Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rat terrier eye infection from tarantula hairs and fungus
By Reed, Zoe et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2016·From Eye Care for Animals·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tarantula Hair Keratoconjunctivitis with Concurrent Fungal Infection in a Rat Terrier.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old Rat Terrier developed a painful eye condition with corneal ulceration and conjunctivitis after digging in dry leaves in northern Arizona. The vet found tiny foreign bodies in the dog's left eye that couldn't be removed manually. To help the eye heal, the vet had to surgically remove the affected tissue. It turned out that the foreign bodies were hairs from a tarantula, and there was also a fungal infection involved. After the surgery, the dog's eye condition improved, confirming the link between tarantula hairs and eye problems in pets.
People also search for: dog eye infection tarantula hair · Rat Terrier corneal ulcer treatment · dog conjunctivitis causes
Abstract
A 9 yr old rat terrier presented with corneal ulceration and conjunctivitis that developed acutely after digging among dry leaves in wooded northern Arizona. Ophthalmic examination revealed multiple linear foreign bodies throughout the adnexal tissue and cornea of the left eye. Manual removal of material was unsuccessful. The palpebral conjunctiva required excision with tenotomy scissors to remove structures and allow corneal healing. Microscopic examination revealed structures believed to be setae from a Theraphosidae tarantula. This was confirmed morphologically by an entomologist and by comparison with hairs from a captive spider of the suspected species. The excised tissue also contained fruiting bodies, hyphae, and microconidia consistent with Aspergillus spp. The captive spider hairs also cultured positive for Aspergillus, suggesting a relationship between this fungus and tarantulas in captivity and in their native habitat. This is the first report in the veterinary literature to confirm tarantula hair as the causative agent in keratoconjunctivitis and corneal ulceration, adding it to the list of differential diagnoses for ocular foreign body. This is also the first report to suggest a relationship between Aspergillus and tarantulas of the Theraphosidae family, which should be considered in the diagnostics and treatment of patients with suspected tarantula hair keratoconjunctivitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27685360/