A disease resembling the "ophthalmia tarsi" of the human subject sometimes attacks dogs, particularly in connexion with eczematous mange.

Symptoms

Minute pustules form at the roots of the eyelashes, on the edges of the lids; the pustules soon break and pour out a discharge, which, drying into crusts, mats the hairs together, and agglutinates the lids. The ulcerative action extends deeper and deeper, destroying the hair-bulbs, and leading to loss of the eyelashes.

Treatment

The treatment, to be effectual, should be resorted to early. The eyes should be carefully washed night and morning to prevent accumulation of scabs, and to enable the local application to reach the diseased surface. For the latter purpose, it is also advisable to clip the eyelashes off, close to the lids. A soft sponge wrung out of warm water is the best means of softening the adherent crusts, which can then be easily removed. An ointment composed of five grains of Mercurius corrosivus, first decimal trituration, and one ounce of simple cerate, will be found highly efficacious, and it should be thoroughly applied, after each cleansing of the lids, with a camel's-hair pencil. At the same time, one drop of the sixth dilution of Merc. cor. should be given night and morning.