Dog with an injured eye

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Hi everybody
My one year old puppy injured his eye about 4 weeks ago. (Neighbours dog bit him). My MIL brought him to a vet when it happened and he was given an injection and eyedrops. He was given his eyedrops religiously but his eye was injured again (this time his actual eye and it was developing an ulcer) and when I noticed his eye closed on Saturday night I went straight to the vet. He was given eyedrops again (different kind) 1 drop three times daily, false tears to lubricate the eye and an anti inflammatory to be taken in the evening.

It's now Wednesday night and to be honest doesn't seem any better, although his eye is now (semi?) open. I'm having terrible hardship getting the lube and drops into his eye, and he's usually so good. When I put my hand near that side, he wraps his little paws around my wrist as if to say "mammy don't" and it's breaking my heart. He hates it and I think he's in serious pain. I'm trying to organise someone to bring him to the vet tomorrow but I'm so worried, I feel sick.

Has anybody any tips or advice? On dogs with ulcers or applying drops to a distressed little boy?

tk123

I'd head back to the vet - when are you due back because my vet had me back every 2 or 3 days when Lucy injured her cut her eye during the summer and it got badly infected? Stinky puss, third eyelid over (which was gross ) it and it even turned blue - like an old dog's blind eye! Anyways first time around was a Sunday when my vet wasn't there - vet dyed the eye to confirm it was cut and gave the usual Fucithalmic eye drops and told me to come back 3 days later to have it checked. By then it was very bad - my vet flushed the the eye out, pulling the eye lid over to make sure there was no foreign bodies and then gave different eye drops to cover different bacteria which sorted it. But as I said we were back 2 or 3 times to have it dyed and checked again.

Her latest eye adventure was a week and a half ago when she poked herself with a stick and ulcerated the other eye - it even had a little dent >_<. This time around we got the same drops mentioned above and were told to come back in 5 days or sooner if it looked infected but it was fine. She still has a mark but we have to wait to see if it disappears or not.

Hope the pup is feeling better soon!

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

He told me to come back On Friday so that's 6 days. I've roped someone into bringing him tomorrow but I'm so sad and so worried.

tk123

Do you have anyone to help you hold him while you put the drops in? It can be so hard when they struggle - Lucy is very good but she's also really strong so a couple of times when she didn't want the drops in I had to get somebody else to hold her. I always give her a treat after she gets the drops and she doesn't really mind them at this stage. If your dogs eye is drying out that'll be what's causing the discomfort. I had laser surgery on my eyes and there was no real pain - but the discomfort of my eyes drying out had me driven mad. I went through tons of artificial tears until they were healed. Make sure he's not rubbing at it either - for Lucy i got the end off a sock and put it over her 'wrist' to stop her

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Nobody to hold him as he gets very upset and overwhelmed. He's usually so good so the fact that he's struggling is upsetting me because I know I'm hurting him. What I'm doing is (he closes his eye) I put it right on the slit so when he opens his eye its going in. There's no way I can hold him and get his eye open. When he hurt it first all I had to do was pull down his lower lid and pop the drops in

tk123

Hard to explain but I stand behind her and kind of rest her head against my leg/knee on the side that isn't injured and then use my thumb and index finger to hold open the eye while using the rest of my hand under her chin steady her head.. then get the drop in quickly with my free hand. So my free hand will always be on the uninjured side if that makes sense.

Knine

One of my terriers injured her eye & had an ulcer. I had to get someone to hold her so I could put in the drops. It took a few weeks to heal. It is very painful so they will struggle a lot. It is much better to put them in while his eye is open.

My dog is absolutely fine now & no long term damage. If it is a small dog & you have nobody to help you could wrap him up in a towel with just his head sticking out.

DBB

Is the ulcer a result of the bite a month ago, or are they two separate injuries?
Has he been struggling all along with the eye drops, or is it only with this latest batch?
I think, if he's been struggling with his eye for a full month, I'd be thinking of brining him to an eye-specilising vet. Not sure where you live, but there is a super eye vet in Blackrock who you should be able to get referred to if your own vet is foundering with this... the eye drops are meant to make them feel better!

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Ulver seems to be a new injury on an already injured eye. Gave him his last drops for today just there. He seems to be in pain, whimpering, floppy ears, hanging his head. I'm so on edge I think he needs to see the vet tonight I have alarm set to get up and put the tears in at 1:30 and 3 am, but I'm so worried

DBB

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Ulver seems to be a new injury on an already injured eye. Gave him his last drops for today just there. He seems to be in pain, whimpering, floppy ears, hanging his head. I'm so on edge I think he needs to see the vet tonight I have alarm set to get up and put the tears in at 1:30 and 3 am, but I'm so worried

Has your vet got a 24 hour line that you could call?

tk123

Did the vet dye the eye on the first visit to check for an ulcer do you know? The reason I ask is that my vet explained that if there's even a tiny ulcer and you use steroid eye drop it'd make the ulcer worse.... Either way something doesn't sound right if they poor pup is in pain? Lucy was very very stressed when she got hurt this time around and was even bumping into things but then once she got the eye drops she was fine

DBB

tk123 wrote: »

Did the vet dye the eye on the first visit to check for an ulcer do you know? The reason I ask is that my vet explained that if there's even a tiny ulcer and you use steroid eye drop it'd make the ulcer worse....

That's what has me concerned to tk, the drops should bring quick relief and whilst the dog may not particularly like the drops going in, they shouldn't dread it so much.
As a matter of interest Lexie, is it a flat-faced breed you have? They're more prone to eye-injuries.

irishtris

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Hi everybody
My one year old puppy injured his eye about 4 weeks ago. (Neighbours dog bit him). My MIL brought him to a vet when it happened and he was given an injection and eyedrops. He was given his eyedrops religiously but his eye was injured again (this time his actual eye and it was developing an ulcer) and when I noticed his eye closed on Saturday night I went straight to the vet. He was given eyedrops again (different kind) 1 drop three times daily, false tears to lubricate the eye and an anti inflammatory to be taken in the evening.

It's now Wednesday night and to be honest doesn't seem any better, although his eye is now (semi?) open. I'm having terrible hardship getting the lube and drops into his eye, and he's usually so good. When I put my hand near that side, he wraps his little paws around my wrist as if to say "mammy don't" and it's breaking my heart. He hates it and I think he's in serious pain. I'm trying to organise someone to bring him to the vet tomorrow but I'm so worried, I feel sick.

Has anybody any tips or advice? On dogs with ulcers or applying drops to a distressed little boy?

What kinda dog is it. Same happened my shih Tzu as they have large eye sockets she got a bang on her head and her eye popped out the vet got it back in and like u I'd to give her drops every 2 hrs to keep the eye lubricated but the day before we were due back she was in a lot of pain hated me at her eye turned out the eye had burst and she lost her eye.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Oh Jesus

DBB

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Oh Jesus

Try not to worry op... That's the problem with the interweb. So full of helpful stuff, but with an equal amount of scaremongering that appeals to our human tendency to fear the worst.
I'm sure you'll have your pup to the vet asap, don't panic at least until you have proper information as to what's going on.

irishtris

DBB wrote: »

Try not to worry op... That's the problem with the interweb. So full of helpful stuff, but with an equal amount of scaremongering that appeals to our human tendency to fear the worst.
I'm sure you'll have your pup to the vet asap, don't panic at least until you have proper information as to what's going on.

I'm not actually scaremongering happened my dog last year and that's the reason the vet said why she didn't want me at her eye. I'm not sayin that's wants goin on wit her dog but it is an option.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

I will let you all know what happens with vet but I'm pretty sure he'll have lost his little eye. It's cloudy and blue

irishtris

LexieOnRale wrote: »

I will let you all know what happens with vet but I'm pretty sure he'll have lost his little eye. It's cloudy and blue

Hopefully he hasn't but if he has he be grand took gizmo few days to adjust she kept walking into few things first day or two but not a bother on her now. She our one eye bandit

DBB

irishtris wrote: »

I'm not actually scaremongering happened my dog last year and that's the reason the vet said why she didn't want me at her eye. I'm not sayin that's wants goin on wit her dog but it is an option.

I think, given that the op is clearly upset and worried about her dog, and in light of the fact that none of us know what's actually wrong with her dog,your comments were a little insensitive and clearly distressed the op even further.

OP, cloudinrss on an injured eye is often caused by the eye supplying extra blood to an injury. It's essentially an eye-bruise. So don't panic just yet

tk123

The cloudiness is probably just oodema like with Lucy had - there's extra fluid/bruising from it healing. Some dogs can have a reaction to vaccinations and the same thing can happen. I was the same though thinking she was going blind! Try not to worry too much - eyes are amazing things in how they heal - too me anyways after Lucy's 2 accidents. Two weeks ago her eye was dented from the twig sticking in and after a few days you could see it was already healed.

Pic of Lucy's ghost eye attached - and it got a lot worse than that for a few days!

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Can't see Lucy's pic tk

tk123

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Can't see Lucy's pic tk

Weird! it's back now

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Her little face God that would break your heart. You know Id rather go swap eyes with both TJ and Lucy if I could. tjs looks kind of like that but much more closed

aonb

awfully worrying for you OP - but as others said, dont panic until you see the vet. If you are not 110% happy, go and see a second vet - most vets will let you drop in without an appointment if you are very worried.
What breed is your dog? Is he small enough, to wrap in a big thick towel before you put in the drops? My wimpy dog who is a total hypochondriac, would freak when he even saw me getting his meds ready - you dog is probably just sick of you squirting stuff in his eye, specially if its hurting - I got some doggie choccy drops (Good Boy brand, Tesco) - the ultimate treat for our dogs (dont care if they're bad for them - they were our emergency bribes!) And loaded him up with choc drops before the drops, and even more afterwards, to associate treats with the dreaded drops...

Let us know how you go on - and remember you are doing your best for your dog, thats all you can do. Sending you lots of good luck and best wishes!

snoman

Hi op. One of mine had continuing eye problems with a breed related disorder. I'd really recommend going to a vet surgery that has someone who specialises in eyes. I'm based in cork and went to gilabbey's and saw Lisa who does specialise. Mine also hated anything put in her eye and had to wear a contact lens to protect it!! She's a mastiff and could scrunsh her eyes so tight I nearly needed a crowbar to apply the drops. Good luck.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Good (ish) news guys. Tjs eye is ulcer/infection free. It's very very inflamed but can go back on his steroid drops to alleviate this. The vet was astounded the ulcer had disappeared but was saying the level of inflammation was very unusual, and that hopefully that would sort itself out by Saturday/Sunday. He's just in pain from that but he has sight, he is healing well and that things should be okay. I feel so stupid getting so worked up but feel like a weight has been lifted

DBB

Phew!
I saw you had posted and opened the thread feeling a bit nervous, but delighted to hear it's good(ish) news

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Thank you for all your comments guys!!

tk123

Ah that's great news! Never feel stupid for caring about your pet! And don't be be afraid to call the vet or go back sooner if you think he needs it. It's better that you ask/go back and have nothing wrong then leave it too late imo.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

http://tinypic.com/r/2mrw840/8

Mammys bed always makes you feel better when you're little and sick