[net.pets] German Shep Congenital Defect Query

marysue@hpfclk.UUCP (04/02/84)

>
I have an 8-month-old female german shepherd.  I was not very smart
about selecting a breeder, an it appears that I may have a puppy
with a congenital defect called "pannus".  I don't know much about
it, except that it is a growth of tissue on the eye, which, if left
untreated, will eventually overgrow the cornea and cause blindness.
The only treatments I know about are scraping of the cornea (under a
general anesthetic) and application of cortico-steroid eye drops
daily for the rest of her life.  This sounds pretty depressing to me.
Does anyone out there know anything more about it, like what causes
it, and does it ever go into remission, and are there any nutritional
or less invasive treatments?

This may be of general interest, so perhaps you could post responses.
Thanks.

Mary Sue Rowan
hpfcla!marysue