t look right. The vets said it was uveitis and he had an ulcer in one - whether from rubbing it or the infection I’m not sure. Gave us some drops and had a follow up and they said the uveitis was gone but the ulcer hadn’t got any smaller.

Has anyone had any experience with this? I’m terrified he’ll lose his eye. They’ve said the next step would be surgery which I would pay for but I want to make sure it’s the right thing for him.

Has he been checked for keratoconjunctivitis sica - dry eye. If there is dry eye the ulcer won't heal till that is treated.

The ulcer would be caused by him rubbing his eye. You must prevent him rubbing it or rubbing it on something else. My spaniel managed to use the edge of his bed. So an Elizabethan collar that sits behind the end of his nose, rather than an inflatable ring. It took six months to clear his ulcer, but it has not recurred (touch wood). Good luck with your boy.

@Lonecatwithkitten he said that could be something not causing it to heal, but my dogs eyes are as wet as normal.

@Spanielsarepainless wow, six months? Did you have to give him any drops or anything? Or any other treatment to help it heal? The vets did say it could take a while with him being a Boston terrier, their eyes are a bit more protruding than other dogs, so if they said that I’m unsure why the rush to surgery. He isn’t really rubbing it to be honest, he tries to when I put the drops in but will stop and I don’t catch him doing it the rest of the day and he’s with me all the time

I don't know how to quote, but my dog had two different sorts of drops at different intervals through the day, plus Metacam in the first weeks. It was a huge ulcer. It really took over my life. It turned out to be an allergy to deer - each time it got better we'd walk somewhere different and his eye would be irritated and it all started again. The insurance company were brilliant, as was our vet. We saw him several times a week so fluorescein drops could show progress. Btw, I meant the collar should be beyond the end of his nose, not behind! Now I manage any reaction instantly and he has a gel I put in if we are going where there might be deer.

It isn't possible to diagnose dry eye just by looking at the eyes - many look wet, but when you do a schrimmer tear test tear production is low.