German Shepherd Pannus
german shepherd pannus
Does anyone have a german shepherd with pannus??? I am trying to find out more about it.?
She is almost blind and I wondered if anyone has any ideas on how to care for her as far as making things easier for her.
I was wondering if anyone has any ideas as what to do as far as keeping her from hurting herself, she is always running into everything. Also how to tell if she has any pain?
Chronic Superficial Keratitis (Pannus) is a disease seen most commonly in the German Shepherd, but does occur in other breeds. A progressive change occurs where blood vessels and scar tissue invade the cornea and severe cases can involve most or all of the corneal surface area resulting in blindness. With chronicity the affected areas become black with pigmentation.
It is believed that Pannus is an immune mediated disease. That is, some subcellular change has occurred in the cornea which the immune system then recognizes as abnormal resulting in an immune mediated attack in the cornea almost as if the cornea was foreign or transplanted tissue. It is suspected that the German Shepherd has a genetic predisposition to this disease, but the damage to the cornea which starts everything is thought to be associated with ultraviolet radiation.
Pannus is diagnosed world wide, however it is well recognized that cases of pannus are more severe and harder to treat in areas of higher elevation, supporting the UV radiation theory. It is hypothesized that dissipation of the ozone layer has resulted in greater exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
It makes sense then to treat Pannus with medications that locally suppress the immune reaction. Steroids (such as dexamethasone and prednisolone) are anti-inflammatory medications which provide some immunosupression as a side effect. Cyclosporine, is a drug which has immunosupression as it’s primary mode of action, and applied topically alone or in combination with steroids often results in better control of Pannus than the use of steroid alone.
With treatment, the active vascularization and granulation tissue often resolves, but the scarring and pigmentation may improve somewhat slowly or not at all.
Reduction of exposure to ultraviolet radiation is also helpful in the longterm control of Pannus. Keeping the dog indoor during the sunniest part of the day; providing a doghouse shelter; or trying a specialty pair of canine sunglass goggles called Doggles may prove very helpful.
Since Pannus is an immune mediated disease, it is managed by treatment but not cured. Ongoing treatment for life is needed to maintain vision.
German Shepherd Dog Keratitis?
Unfortunately, my dog has just been diagnosed with pannus (German Shepherd Dog Keratitis). I’ve caught it early enough that she still maintains a good amount of vision – it’s like she’s seeing over a ledge. However, I’m still a little curious about the disease.
Not so much as what the disease does or the medical portion of it. But how this might affect my dog’s life. I’m trying out the steroid drops right now, and so I’m hoping that this will do the trick to halt the progression.
Does the disease seem to slow down the dog’s average life? My dog is 2 years old, so she has a long life ahead of her. I’m not going to give up on her, or hand her in to a rescue/shelter/etc. So, no need to tell me not to do that – she is family and I refuse to give her up.
I’d appreciate anyone to share stories they have had with this disease.
Please, if you haven’t experienced this disease first hand, with a friend, or a family member don’t post your opinions.
Thanks!
Unfortunately, Pannus is one of the most popular diseases of GSD’s. She will be on eye meds for the rest of her life. I’ve never heard of it shortening their lives. You really need to try to keep her out of direct sunlight. So, if she’s an outdoor dog (which I hope not) you will need to build her a shelter to stay under. As the disease progresses, they do lose vision. Is it in both eyes?
Here’s a link http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0087.htm
Good luck!
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