Eye Injury — Eye Injuries Lose Function in Hours

Types of Eye Emergency

1. Corneal scratch/ulcer — squinting, watery eye, cloudy spot, pawing at face
2. Foreign object — visible debris, hay, branch, claw scratch
3. Proptosis — eyeball partially or fully out of socket (Frenchie classic)
4. Blunt trauma — hit by ball, dog fight, fence collision
5. Chemical exposure — shampoo, cleaning product, citrus oil

For PROPTOSIS (Eye Out of Socket)

• ❌ DO NOT push eye back in — permanent damage
• ❌ DO NOT let cornea dry out
• ✅ Apply sterile saline or contact-lens solution every 30 seconds on clean gauze
• ✅ Cover loosely with damp clean cloth (NOT pressure)
• ✅ Cone or muzzle dog so they can't paw at it
• ✅ CALL ER WHILE DRIVING — they need to prep for tarsorrhaphy (suturing eye back in)
• Goal: operating table within 60 minutes

For FOREIGN OBJECT

• ❌ DO NOT try to remove — even a "small" stick fragment can be embedded into the cornea
• ❌ DO NOT rub or wipe
• ✅ Saline rinse ONLY if surface debris is loose (sand, grass)
• ✅ Cone the dog, transport

For CHEMICAL EXPOSURE

• ✅ Flush with saline or clean tap water for 15 MINUTES MINIMUM — only home intervention that saves vision in chemical burns
• Use syringe, sports bottle, or shower
• Then transport to ER

For CORNEAL SCRATCH (Squinting, Tearing, Cloudy)

• ✅ Cone immediately to prevent self-trauma
• ❌ DO NOT use human eye drops — many contain steroids that PERFORATE ulcers
• ✅ Vet within 12 hours for fluorescein stain test (orange dye, glows green on ulcers under blue light)

Why Frenchies Extra Vulnerable

• Shallow orbits — eye sits more exposed than long-nosed breeds
• Large palpebral fissures — eyelids don't fully cover cornea even when "closed"
• Decreased corneal sensation — Frenchies don't blink as much because they don't FEEL surface damage
• Proptosis can occur with minimal trauma — even rough scruffing by groomer, harness pull, or play tumble
• Skin folds + ingrown hairs rub on cornea daily

Cost of Emergency Eye Surgery

• Tarsorrhaphy (proptosis replacement): $1,500-4,000 + $1,000+ follow-up
• Enucleation (eye removal): $500-2,000
• Corneal ulcer treatment: $300-800 simple; $2,000-5,000 if grafting needed
• Pet insurance: Frenchies typically eligible only with eye-issue exclusion if pre-existing — get coverage BEFORE first incident

Recovery and Follow-Up

After tarsorrhaphy:

• Eye sutured shut for 2-4 weeks
• Topical antibiotics every 4-6h (vet-prescribed)
• Oral anti-inflammatory (vet-prescribed)
• Cone 24/7
• Recheck weekly

Possible complications: blindness, glaucoma, dry eye (KCS) requiring lifelong cyclosporine, corneal ulceration recurrence.

Time-Critical Takeaway

Eye injuries lose function in HOURS, not days.

• Squinting + cloudy spot at noon = vet by 6pm, NOT next morning
• Corneal ulcer 1mm at 9am = potential perforation by 9pm