The decision to put a dog through prosthetic eye surgery is difficult but necessary for some pet owners. Disease or injury can lead to a need to surgically remove a dog's eye and replace it with a prosthetic one.
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Reasons for Surgery
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The most common reason for prosthetic eye surgery for dogs is glaucoma. Other reasons include inflammation, abnormal cell growth and severe injury causing pain and blindness.
Enucleation and Orbital Prosthesis
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One type of prosthetic eye surgery is enucleation and orbital prosthesis, which entails removing the eyeball and replacing it with a black prosthetic ball. The dog's eyelids then are sutured shut. This gives the appearance of an eye still being in the socket.
Evisceration and Intrascleral Prostheses
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Evisceration and an intrascleral prosthesis replaces the dog's eyeball with a prosthetic ball, and the lids remain open. Your dog won't be able to see but still will be able to move the prosthesis and blink around it.
Features
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Prostheses are made either from silicone or methyl methacrylate spheres. A prosthetic device will not be used if there is an infection in the dog's eye socket.
Healing Time
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It will take about two weeks for your dog to recover from prosthetic eye surgery. It is important to make sure the dog does not rub or scratch the eye during the healing process.
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