Cube Mark One Run

[victoriabunny]

Poor Charlie...he's a nearly 9-year-old Heinz 57 (part lurcher, part collie, part lab at a guess) from the dog's home who we've had for two fantastic years now. He really is the most amazing dog - loves everyone and is so full of character. On holiday last week we were throwing his ball on a long walk (his favourite thing!) and he ran smack into a gorse bush. He didn't seem to be hurt, but half an hour or so later we noticed his eye was full of blood - covering the whole surface of the eye. It wasn't bothering him but obviously looked awful so we took him to the local vet who examined it all really closely and said there was no foreign body in the eye but the gorse had scratched his cornea and punctured the eyeball. He said it looked minor and prescribed antibiotic drops and painkillers and asked to see him two days later. When we took him back he said the scratch was looking smaller, all seemed to be healing well and we should just see our own vet in a week's time.

 

All seemed well - the eye wasn't bothering Charlie at all. We kept up with the drops and I made a routine appointment. However, all this changed on Satuday - in the afternoon he suddenly seemed to be in extreme pain. He closed the eye and wouldn't open it, wouldn't eat (and he's a very greedy dog) and was just sitting holding his head at an angle. He also felt very hot. I was really worried so took him to the emergency vet that night who said the eye was cloudy but he didn't think it was too much to worry about. He gave him antibiotic and anti-inflammatory injections and asked to see him again in the morning. By the morning Charlie was much happier in himself, although he still wouldn't open his eye. The vet said the eye would probably take about ten days to heal and to just let him recover.

 

Anyway, there's been no improvement at all and he's just been looking so miserable so we took him back to the vet today. We saw a different vet this time who took one look at his eye (very cloudy) and said he needs to be seen by a specialist and is in extreme pain. So he's seeing the specialist first thing in the morning, and he's being starved overnight in case he needs surgery. She said there's a good chance he could lose the eye. I am devastated as neither of the other two vets even hinted that it was this severe. They didn't seem too concerned at all. She reviewed the notes and said they had both done a thorough job, but then I guess vets stick together like everyone else does. I feel so guilty that he's been in such pain and just wish I'd taken him on Tuesday instead of today, but the vet told me on Sunday to give it time and said it might be ten days before we saw any improvement. But I hate the thought that he's been in agony all this time and now might lose his eye. He is a very "visual" dog, if you see what I mean - loves looking out of windows, loves chasing his ball/small animals - will he cope with one eye if the worst happens? I am so upset and feel so guilty. Poor Charlie

[Ain't Nobody Here]

How awful, poor Charlie . Please don't blame yourself though, you did all the right things, taking him to the vet when it was obvious things weren't right. You couldn't have known how bad it was .

[Snowy]

Oh no, poor houndy But do not beat yourself up about it. If the worst comes to the worst I think you will be surprised at how well he does cope with it. They are very resilient! I have a friend whose springer is completely blind and you would never know it! He lives life to the full and hasn't a clue he is any different to any other dog

[poachedegg]

Fingers crossed for Charlie.

x

[Seagazer]

Please don't blame yourself. You did everything you could, sometimes the vets just don't realise how serious these things are.

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Charlie.

[Groovychook]

Poor Charlie & poor you

 

Hope he's on the mend soon...

Like others have said, I'm sure he'll cope very well if he does lose some sight.

 

Fingers crossed for him

[Lesley]

You really couldn't have done anymore, we trust Vets to guide us through things like this and you sought advice. Maybe it wasn't obvious, even to the Vets, at first.

 

Fingers crossed that all goes well.

[Space Chick]

Sending hugs to Charlie but I agree dogs can cope remarkably with losing sight, and he'd still have one good eye

 

My 15 year old terrier cross has cataracts, and definitely has lost some sight, but it has not changed him or his behaviour one bit

[Chucky Mama]

Try not to beat yourself up too much. Injured eyes can get infected and it is very painful when it happens. It sounds like everything was going well until the Saturday. You would have known about it if it was painful before then. They often go cloudy during the healing process. The specialist will know their stuff and will save the eye if there is any hope for it. If they can't he really will cope amazingly well without it. Good luck

[earthmam1]

Poor you and charlie

 

fingers crossed

 

sue

[bellekatz]

Poor Charlie - I know how you feel - have been taking my cat to see the eye specialist for some months now after he suddenly went blind but the vet has been brilliant and really knows his stuff and his eyesight is better if not perfect. It must have been getting worse for a while before we noticed him bumping into things - don't you just wish they could talk and tell you when things are not right? I'm sure this new vet will sort him out and if he can save his eye he will. Good Luck! and hugs to charlie from Simba who knows what he is going through!!

[meezers]

Any news on Charlie yet ? fingers crossed they can save his eye.

[The Dogmother]

Poor thing, I hope it can be sorted.

[franklyrabbit]

I imagine you're very busy and anxious today with Charlie but sending you my best and looking forward to hearing that all is well

[Couperwife]

oh poor charlie

you have done the best you can, you took him to the vet, its not your fault that its worse than you thought.

 

sending love and healing snuggles from us and piperkit (piperkit it by the door cos charlie might be quite big - and she is only little )

 

cathy

x

[Gamebird]

So sorry to hear about Charlie and my fingers are firmly crossed for him. Hopefully, the specialist will say that he just needs time to recover.

 

However, dogs are so adaptable and if he does lose his eye then the good eye will have no problems in compensating for the loss.

 

You have absolutely no need to feel guilty because we all know what a caring person your are, and as an owner, Charlie is in the best hands.

[victoriabunny]

Thanks so much for your best wishes everyone. It's been quite a day. I was instantly reassured by the specialist - just had such an air of confidence about him and obviously really knew his stuff. He had a good look and said it was a good sign that when he shone a light in the bad eye, the good one reacted, so the optic nerve wasn't damaged. When he tested the pressure for glaucoma it was too high, but not high enough to necessarily cause permanent damage. So the initial findings were good. He wanted to do an ultrasound so Charlie would need to be knocked out for that, so we left him there and came home with our fingers crossed.

 

After the ultrasound the vet phoned and was quite gloomy. The thorn had pierced the capsule containing the lens, and when that happens the immune system thinks the lens is a foreign body and starts attacking it - the eye was trying to self-destruct, basically. He said he wanted to try and operate to save the eye by removing the lens and the excess fluid, but there was a good chance that it wouldn't be a success and he would still lose the eye.

 

So he had the surgery, and then they phoned to tell us to collect him. He looked better straight away - the eye is less cloudy and he was opening it, which he's refused to do for days. He's got a buster collar on as he's got microscopic stitches in and it would take one sweep of a paw to pull them out. He's much happier in himself - he's not in pain now, so that's a big relief. The vet refused to speculate on his prognosis at this stage - he is going back on Tuesday, and we will know then whether the eye will be saved or not. If the pressure goes back up or he gets an infection there is nothing the vet can do. So everything now is about trying to ensure that doesn't happen - he's on steroid drops and tablets to keep the pressure in the eye down, antibiotic drops and tablets, and drops to reduce scarring in the eye. The drops all need doing once an hour but we have to leave 20 mins between doses, and as there are three lots that means he's having a drop every twenty minutes, all weekend! We can stop overnight but we have to the last one as late as possible and the next as early as possible the next morning. I want to give him the best possible chance so I can see us being up all night tonight...I am 6 weeks pregnant and so tired, but I want to do everything I can for him. So fingers crossed

[bellekatz]

Crossing all fingers and toes for you and charlie!

[Seagazer]

This new vet sounds very good and I hope that everything goes according to plan. I'm keeping everything crossed for him too.

 

You must feel shattered, I remember those early days of pregnancy only too well. Remember to take care of yourself too.

[Groovychook]

Best wishes for you & Charlie!

[Chucky Mama]

Thank goodness you have a good specialist to take over the case. Good luck and try to relax in between the chaos and look after yourself. Early pregnancy can be so exhausing.

[Gamebird]

It must be a relief for you to know that he is no longer in pain.

 

Good luck with the drops and fingers crossed for Tuesday.

[Gamebird]

Do you have any news on Charlie after his review yesterday?

 

I hope it's good news.

[victoriabunny]

The vet was cautiously pleased with his progress on Monday - the pressure has come right down in his eye and there was no sign of infection. He told us to continue with the drop regime (although we are now OK to leave him for a few hours during the day/at night, thank goodness!) and he's going back tomorrow. I am still worried though as the eye is as cloudy as ever and if you move your finger close to it he doesn't blink, so I don't think he's got any vision in it. The vet may operate again tomorrow to get more of the gunk out, but if that doesn't improve the cloudiness he may still end up having the eye removed. The problem is that although he's not in pain now and quite happy in himself, as he can't see he doesn't close his eye if there's a branch or other hazard near it - so he won't ever be able to go off his lead and run freely or he'll damage his eye again and be in all that pain. If he isn't going to get any sight back I'd rather the eye was removed, because although he'll look a bit funny at least then there'll be no risk of damage so he will be able to run round again, which he loves. But we'll see - it all depends what happens tomorrow. Will keep you posted...

[Seagazer]

Oh goodness, what a worrying time for you. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that his eyesight recovers. I think that if it didn't I would be like you and want the eye removed though.