A variety of cacti thrive in Arizona, the most common of which are the prickly pear, cholla, saguaro, hedgehog cactus, barrel cactus and button cactus. The bristles and spines covering these cacti, especially the prickly pear and cholla are a frequent source of injuries in dogs’ and cats’ eyes.
At Eye Care for Animals, we often treat patients who present with spines impaled in or around the eye. Very often, these spines have penetrated the surface of the eye, reaching intraocular tissue, such as the iris or even the lens. In a few of our patients, we have seen spines that were completely embedded within the anterior chamber of the eye.


