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Puppy might lose his eye.

59 replies

needastrongone · 20/02/2013 18:23

I am crying...

We were out on our afternoon walk today. We were having a super time, he was being his usual silly self, eating all the horse poo he could find, sniffing, charging around, making me laugh.

He scrabbled in the undergrowth as usual then came out scratching at his eye. I called him and he came over. A thorn was stuck right in his eyeball. he let me pull it out, I did this without thinking, now wonder if I should have left it. His eye shut immediately.

Luckily we were 5 minutes from home. Called the vet, I have a plan with them thankfully. Was down there in 20 minutes so less than an hour since it happened.

His inner eyelid (that might be wrong) had closed over, so the vet put in an anasthetic to open up the pupil etc. He couldn't see the damage (or not) but said the puppy was extremely unlucky, the last time he saw such a direct trauma to the eye like this was 4years ago.

I now have antibiotics, two types of eye drops, some other tablets and an appointment tomorrow. No idea whether there's long term damage or not at this stage.

Feel rather crap. I love him whatever but I still feel crap.

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VivaLeBeaver · 20/02/2013 18:26

Bless you, it's not your fault. Most people would have done the same, it's just instinctive.

Hopefully puppy will be fine. If he does lose his eye he will still be fine. He'll get used to only having vision in one eye very quickly. A friend has a dog that's 100% blind, has been since a pup. You'd barely realise as he runs about like mad still.

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needastrongone · 20/02/2013 18:27

I might have got the medical bit wrong, the inner eyelid had closed over, making it difficult for the vet to see any trauma, he out in some drops to make the pupil large I think?

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fanoftheinvisibleman · 20/02/2013 18:36

Oh poor puppy Sad.

I can't speak for dogs obviously but I have seriously lazy eye that is basically useless and the only thing I have ever struggled with is 3D films and I doubt your pup will care for those.

I hope he is ok.

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ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 20/02/2013 18:41

Oh, you poor thing. I can imagine how upset you are, but honestly it was just an accident. Try not to jump ahead to the worst case scenario just yet. Also, I know a one eyed dog and he gets by extremely well, so if the worst does happen your pup will cope. I have a cocker/springer cross and he hedge dives all the time, it's pure luck that he hasn't hurt his eyes tbh.

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TheChimpParadox · 20/02/2013 18:51

see if your vet will refer you an a specialist or ask.

Have been through it all with an infection that turned into an eye ulcer with our pooch - specialist was fab - she is partially sighted in one eye but aslong as she has her nose then she will be fine.

You have my sympathy re the eye drops.. at one stage I had different lots and one lot had to be put in every two hours !

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TheChimpParadox · 20/02/2013 18:53

fanoftheinvisibleman - I have a lazy eye and dont even bother with 3D films any more - when I have seen one I get a headache ..

Me and my dog make a right pair !

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tabulahrasa · 20/02/2013 19:22

Oh dear...

I had a dog years ago that had to have an eye out - he was about 12 at the time and he coped absolutely fine, so a puppy should adjust even easier than an old dog.

We had to watch him a bit for traffic because his depth perception wasn't great, but you can't really trust dogs near traffic anyway, so really it didn't have any impact on his life at all.

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Floralnomad · 21/02/2013 10:27

Fingers and paws crossed for your puppy , I hope he's feeling better this morning . Also its a natural reaction to pull something out and he would probably have done more damage if he'd kept scratching at it anyhow .

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groovejet · 21/02/2013 10:38

Poor pup and poor you.

When we first had Flynn he injured his eye and punctured his eyeball, so can understand your fear.

The vets weren't optimistic but after medicine and eye drops and lots of vets visits over 2 weeks, he ended up being lucky and no lasting damage, just a tiny white patch which the vets say isn't affecting his vision.

I am sure the vets told you, but if you have the eye drops that force his pupil to dilate make sure you keep the house fairly dim, no direct sunlight or lighting our vets were very strict about this.

Hope your puppy is ok.

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Whippoorwhill · 21/02/2013 11:53

Oh poor thing. That must have been horrible for you too. Fingers crossed that all is well but as everyone else said, it would have very little impact on him if he was to lose the eye.

Fingers crossedcthough.

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Marne · 21/02/2013 12:37

My pup got scratched across the eyeball by our cat a few weeks ago, the vet put dye in his eye which showed a deep scratch Sad, we were given drops and he had anti-b's and pain killer injections. He recovered very fast and his sight now seems fine. I hope your pup has the same outcome.

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Jayne266 · 21/02/2013 13:52

Get referred and see if the eye can be saved am in the northwest and am near the eye vet.

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SpicyPear · 21/02/2013 14:31

So sorry to hear that Sad Don't beat yourself up though, it was just a horrible accident.

Hope he gets well soon.

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needastrongone · 21/02/2013 18:19

Oh thank you for your kind thoughts. I am in bits tbh, I really feel like this was my fault and that if only I had walked him somewhere else etc.

Been back at the vets today but vet has referred him to an ophthalmologist tomorrow, he just can't see how deep the trauma is. Puppy looks like he has a glass eye but is fine otherwise and has had a busy day 'helping' dh shovel gravel.

I just love him so much!!

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needastrongone · 21/02/2013 18:19

I really do appreciate your kindness, thank you!

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tabulahrasa · 21/02/2013 18:35

Oh it's not at all your fault - snorting about in undergrowth is what dogs do.

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TheChimpParadox · 21/02/2013 18:43

Vet ophthalmologists are great - did you know that they can put contact lenses in dogs to help protect the eye when healing ?

Keep us updated .

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needastrongone · 21/02/2013 19:34

No I didn't know that! Crickey, you do wonder how on earth they manage in the wild, amazing stuff.

I know, just feel so crap for him, he's such a good little thing. He was so overjoyed to see me today (usually I am at home and dh at work, today vice versa) that he ran at full pelt round the whole outside of the house (gates open as dh shovelling gravel) about 12 times then collapsed at my feet exhausted!!

His eye looks so awful though... Poor love.

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needastrongone · 22/02/2013 14:29

Well, we are back from seeing the opthamologist. It isn't very good news I am afraid. I am armed with 3 different sets of eye drops and three different sets of antibiotics to administer over the weekend.

He has the worst form of eye injury, the thorn has puntured the centre of his eye and the matter has leaked. He has three options.

  1. A (sort of) miracle happens and hitting the injury hard with all this medication will ensure the injury is treated with said medication only. Unlikely (highly, very highly) but not impossible.
  2. He operates on Monday morning and takes the cornea (I think) off, rather like a cateract operation but harder as the eye is so inflamed and injured. This will save the eye and retain some vision but he will be on eyedrops for the rest of his life and might buy him a few years at most, he will then lose the eye. I will have to visit him monthly to reassess. This might not even work anyway. He would have to have no exercise or activity for 8 weeks and eyedrops at intervals throughout the day, I would have to consider taking an extended break for work to deal with this, which I would do.
  3. The eye is taken out. This might happen anyway as the weekend unfolds and nature takes it's course, despite all the medication intervention.


Naturally I am shaken and gutted for my puppy and have terrible guilt. Half of me wants to try to save his sight, but a part of me thinks that we should bite the bullet while he is so young and let him lose his eye. If we didn't have lifetime cover insurance, then really the only option is to take it out anyway.

Still crying I am afraid...... I love him immensely and always will..... but I feel to awful for him.
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Floralnomad · 22/02/2013 14:34

Oh dear , sorry to hear your news . TBH if I were in your position I'd have the eye removed if it down to options 2&3 . He will soon learn to adapt . Fingers crossed for the miracle X

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ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 22/02/2013 14:34

Oh, I am sorry :( But look at all you have done, and how much care you are providing. You are doing your very best. Your dog will cope if he loses the eye, honestly he will x

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ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 22/02/2013 14:35

I'm with Floral, btw. If he has to lose the eye, best to get it done and dusted.

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SpicyPear · 22/02/2013 14:38

Fingers and toes crossed for you that the medication works. I tend to think I would also go for option 3 if it comes to that so he can adjust whilst young and get on with his life.

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Floralnomad · 22/02/2013 14:41

How on earth would you keep him still for that long anyway ? Surely he'd only have to violently shake his head and it could be ruined,and how do you stop a dog shaking its head ?

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needastrongone · 22/02/2013 15:13

Thank you for your kind words.

Floral - I understand what you mean. Even being in the garden, I can't guarantee he won't do something to aggravate the injury. He charged around like a nutter with a JRT this morning, before I knew that I shouldn't let him, as our usual vet said keep walking him. There would only be so much training that I can do to tire him out. I had sort of wondered (although I haven't thought deeply obviously) that I could take him early in the morning and mid afternoon to some extremely quiet walks that I know to give us both a break. And, if I can't even play energetically in the house, what an earth will I do?

Sounds incredibly selfish but the ophthamologist is an hours drive away too, which is a lot of miles and petrol.

But I feel so defeatist if I don't try to save his vision, although my gut says bite the bullet.

He's in his crate now and I have left the room so he will have a good nap.

Ho hum..

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