Outcome of medical therapy for keratomalacia in dogs

To evaluate the clinical and visual outcomes following intensive medical therapy for keratomalacia in dogs.

Medical records were screened to identify dogs with corneal ulcers and keratomalacia. All patients were given the same topical treatment protocol with frequent administrations of tobramycin in combination with equine serum. Surgical treatment during the first 15 days of follow-up was considered as medical treatment failure.

We report on 57 ulcers with keratomalacia from 53 dogs. Medical treatment was successful in 31 of 57 ulcers with a median healing time of 5 days (range 2 to 15 days). At 60 days after epithelialisation, 14/15 medically-treated eyes were visual. In one case, corneal perforation was observed 1 month after healing and required surgical stabilisation.

Intensive medical therapy has the potential to achieve healing of some ulcers with keratomalacia. Surgical stabilisation in response to progression of stromal loss was required in less than half of the cases.