Eyeball Displacement (Proptosis) in Dogs
Key takeaways
Proptosis in dogs is the forward displacement of the globe of the eye relative to the eye socket, which is an emergency requiring urgent treatment to save the eye.
- Proptosis normally results from injury, such as being hit by a car or other blunt force trauma to the head
- Dogs with proptosis present with an obvious forward displacement of the eye, trapping the eyelids behind the eyeball
- Diagnosis involves physical examination, which includes an assessment of concurrent head trauma
- Treatment options include immediate pain relief and replacement of the eye within the socket
- Recurring cases, or where there is obvious irreparable damage to the globe, requires removal of the eye (enucleation)
- Prognosis depends on the severity of the proptosis: mild cases with minimal damage carry a good prognosis; severe or recurrent cases normally result in loss of vision and recurrent pain and ultimately result in enucleation
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A closer look: Eyeball Displacement (Proptosis) in Dogs
Proptosis is a painful condition which is usually the result of head trauma, and often leads to the loss of vision in the affected eye in severe cases. Mild proptosis with minimal trauma is not life-threatening and often responds well to treatment.
Cases of proptosis require emergency veterinary attention.
Risk factors
Proptosis is uncommon in dogs. Brachycephalic dog breeds (those with short, smushed faces) have a higher risk of proptosis, due to having shallow eye sockets. Dogs who are allowed to roam freely and those who are likely to get into physical altercations with other animals are also at higher risk.
The severity of proptosis varies from a mild forward bulging of the eye to the eyeball being completely separated from the eye socket.
Possible causes
Proptosis is the result of trauma to the head which increases pressure behind the eye.
Common triggers include:
- Dog fights
- Being hit by a car
- Physical restraint around the head and neck
- Other blunt force trauma to the head
Main symptoms
There is are often additional injuries depending on the location and extent of the trauma
Testing and diagnosis
Proptosis is self evident. Additional diagnostics to evaluate the extent of injury and guide treatment include:
- Physical examination
- Ophthalmic examination
- Neurological examination
- Ultrasound
- CT scan
Steps to Recovery
Treatment options include surgery and symptomatic relief.
Surgical treatment:
- Replacement of the eye
- Reshaping the eyelid margin to reduce recurrence
- Enucleation (permanent removal of the eyeball)
Symptomatic treatment:
- Pain relief
- Anti- inflammatories
- Lubrication of the eye
- Antibiotics
Prognosis depends on the extent of proptosis. Mild cases recover well from treatment. Cases with complete separation of the eye from the eye socket have a poor prognosis. In these cases, the eye can often be replaced, but many lose sight in the affected eye and may experience recurrent pain and inflammation.
Prevention
Prevention involves avoiding trauma and careful handling and restraint of at risk breeds. Dogs that have had one episode of proptosis sometimes require further surgery to prevent recurrence. Brachycephalic breeds may benefit from surgical reshaping of the eyelids to help keep the eye held in place as a preventative measure.
Is Eyeball Displacement (Proptosis) in Dogs common?
Proptosis is uncommon in most dogs, but more common in brachycephalic breeds such as shih tzus, pekingese, pugs, bulldogs, and cavalier king charles spaniels.
Typical Treatment
- Replacement of the eye
- Enucleation
- Pain relief
- Anti-inflammatories
- Lubrication of the eye
- Antibiotics
