Vet update

[speechmom53]

I just got back from the vet with Tubs. Just a check up from the little sick boy we had last week. He is doing better, but still had a runny nose and gunky ears and eyes. He is otherwise doing well. It is felt that we are dealing with allergies now. Hopefully, seasonal. He got a steroid shot and some allergy meds, so we will see how that works. We also found out that he has 'rolled in eyelids'...sorry I don't know the technical term. His eyelids roll inward causing his tears to run over the top and down in the creases of his eye, which results in his tear stains. The vet said there wasn't anything to really worry about other than needing to clean his folds around his eyes more. Has anyone experienced this situation before??? I was wondering if there was anything else I should really worry about or if there was something that could be done to correct it. She didn't seem too concerned about it, so I wasn't really concerned. I just want to see if anyone else has experience with this. She also mentioned that we just need to watch for hairs that might scratch his eye when he blinks.

I also told her about the situation at obedience class and she asked me if I wanted her to write a note for him to get him out of exercises when he is hot!!!!! I almost took her up on it!

 

[izstigspunks]

Great to hear that his visit went well! I think you're referring to entropion, right? I don't have experience with it but a lot of members here have. Some, such as Chunk ([MENTION=1081]Chunksmama[/MENTION]) required surgery, but a few also weren't severe enough to need one. I guess just watch out for it like what the vet said.

So cute how your vet wanted to write a note. Maybe you should've gotten one so you can shove it in that trainer's face. lol. (I'm really a nice person, honest! )

 

[ABEBD]

Hi,
Your comment about the rolled eyelids depends on the severity of the condition. Depending on what the vet says you should consider surgery or not. There are some vets who now utalize laser surgery for many of the procedures rather than a knife. The laser is more precise, less trauma, less bleeding and quicker recovery.

Can your vet write me a note also to get out of MY yard work?

Good Day~

 

[LucysMum]

To me it sounds like entropian like [MENTION=1869]ABEBD[/MENTION] suggested--also the eyelashes may be a condition called distichiasis. Lucy had surgery to attempt to correct the direction of her lids to treat distichiasis about two years ago. The interesting part is the specialist opted to do a HOTZ procedure on her lids--which is more common in correcting entropian. Lucy needed surgical intervention because she developed eye ulcer after eye ulcer. The lashes were really becoming a problem. Since the surgery she is doing great. We use now use prescription eyedrops and we take her in on a regular basis to get eye checkups but so far so good.

If this makes you feel any better Lucy still has a slight entropian that we are "keeping an eye on". So far she hasn't had any eye irritation so we are not going to have another surgery unless we have to. The distichiasis has been corrected not by removing the hairs but altering the lid direction.

I would say as long as Tubs seems comfortable and he doesn't have any irritation, no squinting, no rubbing I would just keep an eye on things. You really want to watch out for the eye becoming dry or irritated--that could lead to a scratch, scratch leads to an ulcer and so on...

One last thing-- you mentioned his eyes are watery. Lucys eyes are watery too but she has been diagnosed with a condition of "dry eye". We use a product that you can get in a pharmacy that is called BLINK. Lucy's opthamologist recommended it to be used if we see Lucy starting to rub or paw at her eyes. You may want to pick up a bottle so you have it on hand just in case.

 

[speechmom53]

[MENTION=2099]LucysMum[/MENTION]....thanks so much for all of the info.It was very helpful. Right now he doesn't seem to be bothered with it. I think she just took a close look at his eyes because he continues to have eye gunk even after he finished the antibiotics. He doesn't paw or rub at his eyes, but he did have a raw tear stain this past week that I put animax on and he tries to lick it off and when he realizes he can't get to it he will rub his face on the floor. Other than that he doesn't seem to be bothered with it. Since you are knowledgeable on eye issues I have another question....the "white" of his right eye is brown...a light brown, but brown. I brought this to the vet's attention and she said it could be normal for him. Have you heard of this before. I didn't know if it could have something to do with the fact that he has brown fur on the right side....I know it sounds crazy to me, but you never know! LOL But like I said before, he doesn't seem to be bothered by it, just need to clean him more.........

 

[LucysMum]

You are welcome. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you think of anything else. As far as the brown area in his eye I am sorry but I haven't experienced anything like that with Lucy. Maybe others here can chime in.

Lucy wakes up with goopy eyes. I use the Blink to flush them out in the am before I clean her folds. Even though her eyes are watery she really dosent have tear stains so hopefully Tubs will be as lucky.

It sounds to me that he is in good shape right now. I am sure you will be keeping a close eye on him. I will tell you that even if he needs surgery (worst case scenario) the procedure wasn't hard on Lucy. It was harder on me!!

Also, I learned that not all dogs with distichiasis need surgery. Many breeds have this extra set of lashes and they live their whole lives with healthy eyes.

Good luck and keep in touch.

 

[Chunksmama]

[MENTION=1863]speechmom53[/MENTION] It sounds like entropion ... I saw three doctors before doing the surgery for Chunk (I was really nervous!) and it ended up being a blessing. I agree with everyone, if he isn't having major problems I would just watch it. Especially because of some of the info Iearned from the eye specialist. One thing is that their heads change in shape a lot for up until the time they are 2 years old! So you could do surgery ... And need to do it again. (Chunk only had this a few months ago so he was over 2 years old. Doc said we should be in the clear.). The other thing I learned is about the gunk in the eyes (now I'm sure there are different types but this is Chunk's situation). The eye specialist explained that the gunk is often produced as the body's way to make up for what's lost (often in dry eye) ... Basically the tears they are producing don't have all the necessary components so they end up with gunk. He gave us cyclosporine drops (and said to use the bottle, if it gets better when the bottle is gone then great, if not we will be doing drops forever). He also told us not to clean away the gunk! It's a way of protecting the eye. (which kills me not to do but if it's for his own good, I can contain myself.). So that's my experience. If at any time you want to go to a specialist, I'll give you the info for him. He's awesome - an old guy who really loves the animals. Came highly recommended from a bulldog doc in NY!

 

[speechmom53]

[MENTION=1081]Chunksmama[/MENTION].....that you for the additional information!!! All of this really helps. They only time I really see or need to wipe the gunk out of his eyes is when it has already spilled over and is in the folds around his eyes, but I understand what you mean about not wiping it OUT of their eyes. I know that bothers me too, but since your doctor gave you that suggestion I will try not to wipe it OUT of his eyes! It is funny because the vet told me that the left lid it rolled in more than the left, but I have more concern with the right. He has the discoloration with the white of his eye and he has a bigger tear stain on that side which became raw this past week. It was better with animax, though. I am going to see how his allergy meds work and see if that helps in the next couple of week and I will give everyone an update!

Thank you again for all of the help!

 

[LucysMum]

[MENTION=1081]Chunksmama[/MENTION] your eye specialist sounds brilliant!! ( we found out through conversation that we have the same surgeon in common!!) Good memory with the head growing too-- I forgot to mention it. Lucy is on cyclosporin and tacrolomis we alternate back and forth. So far so good.

I confessed to Dr. Clinton that I flush the eye with blink in the AM to keep Lucy from smashing her face on the carpet and potentially scratching her eye--so he gave me a free pass to do so--but if you can stand it you should leave the boogers in there. Gross.

 

[speechmom53]

[MENTION=1081]Chunksmama[/MENTION] your eye specialist sounds brilliant!! ( we found out through conversation that we have the same surgeon in common!!) Good memory with the head growing too-- I forgot to mention it. Lucy is on cyclosporin and tacrolomis we alternate back and forth. So far so good.

I confessed to Dr. Clinton that I flush the eye with blink in the AM to keep Lucy from smashing her face on the carpet and potentially scratching her eye--so he gave me a free pass to do so--but if you can stand it you should leave the boogers in there. Gross.

that is great! I will do my best to leave the boogers alone! "boogers are our friends, boogers are good!":hahaha:

 

[laurendoodler]

Glad to hear that he is feeling better!

Hopefully the entropian doesn't end up being bad enough to need surgery.