Greyhound Eye Disease – Pannus
Pannus is a disorder that affects the eye of the greyhound, and will eventually lead to blindness if it’s not managed.
It is not painful in its early stages, causes no discharge from the eye, and may be hard to see unless you look closely at your greyhound’s eyes in a good light. If it is not diagnosed or treated, the disease will slowly cover the clear part of the eye (the ‘cornea’) until the dog can no longer see.
Pannus is seen most commonly in German Shepherd’s, but is also found in Collies, Poodles, Dachshunds and Greyhounds. There is thought to be a significant genetic inheritance, with certain families and lines within a breed more severely affected, but environmental factors also play a part in the development of the disease.
What does it look like?
Pannus symptoms generally start to appear when the dog reaches 2-5 years of age. In the beginning you may only notice that the edge of the cornea seems more pigmented (coloured) than before – kind of like ‘freckles’ developing near the edge of the eye – or there may be a hazy/greyish colour to the edge of the clear part of the eye. Generally the disease will occur in both eyes, starting at about the same time, but the lesions do not necessarily look the same.
As the disease progresses, Pannus lesions may simply look like brown pigment ‘growing’ onto the surface of the eye, or it may appear more inflamed with a ‘greyish-pink’ colour (which is the eye’s version of scar tissue). If you look closely, you might even see small blood vessels growing onto the eye surface. The colour change to the clear part of the eye starts at the outside edges and spreads inwards until the entire eye surface is covered, leaving no clear window for light to enter the eye – making the dog blind.
What causes it?
Pannus is thought to be an auto-immune disease. This means the body actually starts to attack itself. The genetic predisposition to develop pannus is inherited – so it tends to affect certain breeds and certain families within these breeds more than others.
The other factor thought to contribute to pannus is exposure to Ultra-Violet (UV) light. This exposure to UV light is thought to trigger the start of the reaction, or to make the reaction worse, so it is important to keep affected dogs out of bright light, especially in the summer months when the UV level is high. Even if exposure to UV light is not the cause of the disease, the rate of progression increases with exposure to high levels of UV light (from sun light, or reflected light from water).
Can it be treated?
Once the disease has started, there is no ‘cure’ that completely eliminates pannus. All treatments are directed at slowing the progression of the pigmented lesions and to prevent flare-ups. The most commonly used treatment is cortisone eye drops, which are administered daily. The cortisone slows the immune reaction that causes the pigment, and hence slows the progression of the disease. Cortisone may also be combined with cyclosporine drops which also help control the symptoms.
What should I do if I suspect one of my greyhounds may be affected by pannus?
The first thing to do is to consult your veterinarian. They will be able to do an eye examination, and discuss the disease with you. They can also refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist (eye specialist for dogs) who can give more specific advice and recommend treatments for more severe cases. Getting to the disease early gives the best chance of treatment, so don’t hesitate – take the greyhound to the vet for a check up.
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Meet our dogs ready for adoption
All greyhounds adopted from GAP are de-sexed, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and health checked.
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Benny
Berlin
Boofa
Croc ARP
Meet Croc! He is enthusiastic and happy about everything and anything! He takes everything in his stride and will happily fit in to most homes. Croc may suit living with or without a canine pal of any size or breed and children aged 10 years and older. Sorry no apartments for his active boy.
Croc is part of our Assisted Rehoming Program (ARP). We have behavioural and health assessed this lovely dog, and they will remain with their racing owners until they find an adoptive home, at which point they are brought back into GAP. This means that should you be interested in adopting this dog, we are bringing the dog into GAP on the understanding that you will be adopting this particular dog, and no other dogs currently in our care.
Chandler ARP
Meet Chandler, no he isn't like the Chandler from friends, he is quite the oposite really. He is an introvert and enjoys the quiet life. He finds new people and new environments a bit scary and takes a hot minute to warm up to people, then he becomes friendly and personable. Chandler may suit living with or without a canine friend of any size or breed and children aged 10 years and older, he may find the smallest children too scary. A quiet home will be best for this Chandler.
Chandler is part of our Assisted Rehoming Program (ARP). We have behavioural and health assessed this lovely dog, and they will remain with their racing owners until they find an adoptive home, at which point they are brought back into GAP. This means that should you be interested in adopting this dog, we are bringing the dog into GAP on the understanding that you wil be adopting this particular dog, and no other dogs currently in our care.
Dancer
Dizzy ARP
Meet Dizzy, she is quite the introvert and can be cautious and anxious of new people and environments. She will require a quiet home and understanding owner to give her time and patience to guide her into pet life and help find her inner confidence. Once she warms up to you, she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, just look at those gorgeous eyes, once she trusts you she is very sweet and personable. Dizzy may suit living with or without a canine friend of any size or breed and may do best in a home with older children aged 10 years and above as he may little people a bit scary.
Dizzy is part of our Assisted Rehoming Program (ARP). We havebehavioural and health assessed this lovely dog, and they will remain withtheir racing owners until they find an adoptive home, at which point they arebrought back into GAP. This means that should you be interested in adoptingthis dog, we are bringing the dog into GAP on the understanding that you willbe adopting this particular dog, and no other dogs currently in our care.
Molly Moo ARP
Meet the sweetest girl, Molly Moo! She is a bit of an introvert and can be a bit cautious and anxious of new people and environments, but she tries really hard to be brave. Once she trusts, you are welcome into her 'circle' with her gentle friendly nature. She is easy to handle and walks well on the lead. With her puppy years long behind her, she is longing for her own plushy bed for her to sleep for hours on end! She may suit living with or without a confident canine companion of any size and children aged 10 years and older. Due to her gentle nature she may suit living with the elderly.
Molly Moo is part of our Assisted Rehoming Program (ARP). We have behavioural and health assessed this lovely dog, and they will remain with their racing owners until they find an adoptive home, at which point they are brought back into GAP. This means that should you be interested in adopting this dog, we are bringing the dog into GAP on the understanding that you will be adopting this particular dog, and no other dogs currently in our care.
Harrison ARP
Meet handsome Harrison or Harry for short, he is a lovely fawn boy who is at the perfect age for adoption, he will likely happily sleep for hours and only wake up for walks and food! Harry is looking for a home with or without a canine friend of similar size and children aged 10 years and older.
Harrison is part of our Assisted Rehoming Program (ARP). We have behavioural and health assessed this lovely dog, and they will remain with their racing owners until they find an adoptive home, at which point they are brought back into GAP. This means that should you be interested in adopting this dog, we are bringing the dog into GAP on the understanding that you will be adopting this particular dog, and no other dogs currently in our care.
Wicket