The keratitis

The cornea is put to a severe test by the dog's own activities: bramble bites, shocks, mechanical irritation, scratching and fighting.

In the event of even a slight injury, the cornea becomes bluish and the eyelids remain closed over the eye. What's more, the red vessels that snake over the conjunctiva (the white part) are usually thickened, and the conjunctiva appears pink instead of white. In such cases, a veterinarian should be consulted as soon as possible. Don't try to treat the condition yourself with drugstore eye drops. The steroidal anti-inflammatories present in many eye drops will prevent healing and lead to corneal ulceration.

Don't reuse an old eye drop, as their effectiveness lasts no longer than 15 days after opening.

It's important to remember that eye lesions often look impressive, but if treated quickly and correctly, they heal very well. In the event of an eye problem, it's very important to act quickly.

There's also chronic superficial keratitis in the German Shepherd, which results in brown pigmentation of the cornea. Treatment in this case is aimed at stabilizing the lesions, and should be continued for the rest of your dog's life.