Why isn't my dog's corneal ulcer healing? What are my options?

Eye ulcers are very complex and there is no one size fits all treatment. There are many options for treating ulcers and this is in part depends on the underlying cause of the ulcer (poor tear production/quality, inturned eyelids/eyelashes, scratches from other dogs/cats etc). The cornerstone of treatments are a lubricant drop plus an antibiotic drop (each applied 15mins apart every 2-6hours depending on severity), in many cases serum drops (prepared from the patients blood) are also used to promote healing and prevent further inflammation. Surgical treatment may also be required to clear damaged tissue from the surface of the ulcer and sometimes to protect the eye with flaps/contact lenses etc. I recommend a check up by your vet to ensure the most appropriate treatment is selected

The blue cloudiness is caused by swelling in the cornea from the ulcer. If the ulcer is treated and heals the cornea should become clear again. Sometimes there will be a small scar from the ulcer. If the eye looks like it’s getting worse please take Sky in for a recheck right away. Corneal ulcers can progress causing permanent eye damage, Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sky.

This is likely to be due to a corneal ulceration, possibly due the enrolling of the lower eyelid and its rubbing against the eye surface. The blue discoloration is due to the presence of inflammation in the anterior chamber of the eye. The other signs seems to be related to the ulcer. I would recommend another check up to determine the underlying cause of it more specifically and give appropriate treatment. Serum and antibiotic eye drops will be needed.

From the pictures you have posted, it looks like handsome Simba could be suffering with keratitis which might be secondary to the presence of the ulcer. He might need to have other antinflammatory drops into the eye. It is best to wait for your appt on Sat and see when the eye is stained with fluorescin if the ulcer has gone completely and take it from there. Good luck !

If the ulcer doesn't seem to be healing fast enough you should take Spike back to your vet, they should prepare some serum to put in his eye every 2-3 hours (serum is prepared from whole blood, it can be from your dog or from another dog). serum is considered the best non invasive treatment for eye ulcers.

Unfortunately eye pain can be difficult to treat - oral medications sometimes don’t seem to make much difference. There is some evidence that tramadol is not metabolized well in dogs so I think gabapentin might be a reasonable alternative. Ultimately healing the ulcer will be most important - if it does not seem to be healing well you may need to see a specialist to have a burr procedure or keratotomy in order for it to heal. Topical pain medication might be another option but can sometimes slow the healing process.

Unfortunately, there are no safe OTC pain medications for dogs. Many are toxic to them, and can be fatal if given. In order for Winnie to have pain medications, she will have to see the vet to get a prescription for them. As for eye drops, sterile saline eye drops are safe for her (make sure they don't contain any medication in them), but I would check with your vet first before using anything. You can ask your vet to clarify what eye drops they want you to give her, as they can see Winnie in person and will know best what things are safe to use in her eyes. The eye is such a delicate and important structure, and because treating it wrong can lead to vision loss, it's best to get that information from the vet who is treating Winnie's severe eye ulcer.