Bulldog in Florida my mom is helping - cherry eye/eye issues after surgery

[Heather Wilson]

Hello, everyone.

My mom is helping an English Bulldog where she lives in Florida. (I live in California and just adopted Walter from the San Diego Bulldog Rescue).

Drago, my mom's bully, had to be neutered and get cherry eye surgery. His eye was in bad shape.

Well now, after the surgery, it is much worse! The vet has said that's pretty much the way the cookie crumbles because there is no guarantee the cherry eye will go away.

I understand that, but it seems his eye is badly infected. He has now, all of a sudden, developed skin issues.

The vet has, without saying it in these words, said, "Tough luck." Obviously, he needs a new vet. BUT one question is, should his eye be operated on again or left alone? We're all just worried and hope he is not in discomfort.

Thank you.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi, poor baby. Cherry eye isn't painful for them, but it can cause dry eye which is irritating, plus if its big, it could affect his vision. Is this picture of the cherry eye before or after surgery? If this is after surgery, it still loos quite big, and I would say you definetely want to find another vet, and get a second opinion. Your current vet doesn't seem like he has much compassion. Was the cherry eye sewn back in? You have two options, you could have it tacked back in, or have it removed entirely. When the gland is removed, it can sometimes cause a dry eye which would need daily eye drops, when it is tacked in, it can sometimes pop back out, there is no guarantee, but also has good success. There is no right or wrong method, but you should be able to ask your vet which method they use, and do your own research, then make your decision. My female Blossom developed cherry eye when she was 5 months old, and we had it repaired when she was 7 months old, and we spayed her at the same time, to avoid putting her under anesthetic twice. We opted to have it sewn in, and the vet did a really awesome job, we are very happy with the results, and you would never know she had anything done to her eyes. We used Refresh eye drops to keep the eye moist until she had the surgery, you can buy them over the counter at any drugstore. If they are safe for human eyes, they are also safe for dogs eyes, and are much less expensive than what you would pay for them at the vet. Good luck, and keep us posted on how he's doing.

 

[Heather Wilson]

Hi, poor baby. Cherry eye isn't painful for them, but it can cause dry eye which is irritating, plus if its big, it could affect his vision. Is this picture of the cherry eye before or after surgery? If this is after surgery, it still loos quite big, and I would say you definetely want to find another vet, and get a second opinion. Your current vet doesn't seem like he has much compassion. Was the cherry eye sewn back in? You have two options, you could have it tacked back in, or have it removed entirely. When the gland is removed, it can sometimes cause a dry eye which would need daily eye drops, when it is tacked in, it can sometimes pop back out, there is no guarantee, but also has good success. There is no right or wrong method, but you should be able to ask your vet which method they use, and do your own research, then make your decision. My female Blossom developed cherry eye when she was 5 months old, and we had it repaired when she was 7 months old, and we spayed her at the same time, to avoid putting her under anesthetic twice. We opted to have it sewn in, and the vet did a really awesome job, we are very happy with the results, and you would never know she had anything done to her eyes. We used Refresh eye drops to keep the eye moist until she had the surgery, you can buy them over the counter at any drugstore. If they are safe for human eyes, they are also safe for dogs eyes, and are much less expensive than what you would pay for them at the vet. Good luck, and keep us posted on how he's doing.

Thank you so much. That photo was taken today - about three weeks after the surgery was performed. It is true, it looks big! My understanding is they were trying to take it out, but I will have to ask her which procedure they performed. I do know after three more visits to that vet, my mom is taking him to a dog opthamologist.

I appreciate you letting me know the options. It does seem his vision is affected. Drops might be the better way to go - if they remove the entire gland. He is a good boy, he just really needs some love.

Thanks again. I am going to look for a bulldog vet in her area now (I saw a directory here somewhere).

 

[Vikinggirl]

You're welcome. I hope you find a good vet, and they are able to repair his eye. Even if you just see the Ophthalmologist
For a second opinion and some advice, then you can decide if he should do the surgery, or if he can recommend another vet to do it. I would ask his opinion on the work the first vet who did his surgery, and see if you have grounds to take him to small claims court, and at least get some if not all of your money back.

 

[2BullyMama]

Monica is our resident cherry eye guru - (at least for me

 

[Pati Robins]

Agree with all the advice cant add anything new ;-) sometimes cherry operation can be successful but your babys eyes can look like that (witch in my opinion is "my crappy luck")

First operation was august ,attempted removal (and failing to remove it too) in october
I think it adds to their personas ,it looks bad but it doesn't bother them it bothers us as it look painful and we in a way want our babies to look their best
Im on tap talk but if you look on my thread cherry eye -you can see lilys progress from day 1 xxx
As you can see cherries are still popping out -but specialist couldn't do much as they are anchored correct and they are under the eyelid (kind of like cherry in the pillow) -they just are big
Have you had a follow appointment to check the healing process? And have a dye put in your babys eyes to see if there isn't any damage to the eye?
Ahh and before the op picture

 

[bullmama]

Boy that vet sounds like a piece of work! Glad she is seeking help elsewhere.

An experienced vet should be able to tell when stitching if a partial or removal is needed. His looks very large so likely it may need to just be removed and then given lubricating eye drops if necessary. Poor baby, let us know how it goes.

 

[Davidh]

I'm glad she is looking for a new vet. Not every cherry eye surgery work, but most of them do, but for a vet to tell you that's pretty much the way the cookie crumbles, isn't acceptable to me. I hope she can find a good bully vet and let him check her bullies eye and maybe get it fixed once and for all.

 

[Heather Wilson]

Thank you, everyone. I referred her to a vet in her area that was on the English Bulldog News recommended vets list. I'll keep you posted! Thank you again!

 

[Daphnee]

Board certified ophthalmologist only !!! Board Certified anyone ONLY!!! Get someone do it right the first time. I dealt with "The Top Bulldog Vets" around, and got screwed by vets that "specialized" in stuff. Cost me ton of money till I wised up and left.