We took Andretti to the vet the other day and she said that he has pannus. She didn't know too much about it, but she gave us the name of an animal opthamologist (didn't even know they existed). She said it's pretty common with greyhounds. Does anyone know anything about it?

We recently took in a stud with pannus, his wasn't too severe, it requires daily drops. I'll look some up & post any details we had on it. We also got him a pr of doggles (dog goggles) which I can put you in touch w/the girl that sells those.
I'll be back

Our boy w/Pannus was 8 in feb. he had good vision straight ahead but had problems from the sides. The sun progresses the disease faster so the doggles will help when out for long periods. The ointment he used was about $20 for a tube that should last a few months so nothing terribly expensive.
This is another website someone posted for us

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If you need doggles & can't find any I post the grils email that got ours. I had to post on our forum to get her email again.....

OK, this is long but someone posted on our forum so I'll let you ck thru it: This is the last of it...Good luck!!!

The following is reprinted with permission of The Animal Eye Clinic, Seattle, WA.
Pannus, or Chronic Superficial Keratitis, is a slowly progressive disorder of the canine cornea, characterized by pigmentation, vascularization and opacification. The disorder is seen predominantly in the German Shepherd Dog, but sporadic cases occur in other breeds and mixed breeds as well.

The cause is not known, but several factors are probably involved:

The breed incidence suggests a heritable predisposition.

Ultraviolet radiation plays an important role as an inciting and propagating factor. In keeping wit this, dogs living at high altitudes and low latitudes often are more severely affected.

Immunological factors are believed to contribute. This may be an allergic type of reaction against extraneous materials or against the corneal substance itself.

Many infectious agents have been incriminated, but probably none plays any significant role.

Signs
The first evidence of this disorder is usually infiltration into the clear cornea, causing white, pink or brown opacification. This invariably starts at the edge of the clear cornea and extends inward. The most common location is at the outer, lower corner of the eye.

Initially, redness and brown pigment may be seen in the mucous membrane just outside the edge of the cornea. Whitish infiltrates of inflammatory cells into the cornea ensue, followed by ingrowth of new blood vessels into the normally avascular cornea. Later, connective tissue grows in, and finally the tissue is pigmented brown.

In a small number of cases, two other symptoms may occur, simultaneously or one at a time. These are thickening, redness and depigmentation of the third eyelid (atypical Pannus) and chronic, erosive ulcers of the lower eyelid near the inner corner of the eye.

When acute or progressing, the disorder may be uncomfortable to the dog. When kept under adequate treatment, the disorder normally does not cause irritation.

Treatment
Despite intensive research efforts, no permanent cure exists. However, in the vast majority of cases, progress of the disorder can be halted and the problem kept stable, especially if therapy is instituted early. The two initially occurring components, the inflammatory cell infiltrations and the vessel invasion, usually are reversible with therapy, whereas the final connective tissue and pigment depositions often are irreversible once they have occurred.

There are three categories of treatment:

1. Corticosteroid treatment, administered by intermittent injections under the mucous membrane of the eye, and/or continuous application of eye drops. This is the main line of defense against progression of the disorder and most often suffices. However, treatment must be kept up consistently for the rest of the dog's life. Even short periods of interrupted treatment, for example 2 to 4 weeks, may cause severe recurrence with devastating effects on the dog's vision.

2. A recent addition to our choices of treatment for Pannus is topical 2% Cyclosporine. This drug suppresses the immune response in a manner unlike that of corticosteroids, and, in conjunction with corticosteroid usage, can aid in control of both typical (i.e. corneal) and atypical (i.e. third eyelid) Pannus.

3. Beta-irradiation may be used when medication alone proves insufficient, but it is seldom available in most cities.

4. Excision of a superficial layer from the affected area may restore vision in opacified eyes. This is called keratectomy. However, the recurrence rate postoperatively is high and this method remains only as a last resort.

The main side-effect of prolonged typical corticosteroid treatment is an adverse effect on corneal wound healing. Microscopic wounds of the superficial layer of the cornea occur very commonly and heal rapidly in a normal eye. Under the influence of continuing corticosteroid treatment, minor wounds may progress and can even cause rupture of the eye. The hallmark of such a wound is pain. Therefore, should a dog in corticosteroid treatment show signs of pain (i.e. holding the eye shut or pawing at the eye), it is imperative that the medication be discontinued and a veterinarian consulted.

It is strongly recommended that reexaminations be closely followed. Initially these examinations may need to be bimonthly, and if medical control is obtained then these may be stretched to semiannually. It is imperative that owners contact their veterinarian at any time between scheduled examinations if the appearance of the eye changes.

Is it Dr Robert English in Cary??
He is one of the best!! He saw my little dachshund for dry eye and now sees my afghan hound for corneal lipid deposits and allergies.
Keep us updated! As far as I know, Pannus can be kept under control with meds.

Maybe you'll have to get Andretti some doggles :

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And here you can see my little doxie Baby Ruth modeling doggles :

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(Baby Ruth is now in doxie heaven and doesn't need doggles anymore.)