11/24/2025
FYI - All intact female dog owners
Have your heard of Bilateral Extraorbital Polymyositis (BEP)? I never had till my dog Vogue's slight eye irritation quickly progressed to swollen eye orbitals, enlarged/red eyeballs, a blank/fixed stare then increasing loss of sight. Since most vets are not familiar with this rare, non-heritable condition (only seen in intact female dogs) it is often misdiagnosed because it does just present initially as a slight eye irritation, eye pressures may even remain normal and blood work may show as just an infection (high WBC, neutrophils and monocytes).
BEP is an immune/hormone mediated disorder wherein the immune system recognizes the extraocular muscle fibers as "abnormal" and mounts an inflammatory response against these muscles which results in their inflammation and impingement on the optic nerve.
This is a serious condition that must be diagnosed and treated ASAP. There is alot more to this (too much to cover here), so please do your research and seek veterinary support.
We were extremely fortunate in that Dr. David Ramsey (licensed veterinary ophthalmologist in Williamston, MI) who has recognized and published on this condition, saw us ASAP.
Vogue continues her treatment and we are hopeful for a full recovery.
We just wanted to share this information so that it could benefit/help others.
Note: I am not a licensed veterinarian, and this information should not be considered veterinary counsel. Please seek the appropriate professional veterinary support for all animal health matters.
