Debriding an Eye?

[Kizzypug]

As you may have seen Pip is suffering from a corneal ulcer, but I wasn't sure what we were in for when the vet said that she wanted to debride the eye.

Having now looked it up, I find the following - Debridement is a medical term referring to the removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue.

Yesterday he went to the vet for this proceedure, but unfortunately as he won't let ANYONE near the eye he had to be sedated, so I had to leave him at the vets and pick him up later. To my utter surprise when picking him up I was told that they want to repeat the procedure on Friday. So that means that my little boy will have to go under again, which worries me.

Has anyone else had this form of treatment for eye ulcers in their Pugs ?

[Charlie's Mum]

Hi Nicky
As I said in the prayer request thread, Charlie has had this done to both eyes before.
Without getting "technical" basically an ulcer is not a clean injury with smooth edges, they have jagged/rough edges, to debride them means to make the edges clean and sharp so they knit together quicker. The way I thought of it was if you have a clean cut on your skin it heals quicker than a cut which is more fragmented. Hope this makes some sense. One thing to warn you though the ulcers will look much bigger and Pip's eyes may be white after the surgery. Charlie has made a full recovery although his eyes water more.
If you need any more info/pics just drop me a PM.
Keep us posted, and continuing hugs to you and Pip.

[ViralMD]

Debridement CAN provide smooth edges, but not always - depending on the degree of infection and how much necrotic (dead) tissue needs to be removed. If there's a lot of dead tissue that would otherwise serve as a continuing focus of infection, debridement may be very helpful. I've honestly not ever associated debridement with ophthalmology, and I'd ask the vet if there's a veterinary ophthalmologist to whom you could talk or bring Pip for a second opinion.

[Candace]

I have never heard of this procedure, either. I have nursed two pugs through corneal ulcers and they both had grafts done. They both have most of their vision, through this procedure. I would always get the opinion of an opthalmologist when it comes to eyes.

[lashwish]

It was a possibility for Kramer, though he ultimately had surgery instead, since his eyelashes were constantly irritating the ulcer so it wouldn't heal.

Several times my regular vet just tried to wipe with swab which really didn't do much. The opthamalogist & my regular vet did talk of scraping a grid on the ulcer to help it heal (Im guessing thats what you are talking about).

Another vet also described the same process to me when Oscar cut his eye.

Have they tried serum mixed with his blood? That helped Oscar lots.

If he's going to be put under for that surgery, I'd be sure there isn't another irritant as in hairs or eyelashes, or another vet once told me of a case where grass was stuck under the lid which kept irritating eye.

[Old Mother Hubbard]

Nicky , we had this done on Winston. In hind sight I wish I had just gone to the eye specialist from day one because after a month of surgerys and meds thats where we ended up. Hugs to Pipster from us all.

[Snifter]

Poor Pip. Hugs to you both.

[H the P]

Sorry, but I haven't come across this treatment either, Nicky, so can't offer anything useful except lots of puggy hugs from us all.

[georgeandweezy]

Our cat had to have corneal debridement due to an ulcer. Usually, they will use a numbing drop in the eye and use a cotton swab to debride the surface.

Basically, you are trying to freshen the edges of the ulcer and irritate it enough to encourage healing.

Unfortunately, it didn't work on our cat, but it has worked on some dogs I've seen come in the clinic with corneal ulcers.

[Ben&Cricket]

No advice just well wishes...hope Pip gets better and would not need additional surgery!! God bless!