Pannus is an immune-mediated corneal disease causing progressive blindness in predisposed dogs, requiring lifelong treatment to maintain vision and welfare.
Pannus represents a welfare challenge that worsens progressively without treatment and requires lifelong management. Vision is critical to dog welfare - blind dogs struggle to navigate environments, may develop anxiety, and cannot express normal visual behaviors. The welfare message is dual: prevent vision loss through appropriate UV protection and consistent treatment, and maintain treatment lifelong even when the condition appears controlled. Treatment withdrawal inevitably leads to recurrence. Dogs in high-UV environments benefit from protective eyewear (doggles) as an environmental welfare intervention alongside topical therapy.