My dog's eyes are bulging... (Answer at end of week!)

RE: My dog's eyes are bulging... (Answer at end of week!)

Julian Earl — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 20:38:03 GMT

Have you used ultrasound to visualise behind the globe? I have and it can be effective at identifying abscessation behind the globe or other soft tissue mass.. But I . have picked up retrobulbar abscessation using this. It may or might not require sedation even GA to keep the patient still. If sedation then topical anaesthesia of the cornea helps a lot as well

RE: My dog's eyes are bulging... (Answer at end of week!)

Noweia — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 17:58:33 GMT

Has anyone seen a mediastinal lesion causing this degree of exophthalmos?

RE: My dog's eyes are bulging... (Answer at end of week!)

Beats — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 19:54:28 GMT

So this was (presumed) extraocular myositis of the Golden Retriever. Well done to everyone who knew / Googled that!

Here's my (non-expert) take on answers:

1) Golden Retreiver

2) Exophthalmus - bulging eyes - (causing mild lateral strabismus?), no protrusion of third eyelids [as often happens with retrobulbar causes] and no conjunctivitis/episcleritis, instead marked "scleral show" with white rim of sclera 360degrees around eyeball visible.

3) Extraocular myositis of the Golden Retriever

4) Glucocorticoid of choice (anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive) +/- a "steroid-sparing" immunosuppressive (mycophenolate / azathioprine / ciclosporin). This dog had prednisolone 1mg/kg q12hours initially and Mycophenolate (TEVA) 250mg q12hrs [pennies).

5) To include other myositides and zygomatic salivary gland issues? I didn't think anything else seemed very probable in this case when seen in the flesh.

Can read a more educated case report, with discussion of testing options to confirm diagnosis, with similar photo here:

http://vetneuromuscular.ucsd.edu/cases/2013/August.html

or a 2009 opinion piece from the author of the largest case series if you can access Small animal and exotics: Proceedings of the North American Veterinary Conference, Orlando, Florida, USA, 17-21 January: 2009 pp.993-994 [my link doesn't seem to work when pasted here]

Full David Williams case series and review from veterinary clinics north america 2008 freely available to read at:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5553322_Extraocular_Myositis_in_the_Dog

RE: My dog's eyes are bulging... (Answer at end of week!)

Anthony Dennison — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 14:36:40 GMT

I would agree with extraocular myositis, but would also want to ask if the dog had any other neurological issues - could be an intracranial lesion

RE: My dog's eyes are bulging... (Answer at end of week!)

Edward Jones — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 09:04:01 GMT

As above, except to add

3) Initially considered tetanus, whilst Dr Google suggests extraocular myositis is more likely given the breed (don't think I've heard of it previously).

4) Every good myositis deserves steroids (as suggested by Dr Google too).

RE: My dog's eyes are bulging... (Answer at end of week!)

Lucy Fleming — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 08:27:34 GMT

1) A golden retriever (?)

2) Bilateral exophthalmos or (buphthalmos)

3) Don't know, and no time to google as I have a consultation here...

4) Depends on the diagnosis...

5) Taking a problem based approach... Something causing both eyes to be pushed forward in the orbit (bilateral space occupying lesion, a myositis causing muscle swelling) or something causing swelling of both globes (eg increased intra-ocular pressure)

Can I add a questions 6) What investigation could you do to confirm diagnosis?