Topical hypertonic saline as a treatment for ocular and nasal hirudiniasis in a dog
Case report published in Australian Veterinary Journal (2023)
Abstract
This case report describes ocular and nasal leech infestation (hirudiniasis) in a dog. The patient presented for a suspected ocular foreign body. The patient was sedated to allow proper examination, which revealed a leech foreign body attached to the bulbar conjunctiva adjacent to the inferotemporal limbus of the left eye. A 3.5% hypertonic saline solution was applied topically to the eye in four sequential drops, until the leech detached itself and was removed with a cotton bud. The affected eye was found to have a small corneal ulcer, a small area of scleral haemorrhage, and prominent lymphoid follicles within the third eyelid. Approximately 5 min after the leech was removed, another leech emerged from the left nostril. The patient was sent home on chloramphenicol ointment for treatment of the corneal ulcer, was rechecked 4 days later by an American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology resident (PM) and found to have a normal ocular exam. This case report highlights that topical hypertonic saline solution (3.5%) can be an effective and easily prepared treatment for ocular and nasal hirudiniasis in veterinary patients.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
Veterinary case of ocular and nasal hirudiniasis in a dog managed with topical 3.5% hypertonic saline causing detachment of leeches without trauma.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This case report describes ocular and nasal hirudiniasis (leech infestation) in a dog presenting with a suspected ocular foreign body, where a leech was found attached to the bulbar conjunctiva and a second leech later emerged from the nostril. Topical application of 3.5% hypertonic saline in four sequential drops induced spontaneous leech detachment; the associated corneal ulcer healed with chloramphenicol ointment, with a normal ocular exam at the 4-day recheck. This is relevant to ASH's domain because it documents a practical, easily prepared leech detachment technique that may inform scenarios where leeches must be safely disengaged. The finding is limited to a single veterinary case report, and the context is parasitic hirudiniasis rather than therapeutic hirudotherapy, so generalizability to clinical practice is constrained.
Citation
Topical hypertonic saline as a treatment for ocular and nasal hirudiniasis in a dog.
Perry EN et al. · Australian veterinary journal, 2023
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