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We were all playing down at the kennel when Monster came to me holding his eye shut... the 9 pups had been playing on a sand hill so I thought he may have gotten sand in it.... I couldn't see anything so I was concerned but thought it would flush itself out. The next morning (2 days ago) it was worse, so I got an emergency appointment at the vet. Apparently his eye got punctured by something very small, like a thorn or some type of plant matter (because he had a fungal infection on his cornea that clouded his brown eye milky blue.) We started him on anti-inflammatories and antibiotics and tried that for 24hrs.
When I went back yesterday, it had gotten worse which meant a decision had to be made if I wanted to take him to a specialist. I said absolutely. They asked if I could leave straight from their office because their was an Ophthalmologist at Cornell Univ Animal Hospital that could see him immediately... so Monster and I hit the interstate @ 90 mph in the dog truck for a 5 hour drive up to New York (I'm in PA for the summer to see family.) I got him there by about 5:30 pm and the vet was ready for us.
Basically we are looking at (and for) multiple infections in multiple parts of the eye. The outer eye isn't too good but from what I gathered, it all depends on the inner eye.... if that gets infected, its all over, they remove it. If they can get the outer eye under control and everything looks good, I can get him back on Monday or Tuesday.... then weekly checkups for 4 weeks up in NY. It is very possible that the inner eye could slowly get infected and the eye would still have to be removed, say, after 3 weeks even if it started looking better. So essentially we need to get the outer infection under control and then see if they they can see if the cornea needs surgery and if the lens got damaged and needs surgery as well.... that is if it looks like the inner eye has no infection.
So at this point I still don't really understand what is going on... they wont make any predictions either.... not even give me odds on losing the eye... we take it day by day for 4 weeks in the best case scenario.... if we know anything sooner, it will be because it is bad news.
...and obviously, this unfortunately may affect me seeing all of you in London
Animals are incredibly resiliant, and I believe that a puppy, jsut liek a ckitten (who depends even more on vision) can easily compensate, and after a few months you will never know anything is missing.
Hope it will turn out alright though, and good luck.
SN
I HATE to hear about dogs in pain. Hope he pulls through with a good recovery, sounds like he'd enjoy being out front...
Nick
First, he is REALLY in the right place. Well done on speeding him up there so quickly, Cornell are the best.
Secondly, while it is really very difficult to comment without actually seeing him of course, I would say his chances are pretty good. Age for one thing is hugely on his side. More times than I can remember I have seen pups recover without permanent damage from eye injuries that would definitely have been a disaster in an older dog.
Also we vets have a bit of a tendancy to outline all the bad things that might happen, because they might, and if we have not informed people about them then they are not making informed choices about what to do. So mentioning all the bad stuff does not necessarily mean it is that likely - just that it might happen. Mostly it doesn't.
On animals losing eyes in general, the one that most sticks in my mind is a Doberman who got a tumor on his left eye and had to have it removed. Then a year later got the same thing with the right eye and had that removed also. He was just amazing. He would run headlong up a field and stop dead inches from a tree - just as you thought he would surely collide with it. He lived happily for about 5 years and dies a very old Dobie. Great dog.
I know your case is very different. I hope he does well, but I think you can be happy at least that you did absolutely everything possible to ensure he would.
..... Shane
Apparently it really is *intensive* in the ICU... they are giving him drops every hour, he is getting shots in the tissue around/in the eye so that it slowly leaks out all day into the eye, he is on something like 5 or 6 antibiotics until they get a culture confirmed off a scraping they did the night he got admitted... so it sounds like they are all over it ...and calling me 2x a day with updates, which helps me out some too. I definitely understand why people hold Cornell in such high regard... they seem exceptionally capable.
>I definitely understand why people hold Cornell in such high regard... they seem exceptionally capable.
That sounds like a good chance!
this morning's update wasnt much of an update... things appear to be holding steady pretty much. Some of the damaged tissue seems to be getting softer and might start coming off, which is part of a healing process. In addition, some of the tissue around the damaged tissue seems a little less inflamed and appears that it might be starting to grow back to replace what is going to come off, which again means we might be over the hump. But still no word on a deep inner eye infection. Results of the culture from their scraping should be in tomorrow which may allow them to focus their efforts.
hope he makes it buddy.
netcommr, you might want to rethink that... Remember... they eat raw meat and run barefoot and naked in the snow...right now we are out the door @ 5:15am and running hills @ 6am on a ridgeline in the backwoods of PA to toughen them up.... might make your little beach jaunts look like a walk in the park:) But I might have a harness that will fit, and if you turn out decent, I'll let you ride in the cab on the way home:)
...again, thanks for the replies and stickies folks... lots of positive energy helps the healing process:)
he is doing much better...
Nick
My baby sister just started at Cornell as an undergrad. She was so excited to get in, and immediately went out and bought a whole bunch of Cornell merchandise. I'm glad to hear they're living up to their reputation, though much of the credit probably goes to the dog.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for him and you. :D
out the door @ 5:15amsorry bud, no can do. I sleep till noon... ;)
glad to hear they may release him.
The bad news (besides the bill) is that I think he will need me to medicate him all next week... so London appears out. It's really too much to ask anyone to medicate him for me... you have to hold him still and put 4 different ointments into his eye, 4X a day, plus 2 pills, 2X a day... and it's not as easy as it sounds:) There is an outside chance that either he won't need anymore by Wed, or that I could give him back to a local vet here, but it sounds like I'm grounded. If there's a way I'll try to come, but if not, take my water and go on without me.
Sorry you may nor be able to make it to London ... but sometimes we have to forgo things like that for the ones we love!
All the best,
Liane
Hope the recovery continues!
..... Shane
if i was closer, i would definately volunteer to medicate for you! (even though i know what a royal PITA it is- but i'm used to wrestling a 130 lb rottweiler...:) i know, when it's your baby, it's hard to trust anyone else anyway...
...now a 2 eyed Monster
