Last year my dog Lucy was diagnosed with glaucoma in her right eye. Glaucoma isn’t a pleasant disease for dogs because unlike humans where the glaucoma can be managed quite well, for dogs it usually results in a lot of pain and eventual blindness.
For my dog Lucy, within months of being diagnosed it was determined that the eye couldn’t be saved and the only real alternative to spare her from the ongoing pain was to have the eye removed. This of course was a bit hard to take but I knew it was going to be the best thing for her. I didn’t want her to be in pain – it was as simple as that!
You can see in the image above which was taken the day before the surgery that Lucy’s right eye is slightly enlarged compared to the left eye due to the glaucoma.
The day before the surgery I had to ensure she had no food or water during the night or the morning before taking her to the vet. On the morning of the surgery I had to take her in early and leave her there. That was the hardest part for me as I knew that would be the last time I would see her with both eyes.
It was only going to be day surgery and I would pick her up in the afternoon but it was tough getting through the day without thinking about her. At that point, I didn’t care about the eye being removed, I just wanted to make sure she got out of the surgery okay. So it was a huge relief when the vet surgery rang to say everything had gone okay and I could come to pick her up. I couldn’t wait to get in that car and get going to get her.
I was expecting to pick up a groggy dog that would be in a lot of pain and I would have to carry her to the car so I brought a friend with me to help. When I got there and they brought Lucy out I realized that I didn’t need any help at all because she walked out on her own and once she saw me dragged the vet assistant across the room to get to me and proceeded to jump all over me. I couldn’t believe it!
She was fine!…well, apart from the fact that her eye had been removed and it looked a little red and raw around that area. You can see in the image to the right how Lucy looked just after the surgery. The eye area is quite red but she had no swelling or bruising. I knew then that everything was going to be okay. She had gotten through it beautifully.
When I got her home I could see the effects of the anesthetic were still in place as she was a little unsteady on her feet so after doing her toileting and having a drink she pretty much plonked herself down on her bed and slept for most of the rest of the day.
It was rather odd seeing her without the eye. I had seen photos on the internet of dogs with their eye(s) removed but it’s not the same as when you see it in person and on your own dog. It can take a bit to get used to.
Lucy never did wear a cone around her head. The vet never put one on her and she never tried to paw or scratch around her eye so there was no need for it.
Two weeks after the eye surgery on Christmas eve, Lucy had the stitches removed. She never had any infection or bleeding from the eye. It all went smoothly and she adjusted beautifully. You can see in the picture of Lucy to the left which was taken a few weeks after the surgery. The stitches have been removed, the redness has disappeared and the fur around the eye area is already starting to grow back.
Some Frequently Asked Questions about Eye Removal Surgery
Will I have to leave my dog in overnight?
Dog enucleation surgery is usually performed as a day surgery procedure. You leave your dog at the vet in the morning and pick it up later in the afternoon. In some cases however, you may need to leave your dog in overnight. This might occur if your dog is elderly or they have had some sort of complication as a result of the surgery.
How much does eye removal surgery cost?
This will depend heavily on the vet and what they like to charge. For my dog, the surgery cost around $750(US), however it can vary from as little as $400 through to $1000. Be aware that in most cases, an eye specialist will charge more than a regular vet. No matter where you get the surgery performed ensure you ask the vet how many times they have performed the surgery. Don’t just go for the cheapest option…you want a vet that is experienced with this sort of surgery.
What about a prosthetic eye?
Getting your dog a prosthetic eye is really a personal thing. A prosthetic eye has no benefit to the dog and it is only to make us humans happy. If you decide to get a prosthetic eye be aware that the recovery period may take a lot longer and there is a greater risk for complications.
What to do after the operation
The first thing is to let your dog go out and do it’s toileting and the let them have a drink. They may also be hungry but avoid giving them anything too quickly. Try to feed them later in the evening and just something light to help fill their empty stomach. The main thing is to keep your dog quiet. If you have children in the house, let them know that the dog needs to be able to rest. Your dog may be a little groggy and disorientated from the anesthetic so getting the dog excited might cause it to run into things and break open the stitches. Just let them rest in a quiet spot in the house.
Swelling, bruising and pain
I do know that some dogs experience quite a bit of swelling and/or bruising when they have eye removal surgery. Lucy never had this problem, however every dog is different. The swelling/bruising will reduce over a few days. If it doesn’t, please let your vet know as there may be an infection.
UPDATE: In February 2013, my Lucy succumbed to cancer (nasal tumour). She was an amazing dog and we miss her dearly. Although I no longer have a blind dog, I am dedicated to keeping this website working for those who need it.
UPDATE: February 2015 – I just found this video and it is a must watch for those who have concerns about their dog going completely blind. One of the dogs in this video is completely blind.
If you can’t see the video below CLICK HERE
On 9-16-2012 my beloved 12 year old dog had to have her eye removed because of a tumor. My vet is fantastic. I was really really concerned going to pick her up what I would see but I have to admit my dog was a little bit groggy, yes she had her lids stitched shut and had to wear an Elizabethan Collar but with the pain and antibiotic pills it was nothing like I expected. With my dog it came to be very fast and she did not show any signs of pain etc., before I noticed her eye was almost completely black. A trip to the vet and then to an ophthalmologist was then done and all agreed enucleation was the best way. I chose to have this done at the regular vet since she is qualified to do this procedure and both my dog and I know her very well. She is the best vet and I have the best dog on the planet!
Thank you for the article. My 9 year old puppy baby damaged her eye in an accident and the vet and ophthalmologist have recommended removal. I appreciate a straight description with pictures of what to expect. It is helping prepare me for the surgery next week.
And the vet said best thing to do is lay him down he was the 12-year dog of our family and boy do we miss him Scooby-Doo we love you and I hope you’re in dog heaven
I had my laps 12 yrs old eye he’s my Daughter dog shes49 in a wheelchair she keeps crying cause he’s scary to look at,,then some bleeding he must have hit himself, I just don’t want him in hi clone at night so he fits in is taxi
My sweet Anna Mae got into a fight with another dog and her I was injured she will be having surgery on Wednesday to have her eye removed this article helped a lot I was really worried about her being able to get along it’s hard not to worry especially hard since I lost my other beagle gypsy couple years ago I came home she passed away
i am about to encounter the same with my Lil Girl, I thank you for posting your story of Lucy, and i am so sorry for your lose. I am sure she was an amazing baby,.. i will go into this with open heart and know that she will be heathier once this is complete. Thank you again for your comments and taking the time to share your story and help others with their concerns and worries.
Thank you for this article. My 6 y/o Newf was diagnosed with iris melanoma on Friday. Since his tumor has grown and has pushed his eye out, total removal was recommended. I am heartbroken. We don’t have a surgery date yet (it will be within the next couple of weeks). Just trolling for real life information.
My 4 year old Chinese crested is going in for surgery tomorrow to have his one eye removed due to having lens luxation, im shaking now thinking about taking him in but I know it has got to be done, and I am petrified to think it might happen to his other eye, so I know how you must be feeling.
Hi Karen,
I hope that your dog is ok i am sure by now he is well and truly back to his old self! My 6 year old chinese crested is due to have her second eye removed tomorrow due to lens luxation and we are absolutely devestated. She lost her first eye 18 months ago because she had glaucoma. We had since then taken her every 3 months to have her eye checked by our vet. Unfortunately last week we noticed her eye was not looking normal and had taken her straight in. She was misdiagnosed with conjunctivitis, shortly after this she had lost her sight completely and now must have her other eye removed, we have taken her to a specialist eye vet and unfortunately nothing can be done. I wish now that I had looked into other types of eye ailments that cresteds can have as apparently they are known to suffer from dry eye uvietus and many other conditions that I was unaware of, I also wish that I had insisted on seeing the specialist eye vet alot sooner and regret putting as much trust in my vet as I have done. I don’t mean to upset you I do just wish that I had known more about other eye complaints and would like to pass on the information that I have learnt so that the same thing doesn’t happen to your crested.
Carmel
hi carmel. how is your dog doing? our shitzu had her second eye removed last august (2015) under emergency situation also. we had no time to think what we should do. she did pretty well after the first so felt it was the right thing to do, get her out of pain and give her a chance. . it has been a continual struggle daily eventhough she is on a ton of medications, has seen a very well known specialist to help us try different things etc. she is anywhere between 11-15 years old. we are trying our best but our world has been upside down since 8/22. just wondering how your dog made out and is making out
She (Zoie) is far from back to her old self. This happened on Wednesday night, August 9th. She weighs 9 pounds. I was walking late at night & from nowhere a pit bull attacked her. The Vet on call had to cleanse the deep puncture wounds behind her eyeball, then stitch her eye shut. She won’t eat, or go outside, and when I tried to give her her meds , for the first time she tried to nip at me. She just lays around and moans. I am a mess. Help?
Thanks so much for sharing your stories. My dog has primary glaucoma in the right eye and goniodysgenesis in the left. The drops are not controlling it as well as the opthamologist would like in the right eye. He is now on the maximum dosage of drops so, they want to discuss other options. He currently does have vision in both eyes. I am wondering if anyone on this forum knows about the treatment options for visual eyes or if the treatment is still removal of the affected eye? Any help would be appreciated. My Stanley is 12.5, doing pretty good health wise other than this. He has however become a very picky eater. I am not sure if this is because he is having pain. or just losing his taste for the kibble. Just trying to prepare at this point and get as much information on all the options available.
Thanks Hettie had her eye removed yesterday she seams fine prettier than she was before being ng a pensioner and all three of my dogs being rescued I didn’t have the funds to pay the full amount so the Celia Hammond trust helped me I took my 12 year Charlie over they were wonderful I picked her up the same day it was reutene operation for them don’t let your dog suffer I can see already how much better already there’s help out there thank you for the artical it’s a great help Grace
Thank you all ! My Chinese crested Cooper had lens luxation in one eye and eye specialist said lets do surgery on both eyes so we did , Well the good eye he is now blind in and the other has glaucoma and they want to remove I’m devastated And wished I would have had a second opinion in the beginning. Cost was $3000.00 and never ever did I think my dog would end up blind !!!! These post are so important wished I would have read more . We have had three different prescriptions we put into his eyes 3 times a day , so heartbreaking!
My Jack Russell mix, Brutus had to have his eye removed because it popped out from the trauma during while being attacked. My concern right now, although very soon after the surgery, is that he seems not to be able to see from his remaining eye! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
did your dog ever have to have both eyes removed ? how did he recover if so ? My 10 yr old boston terrier is faced with one eye to be removed and might have to face the same with the right eye.
My 10 year old Boston Terrier, Hazel, developed cataracts (which is very common to this breed) two and a half years ago. She had them in both eyes and eventually both eyes became glaucoma. They were very red and enlarged. She was in a lot of pain and laid around much more than she ever had before. My vet said she would need to have both removed and I was very unsure of how she would do with no eyes. I also was unsure how her appearance would affect me. He assured me that dogs do extremely well after this procedure. I decided to got forward with the surgery and I am wishing now that I would have had this done much sooner. Almost immediately we could see the difference in how much better Hazel was feeling. We hadn’t realized how much pain she must have been in before surgery and unless you look closely, you can hardly tell her eyes are not there. Hazel is back to her old happy self again and is doing wonderful at 5 months after surgery. We have a doggy door and she even is able to go in and out of the house on her own.
If you are contemplating having this surgery done for your pet, my advise is do it sooner than later. Blind dogs do extremely well.
Thank you so much! That makes me feel so much better about the surgery!
My. Dog bailey ,9yrs, has glaumona. One eye has been removed, and other eye is getting worse. He is on max of meds which keep the glaucoma under control for quite awhile, but vet says time to make a decision . she can do lazer surgury which is 85% effective and costs $4700.00 or have eye removed. Cant afford the lazer surgury. Im really worried about how Bailey is going to cope
My 13 year old shihtzu might be having an eye removed because of advanced glocoma. From research I have found that some of his behavior may be a sign of pain-sleepy and not wanting to go out on a leash. If he is in pain which is like a humans migraine I need to help my dog. I suffer from migraines and don’t want to know so does my dog
Thank you so much for telling of your experience. I have an 11 year old English Setter who has a history of eye problems. He has been blind in one eye for 5 years and recently lost sight in his other eye. He also is suffering from glaucoma. We have exhausted the medications that can help him and eye removal is recommended. It helps to hear that your Hazel is doing so well. It is such a hard decision. Thank you for sharing.
our dog had her eye removed 2days ago vet kept her over night as she was bleeding her eye is very swollen and sore had a slight bleed this morning I still think she’s in pain she is wimpy and restless still very swollen did anyone else have this problem
thanks
paula
The eye can be a bit swollen and can also bleed a little after surgery. The whimpering can be due to the anaesthetic. However, go with your gut on this and if you think she is in pain then call the vet. Better to be safe than sorry.
Yes, we didn’t think our 14 yr old shitzhu would be having this amount of pain post double enucleation. We ended up having to go back to get a pain patch in addition to the pain meds. He still shakes and whimpers and seems more scared than normal to go outside and just wants to be held. I feel so bad he is still dealing with pain 5 days after surgery. The vet said the surgery went well, just some mild inflammation.
I appreciate you posting this…thank you !! Received the news that my Golden, Shelby should get her left eye removed due to glaucoma…eventually the right eye too! It is VERY painful to her! Looking forward to her relief…just sad about not looking into her bright beautiful eyes anymore.
🙁 🙁 I hope it went well. I’m having to make the decision now and I’m already mourning not being able to look into both eyes. Don’t want her in pain though.
Remember our dogs love us unconditionally. I’m planning and letting my shihtzu’s bangs grow?
My Golden was diagnosed with pigmentary uveitis in 2012 at age 7. The prognosis was that she would have cataracts, then glaucoma, then eye removal. I began all the eye drops at that time…5 different kinds 2-3 times a day. February 2016, almost 11, glaucoma was no longer treatable and we had her first experience of eneucleation. It was unusually swollen and bruised and a longer recovery period. She did fine with one gone and one with advancing cataracts. I was told it’d be 9-12 months until the left eye would also have to be removed.
I continued with the drops in the left eye for 2 full years and just this past week it is also gone at almost 13 years old. This recovery is much better, not hard to look at. She is having some difficulty navigating our home and continues to be sorta lost or stuck in corners. One day at a time. I’m with her most of the time and only need the soft cone when I can’t keep an eye on her. She enjoyed a walk yesterday and I’m hoping with time comes more ease and self confidence for her. I chose to have the prosthetic in with lids sewn shut.
I tried to post a photo but it didn’t work.
Golden Retriever Pigmentary Uveitis is not all that common yet in the US. My primary vet said the redness was an allergy and put her on steroid drops for several months. They aren’t looking for this condition. I took her to CSU Vet Teaching Hospital where she was diagnosed and they took over her care and performed both eneucleations. Excellent facility.
I suggest that anyone who has a golden see an eye specialist once a year after about age 3 to make sure there are no signs.
All the best 🐾❤️
Jana thank you for sharing your story. I am learning quickly about golden retriever Pigmentary Uveitis. My 11 yr 9 month old golden was diagnosed about 10 days ago by a Vet ophthalmologist. .At that time, pressures in both eyes were normal. One week later, the left eye was extremely red, squinting, panting. I rushed her to the vet hospital. Pressure was in the 70s in the left eye, 7 in the right eye. Despite several drops, pressure only came down to 66. We were sent home with multiple eye drops and gabapentin for pain. Recheck pressure tomorrow. Expecting that enucleation will be next step. Never heard of GRPU. I am in a state of shock. We need to get the word out to owners and vets. And YES to annual exams. Hoping your golden is doing well. 🐾🐾🐾💕💕💕
I have an 11 year old Boston, Lucy. She has always had trouble with her eyes. Approx 5 years ago, she had her lenses replaced and was quite happy. We have had to give her eye drops for some time now as she has developed glaucoma as well. Unfortunately, she is now blind in both eyes and the drops are no longer helping. Her pressures are high and rising. I now will have to get her eyes removed and am struggling with that. She’s just been through so much. But I appreciate your comment above. Thank you!
How is Lucy after surgery? My 9 year old Boston needs her eyes removed due to glaucoma as well (caused by cataracts). I’m also struggling with the decision since the drops are helping but they won’t help forever. Her vet said her eyes will need to be removed soon or later, might as well be sooner. I appreciate if you can give me an update! Thanks.
This is the exact story with my Boston, Lucy!!!!
Yesterday was her surgery. She is 13. This morning one of her eye sockets has a bloody seepage. I have read this is normal. Tomorrow is a holiday and I need to know if o should wait til next day to consult my own vet when the open back or consult an emergency vet. She has not bothered, rubbed or bumped it to cause this and otherwise seems content.
Hi my name is Grace, and I have a Boston terrier also called Lucy. This past week has been chaos as she has had an eye infection, which got so bad part of her eye ruptured. She hasn’t lost it yet, but there is a very high chance. I’m worried my baby will never be her happy self again. I was just wondering if the surgery changed their temperament any and if they ever returned to their happy selves again? And if you know, does it affect the way they interact with other dogs?
Hi, my spoodle Rocky is diabetic, I had cataract surgery done and his sight was good then he developed glaucoma, and most recently dry eye….I made the decision this week to have both eyes removed I couldn’t bare seeing him in pain anymore and the number of eye drops and pain killers couldn’t be doing his health any good.
it is 2 days since the surgery, he has quite a bit of swelling and it is a struggle to get him to eat…a bit of roast chicken throughout the day he will take but little else…I am quite stressed about the lack of appetite and have tried so many foods. I am hoping his appetite will improve very soon.
Gabby, how is Rocky now?
I have to have my cat’s eye removed (glaucoma) so this forum has helped me so much!
Bobbi, thank you for your story. I have my 8 year old dachshund that has glaucoma and eye removal has been recommended. Our hearts are broken and we are trying to cope with not being able to see her eyes. It’s all been so overwhelming for us. She has been our healing since the death of our 15 year old dachshund passed away. We want to know that we are making the right decision for her. My friends have said she should be put to sleep as she’s never going to have a fully active life anymore. We are not being fair to her and are selfish to want to keep her. Please help me believe in our decision that we are not mistreating her. Thank you for your story and your time.
Don’t put her down! My 9 year old Boston Terrier has been blind for 2 years due to cataracts and has been a happy dog. Now she developed glaucoma and the eye drops help her pressure go down but my vet recommended eye removal as the drops might not help forever. She has surgery scheduled for Tuesday (in 5 days). A regular vet can perform it a lot cheaper than an eye specialist. My eye specialist quoted me $3400 for both eyes and my regular vet charges $800 for both eyes. You just have to be sure he has done it before and is comfortable. I’d make sure your regular vet removes the globe by a subconjunctival (or transconjunctival) approach instead of transpalpebral. Make sure they remove all epithelial lined or glandular structures (this includes the third eyelid, the gland of the third eyelid, the palpebral conjunctiva, and the lacrimal caruncle (located at the medial canthus). This prevents the formation of an orbital cyst from failure to remove these glandular, adjunctive ocular structures. Dogs do extremely well blind as it’s not their main sense. My dog has been playful and normal, except she bumps into things once in a while but they sell those dog bumpers for $80. Give your dog a chance, eyes are not their main sense.
Is your dog still doing well? My dog is having an eye removed due to glaucoma. I was thinking if having a prosthetic eye put in.
My dog is 1yr 11months old and suffering from acute glaucoma. We saw an ophthalmologist today. She is totally blind now and we need to decide if we are going forward with both eyes being removed. I still cannot believe this is happening to her being that she is so young.
Ugh. I have friends & family that try to suggest putting my dog down too. It infuriates me, and I just want to be there when they start to have medical issues so I can tell them the same thing! “Oh, you’ve been going to the doctors for 2, 3 years and the bills are piling up? Guess we better put you down…..”
My 11?-year old Maltese mix (Leilani) has been through a lot of the same things I’m reading here. Cataracts that turned to glaucoma, pressures that fluctuate between the high 30s and low 60s, and now dry eyes. My eye specialist is telling me there’s no vision left and strongly suggests the surgery because now that the eye drops aren’t helping the dryness, she’s uncomfortable from both that and the pressures. Lani doesn’t look miserable, but the doc keeps telling me dogs are stoic and you won’t always know when they hurt. I’m struggling with her eyes being sewn shut, but the stories I hear of how pups do afterwards is helping.
Wish us luck.
we have the same decision very soon. Infact I looked at our little terrier this morning and thought oh no i wonder if your in pain.
Have a feeling this to is coming sooner than later for our girl.
I’m responding to this a few months late, but I thought I’d write because I thought that people could benefit from my experience. We have a blind rescue dog. He does amazing as a blind dog. He goes for daily walks with me on leash through the neighborhood. He loves going to Petco to sniff around. If I asked him right now if he would like to go to Petco, he’d be jumping around like crazy because it’s so much fun for him. Now that he’s blind, he seems to be having even more fun with sniffing around. He’s become a connoisseur of different smells and once he gets a scent, he’s like a bloodhound. When I take him outside either in our yard or on walks, he is always on leash. This is so that he knows he’s safe; that I’m nearby so he doesn’t have to worry about anything. He knows I’m there with him so he can enjoy himself. I’ve taught him the words “careful” when he’s near a tree or some object so he’s aware that there is something there. He knows stay and wait. So he’s able to have fun because he knows I’ve got his back and I communicate with him. We travel with him. We just went out to an outdoor restaurant with him and he loved being with us and outside. He sat by the table like an old pro. He still chews his toys. He loves to hang out and eat. Blindness does not mean death. Their blindness does not affect their quality of life. He’s able to have more fun now because he does not have to worry about headaches, which are akin to the worst debilitating migrane one could ever have. The people who say that a blind dog should be put down are projecting their own human fears onto their pet. Blindness in a dog is not like that in a human. His sense of smell and hearing will become so strong; you’ll see the difference. Frankly, sight is not a dog’s strongest sense anyway. I wish that people who have never lived with a blind dog weigh in on something they have no experience with. If a human went blind, you wouldn’t say that he should be euthanized because his lifestyle will be curtailed. Unlike a human, a dog will not worry about what the other dogs say about him not having eyes. Unlike a human, your dog won’t have to apply for a job. Your dog will not be self-conscious. Your dog does not have to worry about how she’ll be perceived on a date. Our dog has a very full, fun life. Your friends are not doing you any favors by offering this “advice,” which is pretty crappy advice. They do not have the experience that we’ve had. I think it’s a waste to euth a dog for something so minor (in the great scheme of things) as blindness. Blindness from glaucoma is not end stage cancer. We were very sad when our dog went blind and needed his eye removed. But I wouldn’t let my sadness interfere with his ability to live as the confident, adorable dog that he is.
Hi
I LOVE your comment and what you said is the truth
I just found out my sweet Tasha has glaucoma in her right eye.
I was so sad to hear the news.
We are giving her medicine and next Tuesday we have to take her in to see if the pressure went down.
If she has to get her eye removed i will be really sad and probably spend alot of the days after crying but i do know one thing for sure is i am not putting her down.
She is like a kid to me and i would rather have her by my side then to be burying her.
I think it is unfair to put a dog down just because they go blind
This is the time your pet really needs you.
She has been by my side through my good days and my bad days and now it is time for me to do her a favor i will be by her side and i will be her eyes.
My life would not be the same if i didn’t have her anymore.
Take care and you give your dog a big kiss and hug from me.
Linda Taylor
🙂
I’m having to make a decision today. Either euthanize my dog today or remove his eye. I’ve spent the last two months trying to save it. He’s 15 and has other issues. Dental issues again, possible collapsing trachea. It’s hard to know if I should put him through this at this age. He’s been on phenobarbital since two.
Thank you so much. A friend has accused us of being cruel to consider eye removal and that we should put him down. He’s 12 and had a tough life (he’s a deaf rescue). Thanks for being so kind.
Thank you for your uplifting story. Well said. Keep powering on little doggie!!!
I just love your post. Our 13 year young Chihuahua is in emergency surgery as I type having her eye removed. I cried for her but all I really want is for her to be fine after this surgery. Waiting on pins and needles and looking forward to her pesky little self reappearing after the healing.
Your words made me feel SO much better, thank you!
Bella’s Mom
Thank you so much. I love my baby so much i would never put her to sleep. She is a Japanese Chin and got what we thought was cataract 5 months ago. Turns out her lens became detached and now she has infection. She is having her eye removed in 2 days. I am sosad but I know she will finally be pain free.
Recently new here. Really appreciate your detail explanation of this matter. I’ve been reading all the posts since my 13 year old baby Princess was diagnosed with glaucoma in the R eye. Eye drops are not helping, therefore i was referred to an ophthalmologist. Her primary care vet believes she would need her eye removed. I’m terrified with the idea of having to put her through that procedure, though. After doing research about enucleation and watching the actual procedure on youtube, i feel i little bit at easy knowing that my baby would not struggle with much pain afterwards. I just want her to be the same old pup she used to be before the Glaucoma. She lost her vision already but is doing amazingly well on walks, sniffs everything, and her appetite is slowly picking up. Crossing fingers she overcomes quick the potential surgery. Sending best wishes to all the pet lovers out there.
Don’t put her to sleep. I have a Blue Heeler, 100% blind since 5 years. He is nearly 8 now and has a super active and happy life! I have been treating the pressure w/ drops which seem to still be working fine. Dogs adjust super quickly and can have a super awesome life, just like before, with a bit of guidance when out and about!
My 9 year old Boston Terrier developed cataracts 2 years ago and now has glaucoma. The pressure went down with eye drops but she lost vision in both eyes. I know I should get her eyes removed, but am afraid she will be depressed without eyes even though she can’t see. Your message helped me feel better and I will schedule surgery for her soon, still searching for the right vet.
Our Zoie is having this done on Tuesday and reading this has made me feel so much better!!! I’m a wreck but am so glad to hear all of these positive comments!!!
My 11 year old rescue cocker had surgery yesterday for the removal of one eye. She got through the op but had some bleeding so the vet suggested an overnight stay. However, he didn’t bank on her being so noisy and clingy (after she usually is after surgery) so rang us to fetch her saying she’d be more comfortable at home. Not a bad night but still not eating and she is a greedy dog. The vet covered both eyes to put pressure on the socket but she is managing to find her way around. She is still uncomfortable at times but managing to sleep momentarily. I’m not looking forward to seeing the eye when the bandage is off but I’m sure that’s the least of our worries. Good luck to anyone having to go through this and I certainly wouldn’t have put her to sleep!
thankyou so much for your story. Oh little dog is having her right eye removed on Tuesday due to the lens coming off her eye and glaucoma. its very scary and of course its happening to the other eye. I have been wondering whats going to happen. We love her so much :0(
Thank you so much for posting this…I am devastated that my pup has to have her eye removed due to glaucoma as well. I don’t want her to be in pain. Your story is so reassuring
Thank you
Thank you , my baby girl hope is a 5 year old sher-pei . She was diagnosed with glaucoma October 2016 and her pressures have increased eyedrops are not helping anymore so they recommend both eyes to be removed to release the pressure and pain ,I am so nervous about this I hope I’m doing the right thing.
My 13 year old shihtzu had juvenile cataracts at 4. Reggie had surgery at the university of Wisconsin and did fine for about 7 years. He had artificial lens. For two years now he has been blind and does fine-we make no changes of our furniture ?. Now his glocoma pressure is high and we are trying drops for one week and then will have to make a decision about eye removal. Is it common when the pressure is high that your dog needs to be pulled to go out? Any way to tell if they are in pain similar to a migraine?
Thank you so much for your post, it has helped me so much. my 10 year boston terrier is faced with the same exact thing. I love this dog to the moon and back and this has been heartbreaking to think i have to make this decision for him. I have had him all his life and those big brown eyes are always looking back at me. I want whats best for him and to have no pain of course i will do whatever it takes. How is your dog doing now that its been a few years since her procedure ?
I know this is an old post that i am replying to — but thank you so much for this : ) my 10 yr old Pomeranian came to us with diabetes which caused him to go blind due to cataracts within 6 months of us rescuing him – then came the glaucoma which has affected his eyes real bad – he hasn’t shown much discomfort as I am sure he has been living in some sort of pain for some time. The surgery is going on right now as I type this – I pray that all goes well!!
My Boston is 4 years old and has lost her eyesight in one eye to glaucoma. They say that the chances are good that the other eye is affected within a year. We have been giving her the drops and pain medecine but she really isnt the same dog. We love her dearly but the cost of one eye removal is 3000$ which we find crazy. Not that she is not worth it but it is hard to think we may have the same thing happen to the other eye also.
Elaine, I’m not sure where you are located by get a second opinion. The first eye dr. told us between $2100 to 2300 and second told us between $1100 to 1300. After doing my research on both vets they were both qualified but the second vet used to teach about the eye and procedure. We went with the 2nd dr. Also his bedside manner was great with my baby. He is about to have his surgery right not. I just pray everything comes out good and his mass isn’t cancerous.
Thanks Bobbi and others for your experience of having had a pet lose their eye and how things are now. My Boston Terrier, Buster, developed a corneal ulcer that I thought was a cataract and wish I had caught on sooner but he had no signs of discomfort except for the occasional yelp. I wasn’t sure how he developed this ulcer to his right eye but my son noticed he had swelling and called me which I left work early to check on him and get him to the vet. Well, Buster wouldn’t cooperate with having his eye stained for the fluorescent to see if he had a scratch to his eye so we tried the conservative approach and do eye drops. Boy what a time trying to get those in, until a friend of mine said to place him in a submissive position, his back, and allow him to relax then do the drops. It worked! Until the last day or two he caught on then I had to try treating him after. Upon return to the vet he did seem to be looking better in the right eye but the vet was concerned that the ulcer may be deeper and more involved than at first suspected and advised to sedate him and examine his eye better. Worse day of my life! I didn’t want to leave my baby there at night unattended. When I received a call the next day while at work, I had to make a decision while he was under to either have his eye removed because the ulcer was all the way to the Iris and was told an infection that close to the brain could be deadly. I tried to call my husband and he was trying to call me at the same time and together we decided what was best for our baby was to have his eye removed. I will find out tomorrow when picking him up how he is doing but for now I am confident he is doing as okay as the vet reassured me he was. I am so glad Hazel is doing great. Dogs seem to be more resilient then people and carry on as if everything is okay.
Hello
How is your dog doing?
My mums dog has the same thing. Op is on Monday. Just wanted an update. She’s really concerned. Her dog is fit and healthy so a total shock. Which I’m sure you experienced yourself.
Sending healing for your dog.
Healing and health to all
Hi I was wondering how buster is doing? My Lhasa has got the same. He is nearly 13 . He is booked in for an operation on Tuesday . Firstly they where going to put a graft on to try heal it but that is not forced to work then his eye would be removed . I have asked about just having it removed. After a lot of heartache and discussion we are thinking it best to remove his eye. I don’t want to put him throw so much at his age. It is really deep the ulcer like your dogs. Please let me know how he got on .
Thank you so much for this post, my beautiful boston Gracie had the same thing cataracts then glaucoma and now I am planning to have both eyes removed.
Thank you so much for your story! I have a 12 year old Jack russell. Cataracts and glaucoma in both eyes. She is blind in both eyes and eye drops have not helped. Her pressure keeps building in both eyes. The right is worse than the left. We were told the pressure levels should be in the teens. In one week her right eye pressure went from 34 to 51, and her left from 13 to 27. She has been on a variety of eye drops for 3 week now with no reduction in the pressure. She is otherwise very healthy. One eye removal from the Ophthalmology specialist is $3,200 with both eyes cost of $3,600. Originally only the right eye was a concern, but the left eye has now become an issue as well. I am hoping her regular vet can do the surgery (waiting to hear from them) for less, but either way we will be having both eyes removed.
Thank you for sharing. My little guy is on the verge, in pain. I’m dreading it but want him out of pain.
Our IG is @thoranddudeman
Thanks for such an informative post with pictures. I have had 5 dogs with cataracts. However, one recently was diagnosed with glaucoma and may need to have her eye removed. The cost varied from <$1000 to $2500. This is not including the $550 for evaluation and the trip to my vet for evaluation.
I want to be comfortable with my choice of surgeons. However, I don't know why an enucleation costs as much as cataract surgery.
I have another blind dog currently and one that had cataract surgery. They both are doing well. We are so fortunate that dogs don't seem to mind as much as we do.
I want my dog to be pain free with normal pressure, so that will determine what happens. She has a follow up Monday.
Thanks again!
Hi, you’re doing the right thing by having her eye removed. My 18 yr old Shih-Tzu, Rocky, had an ulcerated left eye that became progressively worse within 2 weeks. He had been on eye medication, under his vet’s care.
The other morning , I had to rush him to an animal hospital, because the cornea in his ulcerated eye actually came off and he was -suddenly- in excruciating pain.
An veterinary ophthalmologist performed surgery to remove his ulcerated eye. Prior to that surgery, the doctor informed me that it was possible that my dog might not survive the anesthesia during surgery, because of his age.
I just wanted my dog not to be in any pain, so I figured that I would take the chance by deciding to have his eye removed.
My dog was admitted and I went home to await the call from the doctor. He then called me in the late afternoon to tell me that he was about to start the surgery.
About 2 hours later, he called me back and told me that the surgery went great; that he couldn’t be happier with the results and he actually said that everything went ” fantastic”. He said my dog was already awake from the anesthesia, and that he was no longer in pain.
So, I made the right choice. The only other choice was to have him euthanized, and I didn’t want to do that because -even though he’s an elderly dog who can no longer walk, he still enjoys eating, drinking, and being cuddled.
The surgery cost $2,500., plus another $100.+ dollars because he stayed at the hospital for 2 days, after surgery. The higher surgery cost was because a ‘specialist’ was performing the surgery, which I was comfortable knowing.
I hope everything turned out great for your dog.
Chris, just wondering if your dog had any nasal bleeding, snorting or congestion ongoing after the surgery. We had our 9 year old in for an enucliation in November and ever since has been sneezing, spraying blood out of his nose, snorting and is now breathing out of his mouth. We’ve been back to the Vet 3x for a second course of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and Prednizone and still 3 months post-op he’s still congested, snorting, sneezing & spraying.
My dachshund is over three weeks post-op (both eyes) and still having clogged dried mucus in her nose daily which really hampers her navigation. Doctor keeps saying it will clear up in a few days…but she has been saying that from day one. Did you ever find a solution? Mines’ nasal passages look to be swollen as well, but since I am not a vet I’m not sure.
Brenda, was your dog tested for Blastomycosis? It is a fungal infection that begins in lungs and can lead to inflammation inside of the eye and glaucoma among other things. Check it out..
My 6 year old Great Dane is scheduled for enucleation next week and the eye vet said her secondary glaucoma may have been caused by this…just a thought.
I’m not a professional by any means but, this post really worried me. It sounds like you need to take your dog to a different vet! It almost sounds like they did something wrong in the surgery. If it’s still bleeding 3 months later then the dog might need another surgery to fix the blood vessel thats “leaking “. Best of luck to you and I pay your dog doesn’t suffer much longer!
I’m relieved to hear of an elderly dog doing well with this surgery. My 16 1/2 year old poodle, has a luxating lens and her pressure has steadily increased. The ophthalmologist asked for blood work , to assess her kidney function, as a precursor to surgery. We had the blood work done today, and the result will be back tomorrow.
We see the ophthalmologist next week. Now I just want to get it done, as I don’t want her in pain!
How did everything go, Kim?
Hi Kim. I am in the same state of worry as you over my poodle’s advanced age (16) and the prospect of eye removal due to glaucoma. Reading others’ stories it sounds like the kindest, most obvious thing to do. I did not realise until now how much pain this condition must be causing him daily and my decision is a no brainer now. Just to find the right vet. Thank you everybody for your informative stories of personal experience.
This is the exact story with my Boston, Lucy!!!!
Yesterday was her surgery. She is 13. This morning one of her eye sockets has a bloody seepage. I have read this is normal. Tomorrow is a holiday and I need to know if o should wait til next day to consult my own vet when the open back or consult an emergency vet. She has not bothered, rubbed or bumped it to cause this and otherwise seems content.
My shihtsu Tsu is in the hospital right now. He has had an ulcerated eye for 2 weeks, it got better then it got worse again. They found last night that it already has ruptured, but then healed itself. There is a fear it could rupture again any minute. They do not know why yet. I am currently pacing my house waiting for the specialist to call me. My options so far are removing the eye or a cornea transplant. I understand the cornea transplant is harder and more painful for the dogs. We are leaning towards removal. I hope your guy is doing ok and hope that mine heals as well.
Hi, I’m in the U.K and found this site while google searching. It’s been interesting to read everyone’s stories. My shihtzu had to have emergency surgery yesterday to remove the eye. We only found out 5 minutes before it ruptured that he had an ulcer!
He has bn kept in over night and I have not yet seen him but still but worried that he won’t return to his normal self. He had to have his tail amputated a couple weeks ago as well so he already out of sorts.
Hi Chris,
Im so glad to read your story,
Our Coco (Maltese Shitzu) has exactly the same problem in her right eye, on Friday she was rushed to emergency because the eye ruptured after long periods of eye problems and medication.
We were at the eye specialist yesterday and they say they can do a graft but it will not give her back her vision, so its really a cosmetic thing (for $3000!) She is 14 and im wondering if its worth putting her through that, we are leaning towards eye removal but do we try the graft first – she is so miserable and in heaps of pain. What a hard decision!!
My bichon Maggie May had both her eyes removed 2 weeks and 2 days ago. She wore a halo for 2 weeks while the stitches were in. Our doctor told under no circumstances was it to be removed, however we would take it off for her to eat and go outside after. She never tried to scratch the eyes. Maggie is the same dog now as she was before. It’s been harder on us than her. From what I have read her sense of smell is first, hearing second and eyesight third. I am still struggling with the whole ordeal but it is important to treat your dog as you always have and not show that you are upset. Maggie is so smart and amazing she still scratches at the door when she needs to go out. Maggie also has diabetes and takes 2 shots of insulin a day about 12 hrs. apart. She goes up to Mike in the morning to let him know it’s time to eat. He’s the early riser. Thank you all for sharing your stories it is such a difficult experience for all of us. Has anyone tried the Muffins Halo? I saw it on line but my vet and I really don’t think she needs it. It might be useful when you bring your dog to new surroundings. Not sure.
hi marilyn, i’m so glad your dog is adapting so well to her second eye removal. i wish i could say the same for our dog bella (shitzu) had her second eye removed on 8/21/15. she had the first removed approx a year before that due to years and years of ulcers which even after being treated on a daily basis became so bad they were ready to explode. first eye removal was a piece of cake, the second, which came upon us without warning and hours before our daughter’s wedding was totally unplanned, needless to say we did not have the time to discuss whether we wanted to put her through another one and “shut the lights off” on her. she was a rescue dog we adopted 9.5 years ago and our vet thought at that time she was anywhere from 2-5 years old therefore at time of second eye removal was was probably at least 12. in prior years she had bilateral cataract surgery (not good turnouts). as we would do anything for this dog, (we have paid in excess of $40,000 in the past 5 years on medical treatment for her. we truly had no choice but to do it immediately,(second eye removal) that day to alleviate her pain, although the surgery went fine, bella is still struggling daily with “having the lights shut off”. she is on several anti anxiety medications all throughout the day to keep her calm. it’s truly a very sad situation for all of us, basically a nightmare for all of us. we have even been to a very well know veterinary doctor at tufts veterinary here in massachusetts to help all of us with this. we still are tweaking her medications. our life has taken a 360 turn downwards. she no longer can stay with family as she has a tendency to nip, even us,. she does eat a little bit (not her food anymore rather just cold cuts which have her meds wrapped in them), absolutely has not gone for a walk since last august, cannot play with her toys and due to her medication sleeps pretty much all day b/c if not, she gets too stressed out she does wag her tail a bit especially when my husband comes home from work and she will eat a few treats out of a ball on our bed at night before going to sleep (some nights were are still up ALOT with her as she pants constantly. we had just wished we had the time to discuss the implications of a second eye removal,taken into consideration we didn’t know her real age, etc. our daughter was getting married within a few hours that day and we agreed with the surgeons to go ahead with the surgery. although our regular vet does not feel bella is in any “pain” currently, i feel she is is emotional pain as is both my husband and I. Its so hard b/c she does not have a death sentence (cancer, etc per say) so she could last several more years). Our former shitzu was 18 when she passed. We were hoping that after almost 10 months, things would be alot better. to complicate things, we own a home on cape cod and go there weekends usually from March to November and it’s a struggle getting her re acclamated to that house, then back to our own home. Sorry to have sounded so negative, but I think people need to hear that not all dogs who have both eyes removed do well. . We have done everything for her and continue to do so. We just wished this poor little girl could have had a better outcome emotionally. Thanks all for listening
I’m so sorry! Thank you for giving us the flip side.
Thanks for posting this. We had a similar situation with our 13 year old Shih-Tzu. He did very well with his first enucleation due to glaucoma. However, six months later, he developed glaucoma in his second eye and the recommendation was to remove his other eye. We thought this was the right decision at the time and were told dogs with both eyes removed do very well. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Gizmo immediately started barking and whining after the “lights went out” for him. He never ever wagged his tail again, which was absolutely devastating for us. He lived another 2 years with a very poor quality of life and we wish we would have never put him through the second surgery. He just slept and was not eating well. I agree that not all dogs do well with both eyes removed and owners need to be prepared for that. Good luck to all.
It’s extremely rare for a dog not to do well being blind and in fact in the time I have been on running this website and with the hundreds if not thousands of people that have come through it, you’re the first to have a dog that didn’t eventually accept the blindness. But every dog is different. I know that if my other dog went blind, she wouldn’t have coped as well as she has a totally different personality.
Also, I wonder if your dog had a problem with the surgery causing constant pain in the eye. This would have meant a very miserable existence.
Our 16year old Cocker spaniel had both eyes removed 5 years ago, she never wore a cone after the surgery and was like a much younger dog once the wounds healed. I’m so glad our vet suggested removing her eyes and assuring us that she’d be fine as ling as she had her hearing and sense of smell. He was 100% correct. Ripley had also been blind for much longer than we had realized so her eyes caused her pain but no use in the last month before the operation.
Thank you all for the stories, my little Max is going to have surgery on November 15. I keep saying to myself that it is for the best because the pressure is so high even with medications.
He is such a happy little guy, I am praying that he pulls thru ok.
Hi. I wouldn’t go to the eye specialist where I live near wheeling Illinois. They are money hungry. We chose to drive 2 hours to the university of Wisconsin in Madison-school of veterinary medicine. They were wonderful 8 years ago with reggies cataracts and new lenses. Now he has an advanced case of glocoma. Will know 8/4/17 if I removal should be done
Thank you so much for keeping your website up. I have a senior boxer who is my best friend and he as to have his eye removed due to an optical tumor. My heart has been breaking since I heard the news, but with your encouraging information I pray all will go well with the surgery.
Thank you for your informative and lovely dog’s eye removal support piece. My 16-17 yr old Maltipoo is facing this – he has glaucoma/ tumors – maybe melanoma (not necesarily bad in dogs) in 1 eye and his other eye has “old dog eye”… everyones comments are so helpful! I wonder if removing 1 eye to leave a ‘poor’ eye in place is worth it for him at this age? He bumps into things a lot (furniture is bubble wrapped and pool noodles are used where possible),… but doesnt seem to be in pain (was 3 weeks ago when his swelled up and got super infected). I am staying home as much as possible but obviously caanot do this all the time – has anyone done eye removal at age 16-17 with small dog …
The only reason that you would want to get the eye removed is if he was in pain and he probably would be with glaucoma. Dogs are pretty stoic animals so you don’t always notice when they are in pain. If the eye drops are keeping the pressure down in the eye then he is probably okay but if it is constantly up then he would be in pain.
It’s always difficult with an older dog because there is more risk when operated on. Ask your vet “What would you do if it were your dog?” and get them to give you an honest answer. This helped me immensely when my dog had her eye removed.
Personally I would rather my dog not be in any pain so I would take the risk but it is a very personal choice that only you can decide.
This morning I took my Molly in to have her right eye removed, also due to glaucoma. My heart is aching as I wait for the vet to call. I didn’t really know what to expect and the first thing I found was your site. Thank you so much for sharing your story. It has helped me. I am holding onto the hope that my Molly will be happy again. I am so sorry to hear about your beloved Lucy.
Kathleen
I still remember waiting for that phone call myself. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. When I picked her up, all my worries were gone. She was so happy and I knew it would be okay.
You have eased my heart so much. Maggie Mae is our 7 year old Cockapoo who developed glaucoma and it quickly developed and she lost her sight in the eye. We are facing surgery to remove her eye and I have been so concerned with her being in pain and wondering why I let this happen to her! Thank you so much!
My 12 year old needs to have his left eye removed but I decided against it and have him put down instead so he isn’t in any pain. That kills me.
From the articles that I’ve read it’s a horrific thing to have done to your dog. Incredible pain, swelling, bleeding with no guarantee of a good outcome. That isn’t something I’d put my dog through!
I hope your pup didn’t experience that!
I’m not sure what articles you have been reading but most dogs come out of the operation okay. Not all of course but that is the nature of operations.
Hey Guys, Glad to have found this site. It is 05/27/2013, my dog of 15 years will be having her left eye taken out. I am just beside myself thinking the worst. I hope all goes well. God Bless!
Time to ‘ start thinking the best’ instead. I know how hard it is. When my dog had her eye out I was actually okay with the eye coming out – it was the operation itself that I was worried about. Let us know how it goes MM.
check out my dog’s fb page, AbbyDabbyDo…….she had both eyes removed over 7 years ago.
Laura, i would love to see her fb page, but i cant see if coming up, unless she is a brown lab and last name shafer
That was very helpful! Thank you!
Mine is having his right eye removed in about 15 minutes. I’m a nervous wreck at home waiting for them to call me to let me know how he is. I just want him to feel better. Our babies will be fine 🙂
I’m thinking of you Heather. Just let us know when your baby is at home.
My one year old Chocolate Lab is having her eye removed Monday! Thanks for sharing your stories. I am very nervous but happy she will no longer be in pain.
Our 6 year old bichon frisee will be getting his eye removed tomorrow, May 30th. He has glaucoma as well and I can tell he’s been in pain for too long now (a few months). The eye drops help but do not completely relieve the pain. He still plays, runs around, but has been laying down a lot more and he’s not as friendly as he’s always been around other dogs, as he’s afraid they’ll hurt his eye when playing. I’m a little worried about the procedure and how he’ll feel afterwards… did your dogs were pain free after recovering from surgery? I’m a little worried about my 3 year old daughter after seeing our doggie. She knows whats happening though… and I’ve told her he’ll be our little pirate dog, as she loves pirates.
Sure hope your dog did well and is a good pirate dog now. My lab is facing the same procedure for a tumor. I had thought about putting a patch over her eye. Just wondered if you were able to fix one for yours?
My dog is 15 years old and had glaucoma in her left eye. She had to have her eye removed as the IOP pressures were very high. I was frightened to have my pet be put to sleep due to her age. I spoke with the vet about my concerns due to her age. She recommended that the dog be put on an IV during surgery as that helps dogs who are older or may have higher level liver or kidney issues. My dog went throught the procedure very well. The surgery took a total of 45 mins and I was able to pick her up at 3:00 later that day. She was in pain when I got her home. I gave her pain meds and she slept throught the night. That evening around 12:00 the anesthetic finally wore off. I kept her on pain meds for about 3 to 4 days. More like 3. After 10 days her energy level has really increased, she is doing very well. If anyone has this surgery ask your vet to have your animal hooked up to an IV during surgery, as they may already do this at your vets office. It is optional at mine.
My dog 9.5 years old dog had her surgery yesterday and all went well. It’s true that even if you are prepared and seen pictures seeing your dog is a bit different, but two eyes or one she is still my sweet girl.
I was also surprised when I picked her up she was full of energy excited to see me and ready to go just like if nothing happen.
Now she is resting at home comfortably.
That’s exactly what my dog was like when I went to pick her up. She was so excited and jumped all over me.
It’s looking like my 8 year old is going to need both her eyes removed within the next few months as we are struggling to maintain pressures , it’s such a hard decision to make, my husband wants to have false eyes but I don’t think I do in case there are complications has anyone experienced both eyes removed and does anyone have any advice ,
The best thing is to talk to a vet who has experience with this and get their opinion. My vet told me that the false eyes are really just to keep the humans happy. It doesn’t really help the dog in any way. Plus for me, I didn’t want any complications. I just wanted her to be happy so I didn’t care about the false eyes.
My 8 year old cocker spaniel had his eye removed due to glaucoma over a year and a half ago and had a silicone implant. (evisceration with intrascleral prosthesis) We managed his pressure in his sighted eye until last this past May (he is now 10) when his pressures spiked, he went blind and his other eye was removed. Again, we did the evisceration with intrascleral prosthesis. The first procedure was routine. This time around he developed complications and we are currently struggling with a potential infection or inflammation. We will know more once he is off the antibiotics in a week or so. I know that the prothesis is mainly for the humans but I also feel that dogs do sense people’s reaction to them. I don’t think there is a right or wrong choice. I think you know your dog best. Do be aware that there is addition care associated with the evisceration with intrascleral prosthesis. Whatever you decide I want to wish you and your dog the best.
An update on my dog, Spencer~ While he did have complications from his second surgery he is doing well. You may contact me at rlschlader@aol.com if you would like to see photos of him.
How did things turn out after the second surgery? We gave a 10 year Old English setter who had bilateral cataract surgery and his left eye has uncontrollable pressure spikes. The ophthalmology Vet is recommending removal of the eye and the prosthetic insertion. We are obviously fearful to put him through another surgery.
Mary, what ended up happening? I have same issue.
How is your dog doing? My cocker spaniel has glaucoma in her right eye and when she went to have her pressures checked on Monday the right eye is still just as high after adding a new eye drop. She is currently on four different drops in the right eye. The doctor stated she either needs the eye removed, the intrascleral prosthesis or a gentocin injection. I have ruled out the injection, only a 75% chance of working and higher risk from anesthesia. I am struggling trying to decide between removal or the prosthesis.
Was your dog in a lot of pain after the procedure? If so for how long? Any complications?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Paula,
My recent (1/2015) rescue Graham came to me blind. He had one eye with a cataract and the other had glaucoma. He’s been on 6 different drops between both eyes and never seemed to be in pain.
He’s a feisty little Shih Tzu that I absolutely love. His right eye had the glaucoma and got enlarged.
Took him to my vet who suggested an animal eye specialist. We tried 2 different drops. One seemed to elevate the pressure and the other lowered it one week and elevated it the next. Surgery is scheduled for this Wednesday. Graham is somewhere around 10 or 11 (since he was found on the streets of Miami we don’t know exactly). I am more concerned about the anesthesia than I am the eye removal. Dr. Brookshire did not really explain the surgery except that it is eye removal. I will probably tell her no prosthetic since it seems from above remarks that it might cause problems. I don’t care what my baby looks like as long as he is no longer in pain. Thank you so much for this information you have provided along with everyone else’s comments. Pray for my Graham, we need him home including his “adopted brother” Sebastian who is a 15 yr old Shih Tzu.
I just had a Vet visit today & they said the same thing my 3 yrd old shih-tzu has glaucoma in his right eye & we’re also having trouble maintaining his pressures she suggested both eye removals & said the pain my baby is experiencing is equivalent to a constant headache Although when I give my dog his eye drops he does fine and shows no sign of pain, only when the eye gets cloudy is when I can tell he’s hurting. I absolutely dont want to get the surgery but that would be selfish of me if he’s in great pain but I am looking to get false eyes just for the appearance
Is it selfish of me to wait it out till the eyedrops no longer have an effect? although he is completely blind & his eyes are no use am I wrong for wanting to keep them ?
It’s understandable that you would want to keep the eyes intact. We all want that for our dogs, but if your dog has glaucoma he will be in pain – and it will be pretty much 24/7. So you have to get past that and think what is best for your dog not what is best for you.
Hi Brittny,
I also have a shih tzu who is only one and has had to have his eye removed yesterday due to what we thought was just conjunctivitis but it turns out he had damaged his eye. It was a big shock and a traumatic experience but even after one day and having him home I don’t care that he only has one eye as long as he’s alive and OK. I’m sure you will know when you need to take the step to remove his eyes and he will always be beautiful in your eyes. Hope everything goes OK 🙂
My dog had glaucoma in both his eyes he had oe removed because he was in pain and the vet said the other eye should be good for a few years long story short his other eye was in real bad shape only 3 weeks after first one was removed anyway the other eye just about exploded oozing green puss so now I have a completely blind dog . The only consolation is he is not in pain. He is 13 years old and still very active but he is licking his feet constantly . The nures at vets office said dogs will do this after the type of surgery due to stress any comments from anyone with same problem and what they did .Thanks
I always was told that dogs lick their paws when they are experiencing pain. They are trying to heal themselves.
Hello all, Thank you so much for your comments about your personal experiences with your beloved dogs. My Maizy, an 8 yr. old Pekinese, had her right ear canal removed over two weeks ago. That caused her to lose her blink reflex on the right side. I knew that she may lose feeling on that side of her face, but had not realized or thought to ask about her blink reflex.
That reflex may come back, but in the meantime her eye became too dry, even though I gave her rewetting drops as prescribed. So as she was getting her stitches out the vet said her eye looks very bad, and he believes she has an ulcer and is losing vision. She is on pain meds, and will get the rest of her stitches out in a few days and we will likely schedule the enulcation. I was scared to death, so reading all your experiences is helping me so much.
At first I thought I would not put her through that, but it sounds like this could go very well and there is no need for me to feel that putting her down is the only option. The vet had said, she would have to have the surgery to live, and I thought the surgery would be too much. But I am so hopeful now. Thank you thank you. I am still getting a second opinion but am no longer afraid to move forward with surgery.
I’m so glad this has helped you Sally. Please let us know how it goes.
hi, a week before Christmas my 8 year old Shar-pei started to close her right eye and having a jumpy maltese I thought maybe he scratched her eye, well while we were on vacation I took her to the local vet a couple of times and then was directed to the opthomologist where she definitely said it was glaucoma.so we had been treating her and keeping a close eye on her.so lots of drops in both eyes and tramadol for the pain since the dr said its like a migraine to them. well we returned home and took her our opthomologist and she and our vet agreed the best thing to due would be remove it, now I am thinking if the other eye goes bad soon should I put her down ,Well I cried my eyes out thinking she would have such difficulties getting around when she is so used to seeing us and our two little dogs and the cows ect…then I realized we can still take awesome care of her since we don’t work .just because she might not be able to see she can still hear and will get all the love we have always gave to her, I pray the other eye holds up up they say it does have glaucoma but I will wait and see, she goes for her surgery tomorrow at 7:30. I have already lost 3 of my dogs one due to age with difficulties and two to two different cancers, so unless something happens and that’s the best thing for her I will keep her by my side and as soon as she is healed we will start working with her to prepare her and us for our slightly different way of life. thank you for letting me vent I am so so sorry for all of your pets that have gone through this and those of you that have lost pets. MINE ARE MY LIFE.please say a prayer for her, her name is Samantha and a very big prayer goes out to all of you and your pets, thank you!
Just saw your post hope your Samantha is doing well now. I too have a shar pei named Snuffles who has glaucoma in both eyes and is basically blind, I’m planning on the surgery.
Ive just been told by a canine opthamologist that due to glaucoma and loss of vision, i should have my 7 yr old great danes left eye eneucleated. Im so upset for her but encouraged by what others have written here. Does anyone have any bad news stories with this procedure or words of warning? Worried…
With any operation there is always the chance of things going wrong. That’s just the nature of it unfortunately. But it is very rare for that to happen and it is usually because the dog has some other problem and can’t handle the anaesthesia for instance. But otherwise, in most cases it all goes beautifully. So just focus on the good news stories.
Paula,
Thanks for such a well written description of your experience and Lucy’s. It was the same process for us, tried the drops for a couple of months, seemed to control the pressure in her (L) eye. Then 2 weeks ago, I boarded her for 10 days with a supposedly experienced kennel whose owner said they knew all about eye drops Later they said Simi gave them a hard time about the drops. When I picked her up I could see the swelling and redness was dramatic. My vet said, in a way that helped with the decision to go forward with the surgery, the fact that she was so dependent on a strict regimen and could not deviate from that without swelling, redness, and, of course, pain. She had her (L) eye removed today. I hope to be able to pick her up soon to come home. I did a web search for post enucleation pain to try to find out how uncomfortable she will be and was directed to your site. Very helpful and thank you again!
Hope it all went well Cheryl. Please provide an update and let us know how your dog is doing.
My Sydney boy (12yrs) had both eyes removed yesterday. He has been blind for about 4-5 years already. He ate a little late last night and small amount today. Just a few table spoons of water. He has Vestibular disease which comes and goes and lasts usually a couple of days (disorientation and vertigo) so his brain’s GPS is all screwed up. Of course he had to have a bout with this starting a couple days before surgery. So now he is sore and dizzy. He came out of his crate once last night – but ran into things, got scared and freaked out more. I have taken him out to potty – used his harness so he would know where he was walking – but he got completely panicked and scared and wouldn’t potty- and I had to carry him back to his crate. I am alternating warm and cold compress on his sockets. Anyone have other suggestions to help him (and me) out?
Have you tried a Thunder Shirt? These are very good at calming a stressed dog. It doesn’t work on all dogs but for many it does work. You can search for them on Amazon to check out the reviews.
You could also try the Tellington Touch wrap which is essentially the same thing but a lot cheaper.
http://www.crvetcenter.com/ttouch.php
Also just treat yourself to something nice…you deserve it. It will also help to calm you which in turn will calm your dog as they can sense stress and tension in people.
As for the eye sockets, they will heal pretty quickly as long as he doesn’t run into too many things.
THANKS SO MUCH PAULA!!!!! this is a great website!
Hi Paula and Shannon, I hope Sydney is doing better! My Sasha is fine but I wanted to comment on the Thundershirt. I bought Kodiak on through Amazon because he is terrified of thunder and lightening (luckily it is rare where I live). We think lightening struck his kennel when we were at work because he didn’t have a problem it the first 9 years of his life, but them suddenly he is terrified. So I bought the thundershirt this spring and he loves it. I used it 4th of July because of firecrackers and he was starting to shake. When I took it off in the morning, he gave me a dirty look that was clearly “leave it on”. Since it’s near 100 out and he’s a furry husky, that wasn’t happening but Sydney, Paula’s advice is right on. That comfort pressure for the dogs is amazing.
Marie
My 15 yr old Cocker Spaniel, has an enlarged heart the size of his body. He underwent surgery for a 3.8 tumor to be removed under his front leg, about 4 weeks ago, and they didn’t expect him to live, he made it, but not without complications. First his lung filled with fluid, so they had to work fast to drain the lung, that went well, but the next was his right eye on the same side as the tumor removal started swelling, the vet put him back under ( once again not expecting him to survive, and once again he did) they put antibiotics under the eye (first consulting with a specialist) and sewn the third eye lid down, we waited 10 days for the stitches to come out, and the results were he would have to have the eye removed. We took him to the vet yesterday who said that all the vets at the clinic are truly amazed with Taffy, but we have to understand, due to his age, and his heart condition, and the fact he already went through two anesthesia procedures in the past 4 weeks, the likelihood this time of making it out of surgery were very slim. I cried kissed my faithful companion, and friend good bye, asked God to be with him, and walked out the door, sobbing like a baby. 3 hours later the vet called, once again he made it through, and we needed to pick him up as soon as possible to get him home so his anxiety levels would calm. As much as I loved his big deer shaped eyes, it was the best decision ever. I’m sure now that he was having a lot of pain in the back of this eye, that went undetected ( remember, this all started because of the tumor on his leg) He seems so calm, and more relaxed then he has in a long time. I keep a cone on him, because he does go to scratch, but that will eventually come off as he heals.I am so grateful that my Taffy is still with me, minus one eye, but I have him, and that’s the main thing. Good luck people out there that are, and will be faced with this decision, and remember it’s only a eye.
Obviously he is not meant to go just yet At 15 that is well into old age for a cocker spaniel so he’s pretty tough.
Thank you so much for your posting and everyone elses. My 15 year old shepard mix mutt Maddie, is having her eye removed now and I am nervous. Reading your story has put me at ease and I’m greatful! Thank you
My 9 year old Beagle, Bella, is going through the removal of one of her eyes as I type this. This thread really has helped my feelings. Just like every other poster here, I am just sitting by my phone waiting for the phone call to pick her up.
Hope all goes well Michael.
I also have a 8 yr old beagle. Bentley is on 3 meds, 7x/day. We have not exhausted all the meds to reduce swelling and pain, however, he is blind. I feel I’m ignoring the inevitable. He could have laser surgery to help w swelling. But, in the long run, both eyes will need to come out. I’m wondering if I should just get them out sooner than later. Our day is dictated by when he gets meds. He sleeps more than he ever did, which now I’m wondering if he is in pain. Thoughts?
If he is blind then personally if it were my dog, I would be having that operation to remove the eyes ASAP. I wouldn’t want to wait another second. I’m assuming he has glaucoma and if so, he would be in pain and I wouldn’t want to see my dog in pain.
My dog, Ginger, will be having surgery to remove BOTH eyes in a couple of weeks. I am TERRIFIED! My thing is that I just don’t want her to suffer or be in much pain. I have seen her in quite a bit of pain with her eyes because of her onset glaucoma. We have been giving her drops for months now, and the vet says that our dog’s eye pressure is not responding to the drops any longer. 🙁 She has been blind for weeks now and is becoming accustomed to it. I just have these horrible thoughts of her being in severe pain after her surgery and not being able to soothe her. The doctor says she will give her Meloxicam (sp.?) after surgery. Is that enough for her pain?
Hi Patsy, my Sasha was pretty much fine after surgery. She showed no symptoms of pain. Just the opposite – the relief after finally being pain free from the glaucoma was immediate. We thought we were home free and honestly were. I just wanted to let you know that the one week mark is when there was a little frustration from her. She kept scratching it even with an E collar. The day it started I ran into one of her vets at the grocery and I mentioned it to her and she said that’s the one week itch. That the healing tissue starts to itch. Perfectly normal. It lasted about 5-6 days and then that was it. We noticed she wasn’t trying to scratch anymore and we able to take the collar off. Your baby is going to feel so much better AND she is already blind, she’s going to be ecstatic.
Thanks to Marie for her wonderful comments to me. I appreciate them..:) GINGER will be getting both eyes removed today. The doctor wants her to stay overnight. I can’t wait to pick her up tomorrow morning and start the healing process. I just hope and pray that the doctor does not let her have any pain. I go back to work in 6 days fulltime and will be hoping I see quite an improvement on how she feels..
My 15-year-old dog just had her left eye enucleated a week ago, and she’s doing wonderfully. She suffered from glaucoma that was not responsive to drops. I was terrified that she wouldn’t come through the surgery at her advanced age, but she’s much perkier, and I am glad we opted for the surgery.
It’s been a week, and we continue to apply a warm, wet compress twice a day for 10 minutes each time, but I’m not sure whether I should still be doing this. What have your doctors recommended?
My vet never recommended anything like this so I’m not sure if it’s the right thing to do or not. Maybe just give your vet a quick call and ask. It sounds like your dog likes it otherwise they wouldn’t sit there for 10 minutes letting you do it.
Hello everyone. Thank you so much for your stories. Because I am going through all the sites for more info about enuclation surgery, and complications after. My 12 years old toy poodle developed glaucoma on her left eye and we need to do surgery because pressure in her eye is still high. I am so glad I find your web-site, after reading I feel much better, even scared to death.
thank you again.
Glad we could help Lora.
hi all,
My little 12 yo miniature poodle had both her eyes removed last July. she had severe eye pressure and glaucoma plus she is diabetic. Being diabetic the vet only wanted to remove one eye at a time which she did two weeks apart. 12 months on and she is doing fine. she goes in and out of the trap door to go to the toilet and finds her way around the house by using her nose against walls cupboards etc. We have about 2 acres of land and she can find me in the garden. I am quite often kneeling down weeding etc. and all of a sudden I feel a nudge in the back and there she is. I think she is terrific and the most beautiful girl in the world. We also have her brother (out of the same litter). He was diagnosed with diabetes about 5 years ago and is blind in one eye with limited vision in the other. I know I shouldn’t laugh but sometimes they run into each other. In the big scheme of things my little boy and girl are precious she doesn’t have her eyes but I still have her and will for a long time.
LOL, well you have to laugh sometimes. It’s better than crying and it gives them the sense that everything is okay.
Trudie,
Thanks for your post. It brought a smilw to my heart. My dog will be losing both her eyes to glaucoma & I’ve been so worried about how she will do. I pray it will be as well as your sweet poodle.
Thanks so much!!
SueB
My lil girl (Kaley) is having her left eye removed tomorrow. She is an 8 year old mini doxie. I am very scared and sad (crying as I type) but I know it will be the best thing I ever did for her. Reading these other entries gives me hope that she will recover and live a long and happy life. Thanks everyone!
How did it go Cathy??
Bella will be just fine. I went through the same thing 2 weeks ago with Maggie 7 yr. old Bichon. We were a little shocked when we first saw her with the stitches but she was out of pain and that is what counts. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Maggie is back to herself and up to her old tricks. We just love our dogs don’t we!
Hi everyone. Hope all your furbabies are recovering just fine. I just wanted to post about my Elly’s mood after her left eye was removed almost two months ago. I had read here that most of the dogs that had this done were excited and back to normal the same day. When we picked up Elly she was groggy and out of it but seemed glad to see us. The first few days she barely ate and gave us a hard time with her pain meds and antibiotics. She slept a lot. By the end.of the week she was vomiting which she’s never really done before and still not doing much. I was super worried that something wasn’t right with her. When we took her back a week and a half later to remove stitches, the vet said her eye socket healed wonderfully and her temp was normal as well as her blood pressure. It took almost amonth before she was back on track. She’s acting like a puppy again and playing with our other dog again. She doesn’t eat quite as much as she used to but that’s okay. Watching her figure I guess, haha. I just want people to know that every dog reacts differently and not to freak out like I did if it takes longer for your pup to get back on theirpaws. 🙂
Thanks for this post. My 12 and half year old lab mix just had enucleation and entropian (on the good eye) surgery three days ago. I’m worried about the lid surgery most because that eye seems to be bothering her more than the enucleated side. She is definitely not herself. This post has helped me — I will be keeping a close watch on her and hopefully in a couple of weeks she will be feeling better.
my dog lost his eye two weeks ago chasing a ups truck he got stitches ou today he is actong kind of strange hope thats normal he wore an e collar for 2 weeks hope my dog rocky comes back like he was thank you for your story that will give me more hope
My baby girl is having her eye taking out in 2 weeks. She is 3 years old, and full of enegry. She was poked in the eye by a groomer and 2 years later we are finally doing this. I actually work at the hospital to which she will be going, and also going to school for a vet tech. But besides all that i am super nervous and want some peace in mind. I am afraid how she will look after. I try to keep thinking this is going to help her, but i am selfish and i dont want to lose her. Please if anyone reads this please pray for my shih tzu named Maggie.
My dog had her eye removed and when I saw her the first time after the operation, I didn’t care one bit how she looked. I was just happy that she got through the operation okay. That’s probably how you will feel as well. It may look a bit odd for a couple of days but you will get used to it pretty quickly.
My 11 year old border collie, Tucker was diagnosed with glaucoma in his left eye last week. We were prescribed eye drops, and referred to an eye specialist. She recommended enucleation, but she also said that we could try the eye drops and see if they helped, but that we would have to check in with her again after 2 months of using the eye drops. I am worried that Tucker isn’t in enough pain to justify enucleation surgery. Tucker does seem more lethargic and much less playful with our other dog. His eye sometimes droops, especially in the evening. What signs and symptoms did you notice with your dogs?
The lethargy and reluctance to play is most likely due to pain. Just imagine having a migraine 24/7 and that is what it could potentially be like for a dog with glaucoma.
My 8.5 year old golden retriever has pigementary uveitis (genetic) and has been successfully maintaining her pressures for 4 years now but as predicted with this disease, she had a sudden glaucoma flare-up in the right eye and it was obvious that she was in horrible pain, like Paula said, a bad migraine 24/7. Two days later we had her eye removed. She really wasn’t bouncing back as I had been told she would, she wouldn’t eat or drink. I knew the e-collar was torture for her and decided to remove it on day three just to see if she would eat or drink and that did the trick! I couldn’t believe the difference. I had to put the e-collar back on when I wasn’t home and she just sat there with her head slumped like she was being punished. It is now 17 days post surgery and she is a completely new dog. She has been pulling toys out of her toy box that I haven’t seen in probably a year and she is just so much fun again. We realize now that she must have been having pain for quite a while.
That’s so good to hear Mary. These dogs go through so much pain so I love it when I hear that an operation was a success and the dog is bouncing back.
My 9 year old cocker-spaniel, Monica is at the opthamologist’s now, waiting for her right eye to be removed. She had a very sudden episode of glaucoma which the vet diagnosed just 6 days ago. We did drops but pressure kept rising, 38 at first, then 61 and we were referred to the opthamologist. This morning when we took her in, we were told the glaucoma was secondary, due to her lens being detached/popped forward, blocking the eye’s drainage. This is something that if we had known immediately what it was, an emergency surgery might have been able to save her vision. She has the same condition in her other eye but the lens is still hanging on. The opthamologist will send her home with special drops to enlarge the iris and keep the other lens in place. If it detaches, her vision could still potentially be saved by an emergency surgery. All this to say, this experience has taught me that when it comes to eyes, I recommend seeing a specialist immediately. Our regular vet was not trained and did not have the equipment to diagnose this condition and fortunately referred us to someone who did. Although our regular vet could have removed the eye, we would never have known the danger to the remaining eye and our baby would certainly be fully blind in a short time. This is a condition that normally occurs in dogs younger than Monica, around ages 5-6 so our baby is rare. She also appears to have a heart murmur and so is a higher risk for this surgery, so we are extremely worried about her right now. Just waiting to and praying to hear that she made it through!
I know the feeling. The waiting for the surgery to be over is always the hardest time. Let us know how it goes Brittani.
My sweet girl Emmie, 8, Tibetan Terrier, had both eyes enucleated this morning. i pick her up tomorrow morning. After dropping her off her this morning, I sat in the parking lot and cried and cried. Making the decision was hard. Dropping her off was the worst. Now that I know it’s over I can’t wait to pick her up. (She has an auto-immune disorder and one of the side effects is having painful and inflamed eyes, that can lead to blindness.) The vet said she did great, and I can’t wait to bring her home!!
I so feel for you right now. It takes me back to when my dog had her eye removed. It’s such a relief when it’s all over so I’m so glad she’s done so well.
My 10 year old baby boy Popeye is a Pekingese and has to get BOTH eyes removed in the morning. I am devastated, I tried all the drops and medications for 2weeks but his glaucoma got the best of him. I am so nervous about dropping him off and then seeing him with no eyes when I pick him back up. I know it’s for the best I hate seeing him in pain. He’s my baby boy, like my child. Thanks for the article I couldn’t seem to find anyone else with a double eye removal. It comforted me reading your story. We’ll get through it , he’s a strong lil man!
Our 7 year old, black lab, pit bull, chow chow (what a mouthful), Misty, will be having her left eye removed in two weeks. My wife and I adopted her a little less than five years ago. She is a constant joy and has an unwavering love for her family. While she is in no pain currently, the specialist has confirmed that she has lost all sight in her left eye most likely due to a tumor that has developed behind the eye. She has twice as much pressure in her left eye when compared to her right eye. Not much of a decision here. I just hope and pray that the surgery goes well and that the biopsy comes back negative. Our Misty is such a sweetie!
Wow, that is a bit of a mix. You will have to show us a photo of her.
My girl lost her left eye and had laser surgery on the other but we left it a bit late and the sight couldn’t be saved. So she ended up being completely blind.
I hope little Misty does well. It’s a very safe operation but with all operations there is always going to be risk. Let us know how it goes John.
My 3yr old Bernese Mountain Dog Millie, is currently having her (R) eye removed as we speak and needed to do something while I am waiting for the phone-call to let me know the op was successful, it has happened so quickly within 9days from a bouncy loveable Dog to complete blindess in one, she has a foreign object that as speared into the back of her beautiful eye, this website has given me so much comfort, as I am preying that the eye removal contains the foreign object, as I do not want it left in her body to cause any potential further complications, and also she is currently at a high risk of severe possible bleeding is still only a baby sadly bigger the dog bigger the risk… Fbody potentially is a grass-seed how can something so small could cause something so rapid and severe I am a firm believer things happen for a reason, the care she has been given so far by over 9 different vets and 1 specialist, they have found her other eye is slightly impaired but is treatable and this would of gone undetected if this had not of happened. Great comforting website Paula x
I still remember the day my Lucy had her operation. Couldn’t concentrate all day. I just wanted that phone to ring to tell me everything was okay. So I feel for you right now. Hope all goes well Donna. Keep us updated.
so glad I ran across this..My 15 yr old little guy is having his eye removed tomorrow. I am so worried..that at his age..the anesthetic could do him in. But I am also ready for him to be with out pain. I can tell he is tired of hurting. My vet is “the VET GOD”..and I know he would not recommend this avenue, if it was not the right thing to do. Thanks again for all the encouraging comments.
Hope it all goes well Charlotte. I will be sending out positive energy to both you and your “little guy”.
Sadly we have not been able to bring her home yet, as she is too uncomfortable hopefully we will be able to get her tomow, the good news they were able to remove the eye with still the foreign body attached, and yes it was a grass seed, Can’t wait to see her x
Millie is now home and doing quite well, its a challenge around eating and drinking with the cone on but she is getting lots of fussing, really pleased with how it is going cant wait though for later next wk when she is back to her full self again, I cant believe though the grass seed looks like a thread of cotton, and something like that in a space of 2wks can cause so much damage. and a heavy empty pocket, I am just so grateful I have our Millie back as last wk we thought the worst.
Good luck to Charlotte and your little guy my thoughts are with you x
Grass seeds are the worst. One of my dogs has had two mini-operations to have them removed from her ears.
Glad to hear everything went so well Donna and that Millie is safely back at home.
Hi Paula, I should be getting a phone call about Misty in the next hour or two. See my 8/14/13 email. If you google “how to create stunning portraits of your dog”, Misty’s photo is the 3rd one down. A black and white photo called “Tired Dog” taken by my brother-in -law. I hope Misty is doing well in recovery and I can’t wait to pick her up. I’ll keep you posted on her diagnosis and progress.
Excellent John.
Has anyone experience their blind dog’s eye socket swelling? My dog has been blind for 4 years with both eye removed, but two nights ago, we noticed one looked swollen since both are normally sunk in. Vet suggest we watch it for a few days. It doesn’t seem like it’s gone down any and look like it’s about to spilt open. I’m so scared of what it might be. Can anyone tell me what could/would cause this?
It sounds like fluid building up behind the eye. If I were you, I would get a second opinion. It doesn’t sound right at all.
April, what happened? I also have a matured surgery dog that was completely healed and now there is swelling and pain…I’ve put him on clave mix incase it is an abcess but I’m thinking he’s banged it as he often hits things on that side when he’s out playing. Can you please update me?
Hi everyone……….I am so happy I found this site. My Shar-pei will be 6 in a week. On Tuesday I had a tumor removed from her left eye. I am still waiting for the results. The Vet told me that he was unable to remove the whole tumor. I brought her home Tuesday evening with an E Collar but because of her shaking she keeps bleeding from the eye. I took her back to the Vet on Wednesday and he wrapped the eye. That only lasted a few hours as she kept shaking her head and the bandage eventually came off. The bleeding continued so I took her back yesterday and he bandaged her again, a lot more around her neck and even though it’s still wrapped I can still see bleeding. I have another appointment on Saturday. At the visit yesterday he told me that if the bleeding continued and the biopsy comes back as cancer her eye will need to be removed. The biggest problem I am having right now is how can she heal when she shakes her head so much. With Shar-peis they have so much skin that when they shake all the skin moves and what healing has started gets undone with all the shaking. (she does not have ear mites or an ear infection). Does anyone have any ideas how to prevent the head shaking? I know if the eye is removed I will have the same problem. My other Shar-pei had her ear canals removed and because of the head shaking she ripped the stitches out three times. If anyone has any answers please let me know.
Thanks
I pray to all of you for a speedy recovery with your little ones!
Could the ecollar be causing the shaking? I must admit I don’t have any suggestions for you at this point?
You might want to try the shar-pei forum. Others might have experienced the same problem so might have some ideas for you – http://www.sharpeiforums.com/index.php
I have had 4 Shar-pei with one left going for one eye to be removed ,though this one doesn’t shake her head like the others did I can understand your concern,even though she doesn’t have mites or any infection still try to keep her ears as clean as possible and even if you can put an ear cleaner in there to work the diet up try following with a ear powder to help dry it faster in there you can get it at petsmart and maybe you vet can give you a perscribtion ointment to help with the itching,i am sure you know since this isn’t your first Shar-pei but once you put the ear cleaner in make sure you massage the lower part of the ear it will distract them from shaking for a few minutes and brings the dirt up and if you use the q tip be real careful tight canals on these guys can be a pain, or use a cotton ball to wipe as much excess out as you can. best of luck I hope this helps, but try to get an ointment form the vet, that has always helped my Shar-pei.and I hope all goes well!
I just decided to go ahead with enucleation of my 12 and half year old lab mix’s right eye. She has a tumor that has caused secondary glaucoma. Since it will be two weeks until the surgery I wonder if anyone has suggestions on how to get her to take her pain pills until then. She’s been spitting them out of everything I give her. I’m not sure how much pain she is in or how high the pressure is since this has all happened within the last few weeks.
My dog Bronnie hates tablets and will spot them a mile away. What I have found is that she has to be hungry first before she will take them. Plus I don’t give them to her mixed in with her food as she just eats around them. So I hand feed her. I use sausages usually and push them into bits of the sausage. These are cooked sausages but you could use raw as you might have better luck hiding the pills. I first feed her one bit of the sausage without any tablets. This lulls her in as she thinks the next bit will be the same so she snaps it up without thinking about it. This seems to work for me. But she has to be hungry so she just about swallows the food whole. If she’s not hungry she will sniff at it and chew it around and by that point she has tasted the tablet and out it comes.
Kodie has taken so many pills we have gotten creative. I dip the pill in peanut butter a lot. He just keeps licking and the pill goes on down. Sometimes I put peanut butter on both side of a little piece of cheese with the pill in the middle like a sandwich. He gobbles it down. This week I have dipped his pills in a little cool whip. My Vet said cream cheese worked good or velvetta cheese. Of course, sometimes I use the Greenie Pill Pockets. Our Kodie takes pills several times a day so we have to change up.
Wrap the pill in a slice of cheese. Don’t use a whole slice though it could upset her stomach. I use about 1/4 of a slice. I make sure it is fully wrapped so she can’t sniff it. She is very sensitive to meds and can smell them a mile away, but this does the trick for me.
My little furbaby is having her left eye out on Monday (4days time) due to a hereditary eye disease which caused her lens to pop out into the front of her eye.. I am so beside myself with worry. She is my 2 year old daughters best friend therefore we chose to have a prosthetic eye put in so my daughter doesn’t get freaked out by her not having an eye. I know she will be ok in the end, I just don’t like seeing her in pain 🙁
The poor little thing must be in a lot of pain. Good luck with it Sarah. My thoughts are with you.
Our Shih Tzu has a bad infection in her right eye, and we’re going to see later today whether she has responded to treatment or will need expensive surgery or eye removal (pricey itself). I’ve been freaking out a bit but am comforted by the comments here. I feel now that I can make a better, less emotional decision about this. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share their experiences.
How did it go Jeff? In terms of eye removal surgery, just remember that the price can vary dramatically from one vet to another. A specialist is pretty much always going to charge more but most regular vets can perform the operation. I have seen some people being quoted as low as $200 per eye but it can go as high as $1000 or more.
However, the dogs health is more important so I always say to make sure whichever vet you go with, that they have done the operation before and are confident at doing it.
It turns out that Emmie (the Shih Tzu) had a really deep hole in her cornea, caused by the infection. She needed surgery right away, whatever we chose to do, otherwise the eye was most likely going to rupture. Removal of the eye or a graft over the hole.
The graft was “only” $700 more, and the ophthalmologist seemed optimistic, so we went ahead with that, Emmie’s home now and doing pretty well. 3-4 weeks of recovery ahead, and fingers crossed.
I have a 2 1/2 year old Havanese named Boomer. On his first birthday he had cataract surgery. Six months ago his retinas were detached and he is 100% blind. His left eye filled up with blood and we took him to the vet on Friday. The pressure n both eyes is very high and he is in a lot of pain. Over the last several months he has bitten us, growled at us, especially at night. The vet told us he is in a lot of pain from the pressure and recommended both eyes be removed. I understand it is the best thing to do for him. He looks at me, and even though I know he can’t see me I feel that I am looking into his soul. My sons and I are going down to VA, where I had the cataract surgery done, to get his eyes removed in 2 weeks.
I am afraid, that since i cant look into his eyes or his “soul” I might react differently toward him. Has anyone experienced this? I need to be comfortable with him before other people can see him. I have 2 teenage sons who always have friends over so we have a busy house, I also have
Any advice is appreciated.
I thought the same with my dog but you won’t react differently to him. For me, it took about a day to get used to it. It was odd at first but honestly, you will get used to it pretty quick. The best part is that your dog will be out of pain, that is more important than anything.
Like Paula said you get used to it very quick. Sometimes I forget Kodie only has one eye. He has a lot of movement around his closed eye. I was afraid it would bother me too. I was so happy that he survived the surgery that losing the eye didn’t bother me like I thought it would. I can still see expressions in his movement.
We have a little maltese, 2-1/2 years old, that we just adore and he just had to have both eyes removed due to glaucoma. It has been traumatic for us all but we have both found that, if possible, we love him and have adjusted our lives to nurture, protect, teach and spoil even more than we did before. He still loves and needs cuddles, hugs and kisses and wags his tail in return. Good luck because it is such an adjustment for everybody. Using the leash in the house will help him learn how to move around and find his way.
I realize this is very old but I feel exactly the same way. I know she can’t see me but with both eyes removed it will seem like I can’t see her soul any more, like part of her is just closed off to me or she won’t be there anymore somehow. She’s having the removal tomorrow and I can’t stop crying. Im devastated. So much has gone wrong with her cataract surgery 5 weeks ago that im afraid this surgery is going to go bad too.
my 14 year old cocker is probably going to have to have his left eye taken out drops aren’t bringing down pressure im so upset and crying and not eating I love him so much im trying to think positive but its so hard dear god please watch over him
Just keep reading the blind dog stories on this site Crystal. It will help. This part is always the hardest but once the eye is removed you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. It does get easier believe me.
I was just like you before Kodie’s surgery. After it is all over and he is healed you will wonder why you had yourself so worked up. He will be fine and so will you. Kodie’s surgery was in March. Now 6 months later I look back and feel such relief that it is over and we both survived and he is out of pain. He is the same loving special doggie. It doesn’t matter to him that he only has one eye and it doesn’t bother me either. Hang in. You will both get through it.
Thank you Paula for your thoughts. My 2 teenage sons are handling this much better then I am. Crystal, I’m sure I share some of your concerns but in the end I know he will be much happier and in less pain. If he is happier that will make you feel better. Boomer just lays down and growls, that isn’t the quality of life I want for him.
I do believe it will get easier, it is just still such a shock.
My 4 year old sheltie will be having his left eye removed this week. The doctors and specialist are pretty certain he has a tumor behind his eye – I am just a nervous wreck. I just feel so bad for my little guy – thank you for this website – it has been a God send to me.
Have a read of Johns comments on this blog post. Same thing with his dog and the tumor came back benign. So just think good thoughts Pam. Let us know how it goes.
Hi Paula. Well Cory made it through the surgery – he is doing great – God love him. We are just waiting on the results from the pathologist – which will determine whether or not the tumor was contained or not. Praying all goes well. Will keep you posted.
Just talked to my vet – it was melanoma, but it was benign – if that makes sense. So with the eye removal, he is all good. Thank God!!!!
Hi Paula, Misty is doing great. It’s like nothing ever happened! Biopsy came back as a benign, contained tumor. We couldn’t be happier!
Excellent John. That is so good to hear!!
thank you mel and paula for your heart felt comments yesterday I had cocker my cockers eye injected it is supposed to kill the production of fluid since his eye is blind any way I thought I would try this it is supposed to have a 85 percent success rate although his eye will shrink some within the next few months has anyone here tried this he is still on eye drops in both eyes even the good one and resting comfortably right now on pain medication at this time I hope I made the right decision for now
mel I feel soooooo sad for you your baby is so young I will pray for him and you please post how everything is when its done your are in my thoughts
My 6 almost 7 year old bichon frise is having his left eye removed tomarrow due to glacoma. So glad to hear so many success stories.
Btw my boy Teddy is already blind due to
Cataracts (I had the surgery done on both eyes to
Remove them years ago, however his retinas detached in both and caused blindness in both eyes anyhow)
Btw realized my teddy is actually gonna be 8 in February. How the years fly. I talked to the vets he got out of surgery ok he was still sleeping a couple of hours ago. Hopefully he will get to come home tonite.
My beautiful 11 hr of French bulldog is having her eye removed tomorrow. The vet said her lens is detached from her retina. I am sick. I have 4 other dogs. Can anyone tell me how the other dogs react ? Can she still play with her when healed? So sad right now !
Of course she will be able to play with her. You will find that nothing much will change for you or your dog especially if she still has sight in her other eye. The other dogs won’t treat her any different.
When we brought Cory home after surgery, Smokey just came up to him, sniffed him up and down and that was the end of it. A couple of days later the two of them were running around the back yard like before. Nothing changed.
Exactly Pam. When my dog came home after the op, the exact same thing happened. My other dog sniffed her and that was about it. Everything else was the same between the two of them.
Reading all your posts has been so helpful. Our 6 yr old Yorkie, Fred, is having his left eye removed Tuesday. He is a puppy mill rescue and we knew when we adopted him there would be issues. Last year we had 10 teeth removed and I’ve been treating the eye infection. He’s blind in that eye and it’s very painful, and contagious. To keep it from spreading to the other eye or our other dog, and relieve his pain, we’ve made this hard decision. I don’t think other people will understand – he’s so cute and lively. And my husband is on board but he won’t look at the “after” pictures. I’m afraid he will be in shock when we pick Fred up Tuesday. Thanks again for sharing your experiences – I’ve read through them several times in recent weeks while making this decision. (and Phooey to puppy mills!)
I spoke to a vet about puppy mills when my dog Lucy went through all of this. I blamed her glaucoma on the fact that she probably came through a puppy mill. The vet said that with eye issues it really doesn’t matter whether the dog has gone through a puppy mill or not. Especially with glaucoma as it is so hard to detect anyway.
As for the eye removal, you get used to it pretty quick. It is a bit odd at the start but it doesn’t take long before you don’t really even notice.
My Flirty had her right eye removed July 23, 2013. One thing that I did not expect nor read about was how huge her eye socket was the first few days after enucleation. It looked like a golf ball was inside her eye socket, or that they had put a prosthetic in, it was so big and bruised. I was assured it was normal and it decreased each day as the surgeon promised.
You can see from the photos above that mine never had that problem. But I think every dog is going to react differently.
My 12 year old Lhasa was diagnosed with sudden acute onset of diabetes this past July. With in 3 weeks, his eyes matted up and he has gone totally blind. My vet has recommended that I have both his eyes removed. He use to love to be outside, but now the sunlight is painful for him. I have schedule some vacation time to set home with him for a few days then my mom will take over. I am confident that that this is the right decision for him; but I am not sure that I am ready to see without his eyes. He will have his surgery on October 10. Not looking forward to the “first look at him afterwards” but I am positive that he will feel better.
He will definitely be a lot happier and you will get used to him not having eyes pretty quickly.
You can also use goggles in the meantime – http://shop.doggles.com
Hi! My 11-year-old Maltese, Binkie, developed glaucoma and several other eye issues almost overnight: torn retina, abnormal blood vessel growth, infection, etc. She’s on seven prescriptions and two non-prescription treatments. She has it in both of her eyes.
I just ordered a pair of Doggles for her yesterday (also got a pair for my other dog, Lucy, so she won’t feel left out 🙂 ). I’ve had her in the “cone of shame” every time she goes outside, so her eyes won’t be irritated by whatever is in my back yard. Also, we have a doggie door, and I don’t want her to injure her eyes while going through it.
We’re seeing the veterinary ophthalmologist this afternoon (second visit) to see how she’s responded to treatment, but I’m not holding my breath. Both of her eyes are still quite swollen. If it comes down to it, I have no problem with having her eyes removed. In fact, I’ve already discussed it with her regular vet, in case it needs to be done.
Anyway, the Doggles are arriving today, and I can’t wait to see how she does with them! They’re pretty cute; I got hers in pink. I think they’ll be much more comfortable for her than the ‘cone of shame.’
Thanks so much for everyone’s input on this site. I appreciate the first-hand experience with enucleation; you’ve alleviated a lot of my fears for Binkie.
Can you tell me how your dog was after his double removal.Thanx
My 11y/o Lab cross ridge had his eye damaged by a big stick smashing into his eye and causing the lens to stick to the pupil. It went grey and blue a few days later so I took him to the eye specialist and they said his eye pressure was 53, back in January 2013. So they tried to save the eye by removing the stuck lens and we gave him previcox nsaids I think. After about 10 days I took him back and his eye pressure was back up to high 50’s and they said the nsaids nearly killed his liver so he had to stop taking nsaids. So the next step was to remove the eye which we did and we put in a silicone matter to keep his eye flat (not caving in).and gave him tramadol for pain. His eye was swollen but he seemed happier. After about 10 weeks I noticed his eye wasn’t really losing the swelling but thought it was the silicone matter (too much).He did smash his head pretty hard into the glass sliding back door so now I have tape across the glass so he can see the glass. So I took him to the local vet and he said it was fluid. So he sucked out the fluid and we got it tested. It was a murky brown color and was not tears or dangerous fluid. 4 weeks later it was back and swollen so this time he drained it and we put in iodine. This made him irritated like no other and his eye was swollen big. But within the next couple of days it got smaller so we thought this could be the end of it. It is now September (9 months of worrying) eye has gradually gotten bigger again and looks like another trip to the eye specialist. The local vet and the eye specialist have been the best and most kind people I know to help my dog. Just wanting to put this up so other people may be aware of swelling or if some ones dog has had the same swelling and what fixed there dog.
Dave
The poor guy. Sounds like he has been through a lot so far. Sounds like something isn’t quite right in there. Have they thought about operating again to see if they didn’t quite finish it off right?
Thanks paula, i did get him back up to the eye specialist on Wednesday, 6 hr drive. they operated again to see what was causing it and found a cyst growing in the eye socket,so i told them to take everything out including the silicone matter out too. been 4 days so far and he still has a slight swelling in the corner of eye socket.all the other swelling has gone down except this one part. isn’t fairing to well after this 4th operation this year but he is a fighter. anyways he will get better soon. 🙂
My 9 year old cockapoo developed cataracts in both eyes about a year ago. Tests showed that his retinas were also defective, so no cataract surgery was planned. He has been on dIflofenac and prednisolone eye drop regimen since. However, in the last 2 weeks, the vet noted that the right eye lens had moved forward and that pressure was building. It was 43 in the right and 6 in the left eye. Vet then prescribed dorzolamide drops 3X per day n addition to the two others. I started the latter on Wednesday. On Thursday am, he vomited. On Friday am he had “dry heaves”. Now, he has diarrhea. I seems to me that the new drops might be causing his upset.
The dr. on routine call at the clinic says that there is no connection between the dorzolamide and his digestive upset, but I am doubtful. If I stop the drops, he will likely have to have the eye removed. But, is it worth his discomfort to continue? Does anyone have experience with side effects of that particular med?? Thanks for any information.
My dog didn’t have any side effects on that drug. I Googled it and the incidence of vomiting and diarrhoea are very low but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, so your vet should be more aware that it is possible.
There are other eye drops so I would ask your vet to see if there is an alternative.
My dog Quinn is a 4 year old Clumber Spaniel who has had dry eye since he was 4 months old. About 18 months ago that eye stopped making tears all together, despite a LOT of medication. 4 months ago he got a corneal ulcer, an infection, & some edema that I couldn’t get rid of. It became quite painful & we made the decision to have the eye removed. It was very hard dropping him off & seeing him like this 3 days post op hurts, but we know it’s for the best. He is in his e-collar with some swelling, but back to his old obnoxious self. Can’t figure out how to get up the steps in his collar, & can’t take it off because he scratches, he’s already popped a stitch. As hard as this it IS for the best!
Yes, it is definitely for the best Jessica and it will get better.
Same situation with my 12 year old Rat Terrier.He’s having his eye removed in 5 days.Hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.Our family is heartbroken!
My 11 yr old Boston is having here left eye removed Friday. She started with glaucoma and luxated lens in August. Then in September a detached retina and ulcer on the eye that became infected. None of the eye drops or meds seemed to work. It was a hard decision but I decided on removal. I am scared for her to be put under anesthesia, dye to her age and she has a heart murmur. Thank you for this website and everyone’s posted experiences, it has helped.
Hello Karen,
I read your post regarding your Boston, i was wondering how her surgery went and if you guys had any complications. I am debating on having my Boston’s right eye removed She has exactly the same as your dog. Ulcer, retina detachment and glaucoma. Now, its only time to make a decision. What was your experience like. Thank you for any suggestions or information you are able to provide.
Ed
Hi, my 12 year old chow/beagle mix had his left eye removed Saturday evening after it burst. He had an infection in that eye he was being treated for. After the surgery they couldn’t control his bleeding, so they opened it back up Sunday evening to see where the blood was coming from. The discovered it was coming from the tissues in the eye socket. By Monday morning I had picked him up and the bleeding seemed to have stopped. 3 days post op he is still swollen and there are like bloody tears occasionally coming from that eye. So I took him to his regular vet and they are concerned he may have a brain tumor that’s causing the bleeding. They are also concerned that he is not eating but is drinking water. Anyone else have a similar experience? The vet is recommending I put him down, but I can’t imagine not having him around.
Hope he gets better. Sorry to hear your dog is going thru this and you. I hope everything works out for you.
Dylan, our 6 year-old Welsh Spring Spaniel, was just found today to have advanced secondary glaucoma in his right eye. Fortunately, his left eye is in perfect condition. The ophthalmologist is certain there was some unnoticed injury or infection. Although the visible symptoms (redness, tearing, yellow-green discharge, squinting) just began last Saturday (and we saw our regular vet last Monday), the ophthalmologist feels certain the injury was several months back, at least, due to the fact that the lens is completely fused to the iris and the optic nerve is already completely necrotic. Dylan is having his right eye surgically removed in two days (Wednesday.)
We are stunned and so sad to think of our boy being so uncomfortable and struggling with vision loss all this time. We are grateful his left eye is healthy. Our son (age 12) is taking it very hard. Heck – my husband and I are taking it hard. My husband is just angry, and I am doing what I do – fact-finding, research and trying to make sense of it all. I am having shoulder surgery next week, so my sweet Dylan and I will be hanging out on the couch together for a few weeks while we both recuperate.
I am grateful for having found this website and all of you. Prayers and good wishes for you and your dogs, and thank you for letting me share. I needed someplace to let it all out.
Alisha
I hope Dylan is recovering well! The first day post op was the worst for us (see my post) but today we are noticing some pretty significant improvement. I hate seeing them in pain post op but the vet reassures us that they are much better off than having the pain of a bad eye. 🙁
Thanks, Anne – Dylan did great with his surgery and has recovered beautifully. His pain seemed to be very well-controlled, and he is back to his usual, playful self!
I really feel for you, Dylan and your family. It is so devastating for everyone. Our little maltese (2-1/2 years old) had to have both eyes removed due to severe glaucoma just 6 weeks ago. He is amazing with his courage to try to move around so that makes us stronger and love him even more. I understand the anger part…that was me and not my husband but now I’m just thankful for a wonderful eye specialist that is getting us thru this. Good luck with your shoulder and with Dylan. There is a light at the end of this!
Thanks, Brenda – both Dylan and I have done well after our surgeries. He is 100% recovered and back to his old self. I am recovering a bit more slowly – but I am a bit older 😉 Thanks so much for your post.
Hello everyone,
Our 14 year old Mastiff/ Pit mix just had his eye removed yesterday due to irreversible damage and a possibility of melanoma. My question is, when will the swelling go down? He does have a silicone implant (not a fake eye) in the socket now (so it won’t indent). But we woke up this morning to an awfully swollen eye. The vet has since put him on an anti-inflammatory but I am still worried. I just want him to feel better! They didn’t give us an outline of what his recovery would consist of – just that he would do better with that eye out. Any advice is helpful – I just want to make him as comfortable as possible.
Hi Anne, I had same problem, I gather he got the op on 22/10/2013 a day before this post so it will still be swollen. Is he on antibiotics or just the nsaid. try this website http://www.petplace.com/dogs/enucleation-removal-of-an-eye-in-dogs/page1.aspx try this site for some info. Did the local vet do this or a veterinary ophthalmologist ? Hope he is feeling better and you. My post is 6 above yours.
Hi Dave,
Thank you so much for your response. Today is day 3 and he is on anti-inflammatory meds (in addition to Tramadol, and antibiotics) and his eye swelling is getting better everyday! We are so relieved. He is back to eating and even wanted to play with a puppy he met on his walk last night. Seems like he is slowly getting back to his old self. He is 14, so we expect a slower recovery but we just want him to feel good again. We still have no idea what caused all of the issues in his eye and are waiting on the lab report.
I am sorry for all you have been through with your dog. Wow, what a year! I hope he is doing better after this most recent surgery. We did go to an ophthalmologist for his surgery. They seems to be very good although I wish they would have prepared us a little better for the post op. They made it sound like a breeze! HA!
Great news. He will be back to his old self with plenty of cuddles.
Hi,Can anyone give me an idea of the cost of the op to remove the eye (enucleation) from my 14 year old shih tzu.My usual vets has recently been taken over by a new vet and he is quoting between£800 to £1100 depending on whether we have pre op bloods done etc.We don’t have insurance so I just want to make sure this is about right.Thank you
I’m in Australia and paid about $750 to have one eye removed. In the US, I have seen prices range from about $200 to over $1000.
In the UK, it may be different.
In Ga., it cost my about $600.
I am in US, South Carolina and we just paid $1900 for removal of both eyes due to severe glaucoma.
I guess I should say that we decided on the prosthetic eye due to the fact that he’s only 2-1/2 years old and that was more expensive than the other alternatives. Good luck with your decision. It’s hard for sure.
Our recent surgery was about $2000. Good luck!
I’ve discussed this with my regular vet, should this ultimately be the option we go with. He charges $300 per eye, so it’s not insanely expensive, especially considering all that’s been spent since last week, when Binkie, my Maltese, developed glaucoma (and a bunch of other stuff) last week. Between dr. visits (overnight ER, ophthalmologist/specialist, regular vet, ultrasound, x-rays, labs, etc.) I’ve probably spent over $1,300, with more to come. She’s seeing the ophthalmologist again today, and hopefully, we’ll know exactly what we’re dealing with, and short- and long-term treatment options, up to and including this surgery.
Good luck with your little one!
My almost 10 year old norweigan elkhound just had both eyes removed due to severe glaucoma. We took him to the vet just 2 weeks ago after we noticed a cloudy eye and a little oozing. The vet prescribed an ointment for his eye and said give it 3-5 days to clear up and to call if it got worse. We called 4 days later and said the eye was not improving and we are seeing more swelling. Vet then prescribed eye drops, pain med and antibiotic and said come back in 4 days and call if he is uncomfortable. 3 days later the 2nd eye is cloudy and oozing – vet tested the pressure in both eyes and found the bad eye had pressure of glaucoma but the somewhat good eye still had good pressure. So we had to made a huge decision to proceed with this surgery and put our dog through being partially blind. I think each family has quite a lot to consider here as the changes are rather high that the 2nd eye is going to need to be removed. Our dog will be 10 in December and he has been healthy up until now. So we had the vet take a chest xray and do bloodwork to make sure this was a worthwhile surgery – hate to spend $600 and then find that he is full of cancer or something else. Also, we both work at home and our kids are in high school so we do have the time to devote to a blind dog. And then there is Oden’s personality – his tail never stopped wagging even with high eye pressure which was described to us as a 24×7 migraine and his appetite was unaffected. Yes he did lay around more and droop his head but he managed quite well considering that eye pressure. Another thing to consider is, would you ‘put down’ any other family member if they were blind? So in the end, we decided to have the eye removed and the vet started eye drops in the other eye. My anxiety pains are startingt to diminish now that we have made this important next step for Oden. I start preparing the kids for how he is going to look postop and then a month later. 10 minutes before surger, the vet calls me. What now. He noticed swelling in the other eye now and the measurement he took with his instrument tells him that this eye is heading down the same road which means in less than a week, we will be facing this same surgery. So we decided to have the surgery now to remove both eyes. I have ready that hereditary glaucoma will spread to the 2nd eye within months and norweigan elkounds are more prone to this. Well it has been 4 days postop and Oden is doing remarkably well given he is blind. He barked in a low tone the entire way home as if he was telling me about his ordeal – Oden is quite vocal anyway! His appetite has gone unchanged and that tail wagging has not stopped! He LOVES to be outside and is using his nose to bump into walls and cabinets to get the layout of the house.
I have read that for dogs, their first sense is their smell, then hearing, and vision is last – so now his other 2 senses will just take over. He does not like to be left on the first floor overnight though – he seems frightened which is understandable. He hasn’t been sleeping on the 2nd floor for months due to his arthritis but now that he is blind, he seems to be more comfortable with us there at night. So we are taking turns camping out in the living room with him for now. We will plan to stop doing this after a few weeks. I know he likes us to massage him, brush him, have close contact with him since he lost the stimulation of seeing us. I try to take him outside every 2-3 hours for a short walk so that he doesn’t get frustrated too. But I must say, he is doing quite well after 4 days. I does where a cone at bedtime so that he doesn’t scratch at his stitches – I heard after 1 week they start to itch but that only lasts for about a week. If anyone has any suggestions for stimulants that have worked well I would love to hear from you. I know there is a lot of questions about cost – we paid $700 for both eyes at once and our regular vet did the work. He has experience with this procedure and he has MANY blind patients.
Looks like you are doing everything possible Lori. You obviously care a lot for your dog. I loved hearing how you ‘camp out’ with him so he doesn’t stress out. You will notice how much he will improve day by day. They do get the hang of being blind pretty quickly.
I was also worried about my dog getting around although smell is their first sense. My dog is completely blind and she knows when I am not home. My family has told me she starts sticking her nose up in the air and sniffs. After 1 year of my dog being blind she has done well. I just made sure she has 2 main spots where she knows she’s at and when she gets disoriented I put in her spot and always face her the same position so she knows exactly where she it at.
My 5 year old patterdale terrier Max had his left eye removed on Saturday. He had a cataract and after medication and frequent vet visits we all thought it best for him to have it removed. He is recovering really well and looks so much happier. It’s really hard though seeing my baby without his eye but the main thing is I still have him and he isn’t in pain any more.
Thanks so much for your comment Barbara. It’s always great to hear of the after-op experiences. It really does help other people who are about to go through the same thing.
My 8 years old Cooker Spaniel “Cookie” was diagnosed with progressive retinal atrophy two years ago and now she had developed a secondary glaucoma.Her right eye became really red and an eye pressure went to over 40.Vet prescribed two types of an eye drops (Pred Ac 1% Ophth and Dorzolamide 2%/Timolol 0,5) but they don’t seem to be helping.We are running out of options since the only one recommended by the vet is an eye enucleation.I was wondering if anybody has had similar experiences and has any suggestion on what else can be done to help her before making the final decision. I’m so glad for all your comments!
At this point, there is no cure for glaucoma in dogs. So your only options are the drops (which will only hold it back for so long), laser surgery (which can work but then again it may not) or eye removal.
I looked extensively for a natural cure and tried all sorts of things but nothing really worked in the end. I had to opt for eye removal. My dog was much happier after the operation. The pain had gone.
It was comforting to read your long post, Lori. Oden seems like a wonderful dog, and you and your husband are caring pet parents. I can relate to your camping out with him at night, since I slept beside my dog on blankets placed on the floor after she had surgery several years ago to make certain she didn’t hurt herself when she woke up.
My nine-year-old miniature schnauzer went blind from chronic KCS about five months ago. I’ve been treating her eyes frequently with a thick ophthamolgic ointment day and night for nearly a year and a half (I’m retired and home with her), so I was surprised that she lost her vision. She never acted as though she was in pain except before she was diagnosed with KCS (when I thought it was conjunctivitis). The veterinary eye specialist said she should have her eyes removed in about six months. I know it is best because there is always the chance (with eyes intact) that air will cause painful corneas, but I dread it so much. I hope our regular vet can do the surgery, but I haven’t asked her yet.
Hi Jaye – I can tell you that it has now been about 6 weeks since Oden’s eyes were both removed and he is doing really well all things considering! He walks just find on the leash, is able to move about the house quite well too. We did build him a ramp in the garage so that he doesn’t have to be bothered with stairs – he is 10 and arthritis was setting in so we had done this before he had his eyes removed. My 15 year old son still camps out with him on the first floor but I think he would do just fine at night. It did take nearly 5 weeks for the swelling to go down in his eyes so the vet wanted to see him every 2 weeks. Now it is time to cut his prednisone dosage in half to make sure the swelling does not come back – if it does, then we may be dealing with cancer but so far so good. Our regular vet did the surgery and most of them do. Don’t wait to long if your dog is in pain, they handle blindness much better than we do!
Hi, everyone! I just want to thank you all for sharing your personal experiences here. I may have to have my 11-year-old Maltese, Binkie’s, eyes removed, too. She developed glaucoma in both eyes, secondary to a torn retina, blood vessel issues, infection, and some other things. She’s been on seven prescriptions since last Friday, and has seen three vets in the same time frame. She spent last Thursday night at the vet ER; on Friday she saw a veterinary ophthalmologist, and her regular vet. She’s had eye checks, pressure checks, blood work/labs, x-rays, an ultrasound, and some other testing. She sees the ophthalmologist again this afternoon, at which time we should have a good idea of which treatment options are best for her.
Again, thank you so much for what you’ve all said here. I was already comfortable with having her eyes removed, should that be the appropriate choice, but reading about how other dogs respond to it has been incredibly helpful, too. I’ll let you know what happens; wish us luck!
Definitely keep us updated Kristin.
Paula, thanks! We saw the ophthalmologist today, and she said Binkie has not responded to any of her meds, is totally blind and there is no vision to regain, and her eyes are still quite swollen from glaucoma. Bottom line: she’s scheduled for her enucleation this Friday. Her regular vet is doing it, and hopes to be able to do both at the same time, but if not, the second one will be done the following Monday.
Again, I want to thank everyone here for sharing your personal experiences. I know this is the right thing for my little girl, but even so, it’s a tough decision to make, and not to be made lightly. The ophthalmologist said that, of the three viable options, this is the best one for Binkie, since the eyes are completely non-functional and to keep them would require long-term meds and other treatment, and leave her susceptible to infection and pain.
Crossing fingers and paws that all goes well on Friday, and that Binkie comes home safe and sound that evening!
You’re definitely doing the right thing. At this point, she isn’t going to get her sight back and the operation is the best thing for her. She will feel so much better once that pain is gone.
My 12.5-year-old schnauzer is getting his left eye removed tomorrow morning. Both eyes have glaucoma, but the left is uncontrolled by drops. The right (at least now) is doing better with the drops. I was so overcome with sadness today after finally making the appointment with the vet that I couldn’t stop crying while holding my baby. I know he’s in pain. And then I found this site. I’ve read every single comment and have been comforted by each one. I know the thought is way worse than the reality of him living without an eye… but it’s his EYE.
Hep has been diabetic for 2.5 years now, having gone blind in both eyes shortly after. I now pray that the drops keep working on his right eye for as long as possible, so I’m not doing this again in a year.
Tomorrow at work I’m stacked top to bottom with meetings, and won’t be able to think of anything but him. I just look forward to him coming home and not batting at his eye with his paw, the only way he can tell me he’s in pain.
Thanks, again, for this site!
I know the feeling Jen. I felt the same way when my girl went through the operation. I couldn’t relax the whole day and just wanted the phone call to come through to tell me everything was okay. Let us know how it goes.
Sophie Rose, our 6yr old Shih Tzu will have her right eye removed Dec. 9th. Her glaucoma is not responding to the meds. Unfortunately, despite repeated visits to our regular vet with concerns about something being wrong with her right eye…they somehow missed an ulcer which ultimately ulcerated. Despite 2 surgeries with 3rd eyeflap procedure..glaucoma developed. I am happy she has ONE good eye though. Just want her out of pain. This site is wonderful about alleviating my fear and anxiety. Thank you sooo much!
Glad we could help Ingrid. Hope everything goes well with the operation.
I’m reassured after reading these comments. My 6 year old Bouvier des Flandres, Ben, has glaucoma in his left eye, my vet has tried everything (with an ophthalmologist’s input) but he has to remove the eye next week. What a shocker – but like he said, it’s a lot worse for me than my poor Ben.
I just hope everything goes well. I can hardly think of anything else. Am glad to have found this site. It helps to read of everyone else’s experiences and what to expect post op.
Hope all goes well Suzanne. It will be a relief for him to have the eye removed. No more pain.
Hi. My dog, Sid, is having both eyes removed in 2 days and reading these stories has been great, very reassuring.
Sid is a 4 year old Springer Spaniel who loves life. We are pretty certain he was blind in one eye from birth and lost sight in the other eye at 2. Since then he’s been gradually getting worse with glaucoma and drops are no longer working. The pressure in his right eye dictates that removal is the best step and they were expecting the left to be about the same level shortly. I am, naturally, worried about the op but know its the best thing. His eyes are useless to him so there’s no point in them being there if they are causing him pain.
Reassuringly, the vet who is carrying out the operation and has been looking after him for the last coupe of years has a springer that also has no eyes! We know he can get by without them and we are just looking forward to knowing that he won’t be in any pain.
I will update you after the op.
Thanks for sharing the stories everyone.
He’s probably only ever experienced pain his entire life. He’ll be a whole new dog after the operation.
Hi my dog Roxy had her left eye removed earlier today. The surgery went well Thank God! I thought I prepared myself for the post op – though you’re never really prepared. This first night home is difficult. I’ve been keeping up with Roxys pain meds though she’s been moaning & whining – its very difficult to deal with/tearing me up! My Vet told me that its a side effect of the anesthesia. Has anyone else experienced this with their dog?
Thanks,
Stephanie
I just Googled it Stephanie and yes, whimpering seems to be a common problem after anaesthesia in dogs. However, one lady on a forum said that as soon as she removed the ecollar/cone her dog stopped crying so you might want to give that a go as well, although you will have to keep an eye on your dog to ensure she doesn’t paw at her eye.
Stephanie, our dog has been put to sleep a couple times and brought home the same day. Both times he whimpered all night. It was horrible. I had to sleep on the floor with him to keep him more relaxed. The next day after the anesthesia wore off he seemed fine. I know how sad it is for you. It breaks your heart. They are our kids. Just continue to give the pain meds as prescribed and the whimpering should stop soon. If you do take the e collar off don’t leave her because our Kodie constantly wanted to scratch his. We even left the collar on a couple weeks after his staples came out just to be safe. Good luck. Hope she recovers quickly.
Hi
Thank you for keeping this website open as I’ve noticed a few people are finding it a comfort, as am I. In October, our dog was diagnosed with hyper mature cataracts. He had pancreatitis over the summer that led to diabetes and the cataracts and blindness followed quickly. The beginning of July, we had a normal dog. By October he was blind. We saw an amazing eye vet who said he could operate on Hamish’s right eye only, that the left was not possible, he’d stay blind in that eye. We were really excited at him getting one eye’s sight back. Hamish had his cataract surgery about 2 1/2 weeks ago and all was going fine, on track to healing, a bit more sight each day. Then last Wednesday, one day after his post op appointment, an infection developed. Either he scratched it or hurt it. The eye vet did say there was a lightly torn suture but this happens. He was right, it should be fine. Since Thursday, I’ve been at the vet’s almost daily. My husband is a doctor and he’s been keeping watch on the eye. Yesterday we were hopeful, today we’re sure he’ll have to have it removed. 1% chance of infection, so we are the 1% this year I guess. I’m sad, beyond sad. No words to describe it. However at this point, I just would like him to not be in any pain. I’m glad I found your page to give me a bit of an idea what to expect and I wish all the dogs on here a happy life and for surgeries to come, I wish you lots of love and a quick recovery.
Thanks!
How did your dog go? Did you have to have the eye removed?
Thank you all for your support. It has been 4 days since Roxys surgery & she’s doing great!
Excellent Stephanie, that’s so good to hear.
Today my dog Yogi is in the vet clinic, having his left eye removed. It will be a Christmas season I will never forget. I am heartbroken, and no words can express how heartbroken I feel now. My dog is one and half year old healthy shihtzu who was just running around the house and bumped his head on the couch. And overnight my baby is going to lose his eye. The vet said his eyeballs popped out its socket by the impact. I am mourning for his loss…. I love him dearly and I found this webpage while googling about enucleation. Thank you….
My dog had her eye removed just before a Christmas so I know how you feel. Hope everything went okay.
My 11 yr old basset hound Precious is a week post-surgery for removal of one eye due to uncontrolled glaucoma. She’s back to being our lovely companion just missing eye. She’s earned our loving support many times over. They adjust better than we humans do. Much happier to know she is pain free. Her comfort was our priority. It is our responsibility to support them, as they’ve done us for years before getting older…with us. Love our pets!
Exactly Ginnie!!
You can read Ginnie’s post about Precious here – http://www.blinddogsupport.com/precious-is-still-precious-with-1-less-eye/
Hi all, this post has been great. I too am currently waiting for my little siberian husky Chloe to get out of surgery. In June, she was diagnosed with glaucoma in her right eye. We have been diligently applying drops and working to control the pressure in the eye. Shortly after New Years, her eye stopped responding to the medication and we scheduled the surgery. I get to go pick her up in 1.5 hours and can’t be more excited and sad at the same time to see her. For those going through the same thing, stay strong. Dogs are more resilient than humans!
How did it go Chris??
I was searching glaucoma/prosthetic eye and this site came up. My 10 year old mini poodle has just been diagnosed with glaucoma. She had an overnight ER stay this weekend (why do pet emergencies ALWAYS happen on the weekend?) because her eye started to really bulge and she was in obvious pain. The ophthalmologist said that although glaucoma was fairly common in older poodles, what he didn’t expect to see was a mass on her right eye optic nerve. However, the MRI showed that the mass was pretty much contained within the eye. It did not grow into her brain. This was very good news because she would be able to have her eye removed and get back to living a happy, healthy life. I was considering a prosthetic eye, but after reading other people’s experiences I have pretty much decided against it, especially if it extends the healing process. I want her to get back to her spoiled self as soon as possible. Besides, I think her having one eye will give her character. We shall call her “Captain One Eye.”
The total cost of everything is ~ $3700: ER visit and overnight stay and care ~ $700, MRI ~ $1500, and the surgery ~ $1500. Please keep in mind that we are working with specialists and not with our regular vet. I don’t know what the cost would be otherwise, however I have read that it is somewhat cheaper to have all this done by a regular vet.
To Lucy’s owner, I am so sorry for your loss. It sounds as if she had an amazing life with an even more amazing owner!
Those vet bills can be horrendous. Overall it cost around $15,000 for Lucy’s bills what with the glaucoma, laser surgery and then the cancer. But I would do the same thing again for any of my dogs.
Hope it all goes well for you Victoria.
My 12 1/2 yo Shih Tzu has developed glaucoma, and is blind in her left eye.
I have scheduled her surgery for 1/14/14, and am a nervous reck, thinking of her going through this.
I have been putting 2 different kind of drops 3/4 times a day, about 2 months, but have decided that what the doctor said, she might act normal but the pressure it very painful for her.
It took this time mostly my selfishness to have this done, mostly because I am so afraid I will lose her.
I thank you for the piece her for giving me support on making this decision, Please everyone say a little prayer for Amylou that all turns out excellent.
I know it’s a difficult situation Bob but you are doing the best thing for her. She would be in constant pain otherwise. These are pretty standard operations. That’s not to say there aren’t any risks but it’s worth the risk for her sake.
thank you
it hurts me to do it, but
certainly don’t want her to
suffer,
Hi, to everyone who dealt with this and left there stories on this website. I thank you!
I have a 141/2yr old shih tzu who was diagnosed with glaucoma and ulcers about 2 mths ago .i have been doing 5 different drops 3 times a day, dealing with him flinching at shadows and the sun in pain.
And then last week I found this site,I read all of your compassionate stories and today when we went back to the specialist I asked the question! Would he better without his eye? We all no what the answer was and so I think tomorrow I will call and set him up for next Wednesday-I am very queasy just thinking about it but want him around for a while longer with no pain!
I thank all of you, your stories and strength! Wishing you all we’ll!!
I stumbled onto this site while frantically searching for information about alternatives to e-collars. My soon-to-be 16 yo Bichon has had inflammatory eye problems for years, with several episodes of ulceration treated successfully with antibiotics. He also has a dense cataract in the right eye, now essentially blind. Because of the blindness in that eye, he has run into things several times and now has perforated the eye. His eye doctor has been treating it conservatively because she believes he is too old for any surgical treatment including enucleation. This seemed to work for the first two weeks, but now he is having episodes of increased eye pain, not responding to maximal doses of tramadol. I feel so bad for him when I see him immobilized by this pain. He won’t let me administer any of the many eye drops he needs to ward off infection.
My question is: Is he really too old for enucleation? He has mild kidney disease and high blood pressure which is mostly under control now. I don’t think he is at the end of his life yet. I think that getting rid of this problem eye would be the best option. Any thoughts?
Getting rid of the eye would put him out of pain that’s for sure. I guess it comes down to whether he is in too much pain to function. If he is, then if it were me, I would go for the operation because I wouldn’t want to see my dog in pain every day. But that is just what I would do. Everyone is different and your vet is right in being conservative here. Your dog is at an age where an operation could be risky. But if my dog were in a lot of pain and not functioning well on a day to day basis, then I would go with the operation. It’s a decision only you can make really.
This is a great site! I’m so glad I stumbled upon it after spending the last 6 hours at the emergency vet,(it’s Sunday, of course), finding a 24 hour pharmacy that had the glaucoma eye drops in stock, getting Sabrina home and fed, gave her 3 different eye drops, pain medicine and the antibiotic pill, etc. Talking to several family members, I received different opinions as to what to do, though all said only I could make the decision, i.e. putting her to sleep, enucleation or trying to treat her eye ulcer and severe glaucoma conservatively with the medications.
Sabrina is half pug, half Shih Tzu and tomorrow is her 14th birthday! She is the love of my life. I was thinking she was just getting old because she has been so lethargic and sleepy. I didn’t even know she had glaucoma. She had the same problem a month ago with her other eye. I thought it was just a little eye infection and was giving her some antibiotic eye ointment I had at home. Then her condition worsened quickly and I think her eye actually ruptured. The vet never told me she had glaucoma, just said it was an ulcer in her eye that she must have gotten from a scratch or unknown injury. Anyway, she recovered nicely with antibiotics (eye drops and oral), and a steroid injection. She didn’t end up needing an enucleation, even though she lost the sight in that eye.
She was just about back to normal and then became sluggish again. This morning I noticed her left eye was extremely swollen and reddened. That’s when I took her to the emergency vet. She recommended they take the eye out then and there as her eye pressure was so high (normal is about 3 and hers was 50-something…). I decided to try antibiotics and eye drops (as well as glaucoma eye drops this time) again as this worked on her other eye last month. Even so, the vet said she most likely will need the eye out.
I thought enucleation seemed so extreme, especially with her advanced age, but after finding this site I realize how common and relatively simple a surgery it is. I am to see my regular vet tomorrow and this site has made me realize that enucleation is probably the better option for her. She is fairly healthy except for these recent eye problems.
So thank you wonderful Paula and all you fellow dog lovers for helping me make my decision!
She would be in a lot of pain Linda so the eye removal is probably the best way to go. Just be aware though that although this is a relatively standard operation and most regular vets can perform it, it is still an operation and as such there are always risks involved. But like I mentioned to another commenter above, if your dog is at the stage that she is in (which to me sounds pretty bad) then for me there would be no other alternative. I wouldn’t want to see my dog having that much pain on a regular basis. It’s like having a migraine 24/7.
My 10 year old cocker just had his eye removed. He was pretty much blind in it. I read the article in advance, which gave me some comfort. I was surprised at how well he did. My vet did not cut much hair from around the eye, so when the dog came charging out from the back, he really just looked like his eye was closed. He was a bit sore the first night, but after that seemed completely fine. He is on pain meds twice a day and antibotics as well. Eating and doing his business returned the next day. I had my usual vet do the job, rather than the specialist, partly because my dog knows his vet and is comfortable with him.
LOL, I love it when you said “came charging out”. That was like my dog when I went to pick her up. She almost pulled the vet assistants arm out of her socket trying to get to me.
Great to see that it when well Biff and thank you for posting this. It really helps others who are going through the same thing to hear others stories.
Our almost 8 yr old Cockapoo, will be undergoing enucleation on Jan 27. This site has helped me realize we are doing the right thing. Even though she doesn’t appear to be in pain (over 60 pressure point) her vet says she is and this site has helped me understand she is. Surgery is scheduled at Bluepearl Vet. Partners in Eden Prairie MN. They have estimated approx. $3500, which includes a stint in her still good eye to relieve drainage. This seems high. Her vet referred them to us, so not sure where else to take her. Thoughts on costs and does anyone have experience with this company? Thanks for any help you can provide. This is tough!
Costs will vary widely from vet to vet and will just about always be more expensive when done by a specialist.
A regular vet can generally perform an enucleation. My vet did the operation to remove an eye for around $700. I have seen people on this site charged anywhere from $200 to over $1000, so yes, $3500 does seem quite high. However, your dog is also getting a stint and I have no idea what the cost is for that.
Did they give you a breakdown of costs? Ask for one if they haven’t.
Thank you, this helpful. It seems to be about an extra $500 for the stint. I think we are going to explore more options. One other question, it seems most people on this website have had their dog’s simply sewn shut, versus placement of an orb. I am trying to find pics of dogs with eye replacement with an orb. Are you aware of any sites/pics? Finally, thank you for this site! It is comforting and helpful.
I remember someone putting up a photo on here but can’t remember who it was now. She had the prosthetic eye put in and it looked great – really life-like.
My little boy is going in tomorrow to get both eyes removed. It’s not easy thinking about what he will have to go through, but knowing that others have had a good out come really helps. I’m not sure how old Butler is, he came to me 4 years ago already blind,with really bad cataracts and now glaucoma. His left eye has been bothering him for about a year, I’ve taken him to the Vet about 4 times. Now it’s bad so they sent me to a specialist who told me both eyes have to come out. Please say a prayer for a little guy named Butler, I’ll let you know when he comes out of surgery tomorrow. Just want him to be ok, he was a homeless dog before he came into my life. His 1st Mom gave him up and he had a really hard life on the streets. He deserves a good life now.
Lisa
I always love hearing from people who have saved a dog from the streets. He’s so lucky to have you Lisa. I hope everything goes well for him. Definitely let us know how it goes.
my dog rocky had his eye popped out when he got hit by the ups truck its been two weeks now and he is not acting normal but i wouldnt either i guess he is such a sweet dog he is pitbull mix he sure likes being in the house but my other dogs dont like that i need your prayers that a lesson was taught please dont chase the trucks thank you everything was helpful
This is Lisa with Butler Boy, he is home from the Vet and doing ok. He is already trying to scratch at his eye. I fed him his first meal. It was really helpful reading about how the others did and what to expect, like the moaning, he started that right away. Butler was on the streets for a full year, Salinas CA. And was finally rescued by a group out of Monterey, then Muttville(San Fran) took him in, I happened to come in to foster a dog the very day he came in to Muttville. He was there an hour before I took him home. He has turned out to be the best and the sweetest little boy. I am so happy he made it through this surgery. The next couple days will be hard but we are ready. His Brother Rusty is not sure what is going on, he wants my attention and is very jealous of my devotion to Butler. Thank god for good friends who are helping me out. Thanks again!!! I know this was the best decision for Butler, I just can’t wait for him to be “himself” again.
Lisa, Rusty and Butler
Many thanks to you all for your helpful posts. My 11 year old Parson Jack Russell called Poppy is having an eye removed today due to cataracts and a growth the vet believes…will find out more when I pick her up. She was a very brave girl when I dropped her off this morning…and I was brave too for her…..cried my eyes out when I came home of course. Sat waiting now for call to say how she is and when I can pick her up. I can’t wait to see her as she is my baby…but part of me is also dreading seeing her as I cannot imagine what she will look like. Photos on here have helped prepare me a little which is good…but I know it is still different with your own dog. I am an anaesthetic and recovery nurse and am obsessed with making sure my patients are as pain free as possible post surgery….I hope the vet is going to support me with this and provide what I need. They said to carry on with the anti inflammatories but that they can provide tramadol if needed. As she is such a highly strung crazy girl…typical Jack Russell…I am going to ask for some for her…hope they agree.
How did the operation go Jane?
Our 7 month old Pekingese puppy Lily had a cataract and ruptured cornea that is believed to be a result of a hernia and happened spontaneously. She is having her eye removed on Monday and I am overly terrified of this – she’s just a baby! We had to go to our regular vet and then to an ophthalmologist and then back to our vet within 1 day. (Today) not to mention, we had 4 boys neutered yesterday and the dad has severe epilepsy and he was seen by a neurologist today. Anyway, since she’s so young I think it would be more beneficial for her to get a prosthetic eye buy not 100% sure…..
Did you end up getting the prosthetic eye Kelly? Some people opt for it but really the prosthetic eye is just a personal thing and of no benefit to the dog. The dog won’t know the difference.
My schnauzer girl is scheduled to have bilateral enucleation on March 18 and has a pre-op appointment with the veterinary surgeon February 28 for a thorough examination. Lab tests will be done to make certain there’s nothing to preclude the surgery. She will be having three procedures while anesthesized: both eyes removed, removal of a small tumor on her side (with surrounding tissue because the tumor was biopsied and isn’t cancerous, but is the precancerous type), and her teeth cleaned. The teeth cleaning will be minimal because I brush her teeth daily, but her vet said it will only add about 15 minutes to the time she’s under the anesthesia so it’s best to get it done.
Reading the experiences of other dogs’ enucleation on this site is very helpful, as is the book BLIND DEVOTION (by Cathy Symons, a canine rehab practitioner, the account of her pug’s blindness and eye removal).
While I dread the actual surgery and recovery, I have confidence in her vet surgeon and am convinced my girl’s been stoically hiding pain from me. Otherwise there wouldn’t be scar tissue on her corneas. I don’t want her to suffer and recognize in my mind that enucleation is best for her. I just haven’t gotten my heart in sync with my mind yet. Knowing something intellectually isn’t the same as how it affects one emotionally. The surgeon said she will “take good care of your little girl” and went into a lot of detail to reassure me. I’m at the stage where I’m dreading it but, at the same time, wanting it to be over and my dog recovered.
My son is going to drive us to the vet hospital on the day of surgery and take me back to pick her up. We both know I will be a basket case, and I appreciate his support. The vet said she will stay at least overnight for monitoring and pain control, and possibly two nights. I think it’s possible the surgeon is thinking of the benefit for both my dog and for me of her being cared for in the vet hospital at first since I’m a senior citizen with some physical challenges and limited mobility.
I will post again after (or during) the surgery, possibly after her February 28 exam. I hope everyone’s babies are doing well, especially those who recently had enucleation done and that they’re healing well.
Take care, all…..Jaye
The operation is always quite difficult…for the owner that is. I was stressed on the day of the operation, just wanting her to be okay. Your baby is getting a few things done so you are probably even more stressed. With any operation, even the most simplest, there is always going to be some risk but you are definitely doing the right thing.
UPDATE: My Puppy Girl’s enucleation surgery was postponed in March because her pre-op lab tests led the vet to think she might have Cushings Disease. After several lengthy (and expensive) tests, the vet told me she does NOT have Cushings, which is good news. However, after all the tension of thinking she would have to be treated for Cushings and reach a certain point before surgery would be safe, it took me a while to recover and psych myself up again for the surgical procedure.
She’s now rescheduled for June 24, so I’m back here for a reality check about enucleation and what to expect. Her eyes have to be cleaned of mucous frequently (which undoubtedly irritates them), and I’m buying nearly $200 worth of Refresh P.M. ointment to keep her eyes from drying out, applying it day and night. She’s blinking and rubbing her eyes more often lately, so I’m worried that she’s in pain even though she’s never had a corneal ulcer. I just want the procedure to be over and my girl fully recuperated. I hope she will recover some of her zest for life after the surgery as it’s been mentioned that some dogs do.
I’ll post later in the month to let everyone know what’s going on. For now, I’ll catch up on other posts about eye removal to prepare myself (again).
Jaye
Our cocker spaniel started with eye problems at 1 yr. old. Both eyes had cataracts and the left eye developed glaucoma. We managed with eye drops for the last 6 years. At the beginning of 2014 the pressure went out of control and we had to make the decision to remove her right eye. We elected to have a prosthesis put in because she visits nursing homes (pet therapy dog) and we didn’t want the seniors being scared. She spent one night in the hospital and came home wagging her tail and kisses for everyone. She had a “pain patch” for 3 days and Tramadol for any discomforts. We are waiting to get the 2 stitches out of the corner of her eye (used to hold the prosthesis in place while healing) on Tuesday. She was very groggy with the “pain patch” on but since it was removed on day 4, we have had a hard time keeping her quiet. She had some discharge for the first few days but now, nothing. Her “new eye” is undetectable and she has shown no signs of even knowing that something was done to her. We used a “doggie eye doctor” and are very pleased with our decision to have this done.
Thanks so much for your comment Dianne. It’s always good to hear about post-operation results. It definitely helps other people who are going through the same thing.
My furbaby, my youngest shih tzu, Titus, known as Ti (4 years old) is having his eye out tomorrow after developing a nasty ulcer and a horrible infection which agressive medication has not helped. Unfortunatley we cannot afford the upfront amount for surgery to save the eye despite having pet insurance. We have felt like we have failed him. Reading about your stories has helped prepare me for what to expect. I just want my boy to be ok.
You are only doing the best you can Susan…so don’t feel you have failed him. Let us know how it goes.
The surgery went really well. I was so suprised, Ti came out to greet us with tail wagging. Just before he got to the car he dropped to the ground and rolled on to his back demanding a tummy rub! Despite being a little sedated, he is still our same boy, and his eye doesn’t look as bad as we thought it might. So happy for my wonderful boy.
Thanks so much for posting an update Susan. It’s so good to hear that everything went okay.
I am in the same dilemma as many of you on here. Here is my story: I have a Great Dane puppy, Lucy that is only 9 months old. She was diagnosed with her retina being detached in right eye at 4 months old. When she had her check up from her spay the vet noticed a cataracts forming on her eye. So a visit to a local specialist revealed the retina issue and the start of glaucoma from the original issue of her retina. She was most likely born blind in that eye and has known no different. We have had constant visits the last 5 months from routine check up and her third eyelid cherry popping. She had a recheck in December that was normal. I have not given any thought to her glaucoma getting worse, I knew it would. However, this last week I took her to the regular vet for eye problems. I thought she had just caught doggie pink eye from daycare ( my other dog had it before). My vet checked and her pressure was a 42 when normal is 15-25. He told me her eye is inflamed and causing strain on her healthy eye. She is a lot of pain and basically has had a chronic migraine for the time she has been having the issues. Now when we first went to the specialist we were told a wait and see approach because she is a puppy. Now I know the results of this condition getting worse will lead to migraine and possibly seizures if I continue with this approach. Lucy is going to the specialist this next week and I want to be prepared with questions and decisions.
Do I remove her eye? She is only 9 months? or Do I wait and see some more?
The treatment has been costly, between vet visits and her medication. It scares me that she so easily had a flare up in inflammation due to her glaucoma. My vet is not her specialists but told me her treatment is no longer working and would need to be changed.
Now I am trying to decide if I have her eye removed do I give her a replacement eye?? I know it is for the owners a lot, but Lucy is so young, not even 1 year old yet. The fact that the eye will preserve her eye socket and make her look more normal. Is it worth getting the eye? I have no problem with her being labeled as “special”. I have no problem spending the money on whatever would be best for Lucy.
So I know my story is long….BUT…
HELP!! Your thoughts please?!!!
If you ‘wait and see’ she is only going to experience more pain. Knowing what I know now, if it were my dog, I would opt for eye removal and as I mentioned in the post above, the prosthesis is really only for your benefit. If you feel she should look normal then go for it, but talk to the vet and ask their opinion too. I always like to ask…’what would you do if it were your dog?’
I agree with the above. My only regret with Sassy was not removing her eye sooner. I did go with the insert that keeps the skin from sinking into the socket. It’s like a little round black ball and they sew the eye shut. I have been so happy with the results. It doesn’t bother her at all and I do think it helps when we are out on walks or at the park. Many people ask me what happened, but no one has reacted negatively to the way she looks. Sassy’s surgery was at the end of August and she has put back on a pound. (She lost almost 4 pounds most likely because of the pain.) The vets are so please with her progress as well.
Has anybody experienced any issues with this surgery? My four year old Maltese/cocker mix was hit by a car two weeks ago and had to have her left eye removed. The surgery went well, but the doctor mentioned she may need a second one in the event they did not get all the tissue out. He said that any seepage from the wound would likely indicate they had left some of the tear duct in. She had the sutures removed last weekend and the vet thinks she needs the second surgery (because the wound is infected). Has anybody needed a follow up surgery like this?
Your experience may be a little different than most people’s on here since your dog had an accident so there may be other complications that you wouldn’t normally see with an eye removal due to glaucoma. So it’s a bit hard to say what you should expect in your situation.
my 8 year old cocker is going in the am for surgury and i am sooo scared. i just am beside myself. i did a specialist and he did say she needed it removed and the other eye has it too. i dont know what to do. i really dont know what to do . help me betsy
It’s okay Betsy. Things always seem so bad at the start but just take each step at a time. I assume your dog has glaucoma…yes? If so, then the specialist knows that it is only causing pain for the dog so the best thing is eye removal. So scheduling the surgery is the right way to go.
Just know that I haven’t heard of a dog yet that hasn’t coped with being blind. They manage because they have to manage and although some take longer than others, they all get there pretty quickly.
Just stay strong and focused for your dog’s sake. There have been a lot of people who have gone through this with their dog’s and they all come out okay in the end. You will look back and wonder why you worried as much as you did.
My Chihuahua scratched his eye while playing with another dog 6 years ago when he was 1. It was not a deep scratch, did not get infected, did not affect his eyesight, and healed in about a week. It did leave a small scar on the white of his eye half way between his nose and iris. The scar has stayed the same for the 6 years. A week ago I noticed his eye was matted shut. When I tried to open it with warm water, he snapped and yelped. I finally got it opened and saw it was red. The next day it looked fine. Two days later the eye was covered with a film so I took him to the vet. He saw a black bump in the dogs eye. He checked for foreign objects, an ulcer and/or other cut but there were none and suggested I take him to a vet optometrist. They were afraid he had eye cancer. We knew he was in pain as he squinted a lot, rubbed the eye and couldn’t stand light. That was Friday and an appointment was made for the next Tuesday. Friday night the bump grew so large it covered half of his eye. It stayed that way all weekend. On Monday afternoon the bump was much smaller but his eye was entirely black with what looked like blood underneath. So today (Tuesday) we went to our appointment. Turns out that unknown to us the scar tissue had weakened over the years and the inside of his eye was protruding through the scar. He is blind in the eye with no hope of sight. The bump had gone down because the eyeball ruptured and the retina detached. It is blood as he is bleeding in the eye socket. He is having his eye removed tomorrow. It breaks my heart but I know he will then be pain free and am so very thankful it isn’t cancer. He will lose his eye but we will still have our baby.
Oh, the poor thing must have been in a lot of pain. I’m so glad to hear that the eye is coming out. How did the operation go?
I have a 7 year 9 month old Jack Russell Terrier. She had an eye problem about 5 years ago. The len in her eye didn’t retract and the len had to be removed. Now the problem I’m having is that the eye appears to have what looks to me like a blood clot in the eye. I’m taking her to the vet in the morning. I’m affraid that he is going to tell me that the eye has to be removed, but if that the worst news. I’d rather have that then loosing my baby. Her name is Tinkerbell. Say a prayer for us.
Thanks,
R. Soto
How did it go at the vet?
My 10 year old Maltese is blind in her left eye and has been on drops for about one year. She goes for checkups regularly and she is there now. The vet told me the pressure is getting worst and we may need to discuss options. I am sure this means eyeball removal. After reading these threads, I fee much better if the eye needs to come out. I just have two questions that someone may know the answer to. Is there a way to determine if a dog is in pain? My dog seems a little slower but I attribute that to age. She doesn’t yelp or curl up in a corner. The second, and more important, question is this. Do other dogs act differently around a dog after eyeball removal? I have a second dog and wonder if it will affect their relationship in any way. Thanks for any guidance!
Question 1: Most dogs are pretty stoic. In other words, they don’t really show how much pain they are in. If your dog is a ‘little slower’ then she could well be in pain. A lot of people notice how much happier and more playful their dogs are after eye removal surgery.
Question 2: When my dog went blind, my second dog didn’t treat her any differently. She still treated her with contempt…LOL. But it will depend on the dog. Many have found that their sighted dog becomes more caring, as if they know the other is blind, and they do their best to look after them.
What great site. Thanks everyone.
We have been adopted by a 8 year old Bassett named Maisie. She is at the Soi Dog foundation in Phuket, Thailand. She was found at a temple, after being dropped there by whomever imported her here. Some kids had shot her eyes using slingshots. She has thankfully recovered in one eye, but limited visibility or prognosis. It will be removed at some point. This forum has given me some thought provoking subjects, including having a prosthetic eye; mobility and management. Seeing as she is coming to a new environment, I expect adjustment issues as she sniffs her way around anyway. But, does anyone have advice of orienting her.
Thanks again
Most blind dogs will map their way around their environment. Once you bring her home, just let her work her way around the house on her own. Don’t try to help her by directing her with your hands unless she happens to be about to do some damage to herself. Use your voice so she knows where you are in the room and just leave her be to get around. This is the quickest way they learn.
When you want to take her for a walk you only really need to teach her a few words – “Step Down” when you reach a kerb and “Step Up” when you get to the other side.
The other important words to teach her are “Stop” or “Watch Out”. This is for when she is about to run into something. They learn this one real quick because they know if they don’t stop they are going to hit something.
My 5 yr old GSD is having his eye removed tomorrow. The pressure in his eye is at the point of not being able to save it. I know he has his good days and bad days, some days he is slower then other, but mostly he is very active. It is now hitting me that my buddy is having surgery.
Cesare is a very happy and friendly 113 lbs dog, will he behavior change any?
If he is still sighted in the other eye then his behaviour won’t change other than he will probably be a lot happier. The pain will be gone.
Even when both eyes are removed there is generally not a huge behavioural change but every dog is different and some things can change – like how they play for instance.
Thank you so much for the information. My darling Yorkie, Elizabeth Regina, or Busy Lizzie, detached her retina due to high blood pressure. Now the eye is infected and it seems we will have to remove the eye. I cried and cried. Everything your article and pictures show is exactly what the vet eye specialist described would happen if we have the surgery. Right now, we are on antibiotics to get the infection down and bulging down (hopefully). However, he is preparing us for the fact that taking care of the swelling and infection through the antibiotics has a slim chance of working. If it doesn’t resolve her eye problem, we will have to remove her eye. She has been through a serious illness, and recovered remarkably well.
She, like her parents, are starting to get old, and things are just starting to fall apart. But it breaks my heart. She is so dear to me. I appreciate the information. I will talk with the doctor about the eyeball insert. I really don’t want the added possiblity of infection, but I don’t want her to have a sunken eye socket either. Thanks for all the information. It gives me time to try to think about the options. Please keep us in your thoughts over the next couple of weeks as we monitor the progress. I empathize with all of you – they are, after all, our children.
They really don’t look bad with a sunken eye socket. My dog didn’t have a prosthesis and looked great.
Hope all goes well. Keep us updated.
Today I found out my 4 year old cocker spaniel has acute primary glaucoma. It has been ten days since any sort of redness surfaced, but three since real glaucoma symptoms started. We spoke with a vet and a canine ophthalmologist today and talked about our options. We are going with the round of drops to see if we are able to contain the pressure, but both my husband and I are trying to get used to the idea of enucleation surgery. Obviously, if it improves his quality of life, then it’s going to happen. He is just such a great little dog, and has been so brave, and happy throughout all this mess. Yes, he runs into more objects, but he’s always been a little clumsy. LOL. Humor aside though; thank you for this article and website. It is wonderful and lovely to know what to expect. My Archie has so much more of a life to live, and this gives me hope.
Best,
Archie the Cocker Spaniel’s Mom
I think the drops are more for the humans than the dogs. They really just extend the time before the eye has to be removed but eventually they end up not working. So it’s a way of the owners getting used to the idea of eye removal. It’s good that you are preparing yourself for it.
My cocker spaniel was ‘clumsy’ as well. She would run into things even when she was sighted. I think it must be a cocker spaniel thing.
Paula,
What I’m most concerned about is the pain that my dog, Corky, is going through. It’s obvious that he is in great pain, and I know that, soon, he will have to have his eye removed. I also know that, eventually, he will lose his other eye.
So, here is my question for anyone who reads it:
Would it not be kinder to remove both eyes ,so he will not go through anymore pain?
I have another blind dog, and she does pretty well. But she never had to go through what Corky is bearing because she lost here eyes from an accident and a cataract. Corky is listless, off his food a lot, and, when I put the drops in is eye, he appears to be in more pain.
Because I didn’t see the first eye coming – it simply went cloudy overnight – I realize that I never saw his pain until it happened. Isn’t it better to prevent the pain rather than making him go through it all over again?
I would really appreciate others’ thoughts on this. I am alone and have to make this decision by myself – and want to be sure for myself that I have thought through this without missing some positive point to retain his second eye.
In peace and gratitude,
Susan Fitch
My 12 yr old multimutt, Betty, just had her surgery. She is now free of her left eye. For her it was the rupture/tearing of the ligaments which caused the lens to pop into the cornea. This is now my second one-eyed bandit dog. I can’t wait to get her back in my arms again 🙂 I put felt flowers on her cone so that people would smile instead of giving a pity party. Betty is an awesome dog and one eye will not change her zest for attention in the least. Just can’t wait to pick her up from the vet’s. One eyed dogs just see the world a bit differently that’s all…best thing is they don’t know its different.
Hope it went well Janet. You’re obviously an old hand at this.
First off, this site has been a great find today. Thanks so much for starting it.
Our vet just called this morning to recommend removing the right eye on our 11 year old lab. The eye itself is fine, which is the only reason I’m rather hesitant to follow her advice. A few years ago our lab started to experience swelling on the left side of his face which his regular vet determined was a blocked salivary duct. The swelling was a pocket of saliva that had formed on the ourside of his head under the fur – it’s fairly hard to the touch and about the size of a baseball. It doesn’t bother him in the slightest, but we had it drained just the same for cosmetic reasons (simple pin prick – hardly even counts as a procedure). It filled right back up after a day or two. We learned to live with it.
Fast forward to about a year ago and the eye on the other side of his face started to tear more than usual (leaving tracks on his muzzle, which was the only way we noticed). It continued to get worse until eventually his eye was bulging out. An MRI and CT scan found that he had the same blocked saliva duct issue on his left side, but instead of growing out the pocket of saliva had grown into his head and the irritation had caused a cyst to form. They took him in for surgery and wound up removing what the surgival specialist described as an “alien the size of a softball” – a cyst that ran from his mouth behind his eye, through his sinus cavity and down into his throat. It had apparently been developing for at least a year but he didn’t show any signs of discomfort at all until the last few weeks before surgery. After the procedure he was back to his old self – recovered fine, face looked great, acted like he was years younger…. until…
About two months later, the watering and bulging eye started to return. When we brought him back in the surgeon did a small procedure and found that the saliva was again not draining, so she made an permanent incision inside his mouth to allow the saliva to drain into his mouth. Problem solved…. until…
Two months later, same thing… the hole had healed itself shut. Surgeon went back in and made a larger hole, one that shouldn’t have been able to heal all the way closed.
Only it did. A few months later (last night) he went in for the third follow-up procedure in hopes of permanently resolving the mucous seal that is preventing his salivary glands from draining. Then the doc called this morning to say she’s still not convinced the problem is solved and the only option left is to remove the left eye and a piece of the bone so that she can get to what she thinks is the source of the problem and resolve it once and for all. Of course, no promises that will work or be the end of it.
The thought of removing a perfectly good eye from an otherwise healthy dog because it’s in the way seems drastic to me and I’m worried if we go forward we may reduce his quality of life and still not have an answer to the original problem. We’re trying to get a referral to LSU Vet School for another evaluation, but we’ve already run his situation past three other vet friends and they all tell us this is one for the veterinary journals… unheard of problem with no known solution.
It’s good to see from all of these stories that dogs seem to cope just fine with only one eye (or even completely blind). I think that’s what will wind up happening. Still, I just can’t shake the idea that the eye isn’t the problem so why take it out? I’d love to hear any thoughts anybody with experience on this kind of thing has to share.
Oh the poor little thing. I think getting a second opinion is a good idea. Let us know how it goes.
Our forever foster dog, Millie, had her right eye removed two months ago. She had been attacked by a cat in her first home (about 8 years ago) and sustained damage to the cornea. With time, she developed painful glaucoma and lost sight in that eye. She’s now pain-free and as beautiful as ever! We opted not to have a prosthetic eye.
We’re also now fostering a young 2 year-old mix of mysterious parentage. His left eye has a thick white film on it and is red. He has a visit with an eye specialist tomorrow and we’ll see what the verdict will be. Billie Bear will still be handsome even with one eye!
We fostered a few blind dogs in the past and they’re amazing! I wish more potential adopters would open up their hears to them!
What was the verdict?
My little girl pixel (Dalmatian terrier) was diagnosed with glaucoma in her left eye 2 and a half weeks ago. The drops were working fine, til two days ago. We have spent a miserable weekend, waiting to see the vet tomorrow. I will definitely have her eye removed asap….what i am wondering is, she is 16..should i do both eyes at once? I know it is likely she will get it in the right eye. Can anyone give me a timeframe from their experience? I hate to put her thru surgery twice. Thank you.
I know what you are going through Linda and the fact that your dog is 16 doesn’t help. The time frame from the first eye to the second eye could take anywhere from a couple of months to a couple of years. So personally, if it were my dog I would probably just get the one eye out and let nature takes it’s course. HOWEVER, you have a 16 year old dog so problems with surgery are an issue. It’s something that really needs to be discussed with your vet.
My 7 week old puppy is having one of his eyes removed due to severe infection from a puncture wound. Any of yall ha dc small puppies with this done before? How did they do afterwards?
How did it go Melissa?
Thanks for this site, it is comforting to know all will be well. Our little guy met a not too friendly raccoon. We thought when taken to the Emergency Vet he would loose his eye that night. They saved it but the story continues. We were referred by our regular vet 4 days later to an Ophthalmologist. She said because of the scarring the chance of secondary Glaucoma was very great and that it probably would be difficult to treat due to scarring, bleeding still evident two weeks later. So rather than try drops and everything for another year and still face a removal we are having the eye removed today. Such a merry-go-round we have been on. But today when dropping him off he whimpered several times where he hadn’t in the last couple of weeks so I see that pain was increasing and we are sad to have to make the decision, but looking forward to having him pain free. Take care all and know that we are making the choice to let them be pain free.
Let us know how it went Connie?
My 10 year old Standard Schnauzer had to have her right eye removed 8 days ago. She has been doing quite well until last night when we noticed her licking her nose continually. This morning we woke up to a large amount of blood on the blanket that she was sleeping on. Upon closer inspection of her nose, there was blood coming from her right nostril. Has anyone had this happen to their pet after an eye enucleation? I just don’t have a good feeling about this……..
My dog had nose bleeds BUT not after the operation. It was many months later and due to a nasal tumour. So it’s not likely that is the problem with your dog. Did you see your vet yet about it?
The surgery went fine. the puppy came home just fine. I expected him to be groggy , but i was wrong by far. He was bouncy and playful. Today he had stitches removed, which he didnt like at all, he seems to b a normal playful little guy.
Mine was the same. She came out of the vet’s office all happy and just about jumped into my arms. I wasn’t expecting that at all.
Great to hear that it all went so well for you.
Paula, thanks for creating this page. It has been a help to me. Our eleven year old Cocker Spaniel is at the Vets having her eye removed due to Glaucoma. Will check on her at 3:30PM to see how it went and hopefully will be able to bring her home today. Thanks again Tom. 🙂
Hope it goes well Tom. Would love to have an update after she comes out.
Tom, how did it go?
My Chrissy, a Brussels Griffon, would not let go of her eggshell and my German Shepherd wanted it. Her eye popped out and had to be removed. It has been 22 days. It has healed by there is a bump on the outside corner. I had a E collar on for 2 weeks but today as she rubbed her face on the carpet, I noticed a trace of blood coming from the sight. I immediately put a cold compress. Call the vet tomorrow.
Yes, definitely a call to the vet. Let us know how it goes Janet.
My dog was diagnosed with glaucoma 16 months ago. I have been treating her with the eyedrops, but today I see what looks like an open sore on the eye so I am taking her to the vet tomorrow. The original vet ophthalmologist who diagnosed her wanted to remove both her eyes 16 months ago claiming she was totally blind and in pain. She does not mope around the house and on walks her head is up and alert. She does not walk with her nose to the ground like I have seen some blind dogs walk. I need to get this sore thing checked out, but I also need to know for sure if she has any eyesight left at all or not. Yes she can get disoriented and tentative at times in the house, and somethings she will turn around and walk right into me, but she will take off running out the back door to chase squirrels and when one of the geese at the park got a little too aggressive, she easily snapped out and grabbed it by the wing tip, so I don’t know if she is completely blind or not. Does anyone have a dog that is completely blind and can it do things like chase squirrels and go for walks without their nose on the ground?
My dog was completely blind but when I took her for a walk, she would still pull on the lead and walk ahead like she wasn’t blind at all. She could also run through the dog door without any problem. She never had her nose to the ground when walking.
You have to keep in mind that dogs are pretty stoic animals so she may look like she isn’t in pain but if she has any sort of pressure in that eye then she is probably in pain.
Your best bet is to take her to another eye specialist to get a second opinion if you really want to be sure if she is blind or not.
Last Saturday after coming back from work with my mom, I’ve noticed that Reagan, our 14 year old Labrador Retriever/Australian Cattle Dog mix, had one eye half shut. I wasn’t so sure to make of it, but my sister and the rest of the family thought that maybe she cut her eye on a blade of grass, but as the hours went by, a different color which looked like blood, was staining her coat. Worried, I woke up first thing Monday morning and made a vet appointment for Reagan.
After the vets checked it out, they told us it was glaucoma. Worried, we were given eye drops and told to give it to her 3 times a day for the rest of the week.
5/16/204 at 2:22pm, my mom texts me and says her eye has lost all vision and there’s nothing left to do but consider surgery.
…We have to the decision to make Reagan an appointment and get the eye removed, Mind you, I have no idea what to expect when I see Reagan with one eye. I’m studying at school in Pittsburgh, and my mom and the animals are back at home near Gettysburg, and I want to be there for surgery, but I don’t want them to wait around for me. Reagan’s surgery is far more important.
The vets promised there’ll be someone with Reagan at all times during surgery, so I am a little at ease with this choice..
What was the outcome Jamie?
Hello!,
My 12 year old Airedale Logan was diagnozed with a tumor in his right eye. It appeared within a day. The eye is bulging and red and the third lid is showing. He is in a perfect shape otherwise. We decided to have the eye removed this Friday. I am in tears. I can’t believe my dog will have only one beautiful eye. It’s very hard. Also, does it affect their movements. Is their depth perception compromised?
My dog only had vision in one eye when I adopted her; it has to have affected her depth perception, but I it doesn’t seem to matter at all. One of her favorite things on walks is what I call tight-roping: she gets up on the curb and trots along at speed. Curbs are just about the width of her two feet, so how she does this with no depth perception, and so fast, beats me.
Don’t beat yourself up too hard; you’ll be amazed how well your guy will function once he heals from the surgery. Just look at other posts on this forum from people whose dogs are complete blind – it’s amazing how they cope. It’s the owners who have all the emotional complications – the dogs, well, they just get on with it.
Hello
My name is charlie. My 6 year old cocker spaniel Macy is likely going to need surgery to remove her left eye due to glaucoma. I have read many posts that have provided great comfort to me. It has taken me some time to accept this fact. At first I though of course I would get a prosthesis. I can’t imagine her beautiful eyes not looking at me everyday. Then I started reading about how the recovery is much longer than eye removal and that it could be a month before she is able to really feel comfortable again. I just don’t know if that long of a recovery is worth it especially since it would really be just for me. I think I am leaning toward eye removal but am struggling with whether or not I should get the insert that at least maintains the shape. I know there are risks involved with any foreign object being placed. I just am afraid of the sinking in look and how long it might take for that to happen. She is likely going to have to have the second eye done at some point but for now that eye is good. I am just so scared nervous angry and sad about the whole thing so any more advice would be great. She doesn’t seem in pain but in my heart I know she is likely hiding it from me.
Thanks or listening and for any more advice you may have.
Back in 1998 we had a beautiful 7 year old Irish Terrier called Tyson who had both his eyes removed due to Glaucoma. At the time we did not know if we were doing the right thing for him and it was of course very distressing. But I would just like to assure anyone going through the same thing that Tyson went on to live happily for another 7 years. He adapted very quickly, he was completely confident in going up and down stairs, he knew if doors were open or not and he could step over the children’s toys. Unless you knew his eyes were no longer there (when his hair grew back you had to look closely to realise) then you would have sworn he could still see!
Dear Judi,
I want to thank you for your post. I adopted Corky, a year-old Staffordshire Terrier mix, a few months ago, and today he was diagnosed with glaucoma. The vet just said it was painful and that we would watch it. However, when I returned home, I began reading the serious implications of a dog having glaucoma, and that it would, most likely, lead to blindness in both eyes.
This reality has been difficult for me because I have another dog, a Shitzu named Mungee, who is also completely blind. She lost one eye in an accident, and then the other developed a cataract. Her situation was rough, but knowing that she wasn’t in pain helped me to get through it with her. She is now 14 years old and gets around very well – and still has the heart of an youngster. However, I had no idea how very painful glaucoma really is until I read more about the disease today.
I am writing because I am concerned because I read about the fact that it is very common that, after the first diagnosis is made, the second eye will go later, My fear is this: I had no idea what was happening for Corky until last Saturday when I saw his eye had gone cloudy. I think of the pain he must have been in all the while, and I had no idea. I want to insure that he never have to go through this pain again and have wondered if it wouldn’t be more humane to have both of his eyes removed up front. I’m not writing this because I want my wonderful Corky to be blind, but I want to do everything I can to try to prevent him from going through another painful battle
Would you mind explaining to me how you handled Tyson’s pain? Were you able to tell when his second eye was affected? I have gone though a lot of veterinary medical issues in my life, as I am 62-years old, and for very few of those 62 years did I not have a dog by my side. But I have never gone through anything where I had to watch my best friend endure such agonizing pain – and I’m honestly worried as to how I am going to handle it.
I thank you ahead of time for any suggestions of help you might be able to give me.
In peace and the deepest of gratitude,
Susan Itch
Thanks for maintaining this page. My female cocker spaniel just had her right eye removed due to glaucoma, and this information was very helpful!
So glad I could help Vince.
My little min pin has an infection and the cornea has ruptured. We have been told our best option is to have it removed. You post has been very informative and helpful in understanding what to expect.
I am also sorry for the loss of your puppy.
Thanks for your kind words Melissa. It’s been some time since Lucy left us but I have really good memories. She was such a sweetie.
Has your dog had its eye removed yet??
Paula,
Thanks so much for this web site – lots of great information here. We had to take our sweet 13 year-old black lab mix, Maddie, to the emergency vet tonight due to complications with her cataracts and glaucoma. She is currently in surgery to remove her left eye and I have been searching the internet looking for others in the same situation. I am not really upset about the removal of the eye as she lost sight in that eye due to a large cataract years ago. My main concern is that she survives the surgery and that this improves her quality of life by decreasing her pain. After reading the other posts, I am just going to hope for the best and pray that my sweet Maddie will greet us with a wagging tail tomorrow when we go pick her up. Fingers crossed!
How did it go Kate?
So glad I happened on to this site. My 71/2 year old Pug, Belle, just had her left eye removed yesterday. She scratched her cornea pretty severely and we were told by the vet that enucleation was the best option for her. I had noticed her blinking as though she had something in her eye but couldn’t see anything when I looked at it so of course I’ve been feeling guilty for not noticing that something was wrong. I’ve also been wondering if I made the right choice to go ahead with the enucleation procedure. After reading all of the previous posts there is no doubt that I made the correct choice and my vet did offer the best treatment plan for her. thanks for all of the helpful information.
Glad to hear everything went well Terri. It’s been a couple of weeks since the op. How is Belle?
Thank you so much for this article. My ten year old pup is having both eyes removed today. She has been suffering with glaucoma since Christmas and the drops are no longer controlling the pressures. I’m still sort of in shock/denial that this is happening as I can’t imagine not seeing her pretty little eyes looking at me. I don’t want her to be in anymore pain though so I have to do this. I hope she forgives me and everything goes ok. I wanted to say thanks to everyone because this article and the comments have been so helpful. It’s nice not to feel alone.
Let us know how it goes Lisa. I feel for you as I remember what it was like when my Lucy had her eye out. It was a very stressful day but I was so happy when I went to pick her up and she bounced out of the vets office as happy as anything.
The surgery went very well. They said normally they keep bilaterals overnight but she was doing so well that I could come get her the same day. I was so worried to have to take her home so soon but she was wagging her tail when I went to pick her up. It was kind of a shock to see her but luckily my vet had shown me another dog before to kind of ease the surprise. She was somewhat uncomfortable the first two nights but she is now 4 days post op and I have to keep a close on eye on her because she is back to jumping up on the couch, down off the bed and working her way up and down stairs. I think the cone is making her life more difficult than the blindness. She seems in so much less pain and happier so I really think this was the right thing to do. Can’t wait until the stitches are out and the cone gone. Fingers and paws crossed she continues to make a good recovery and not suffer from any side effects. Thanks again for this page. It was SO comforting to read this before the surgery. I cannot thank you enough.
Thank you for this information.
My 7 year old Golden Retriever, Logan has been diagnosed with glaucoma. He’s lost his sight in his left eye and we’re trying to see if we can relieve the pressure. It’s not looking good and the vet has said to prepare.
She told me there is enucleation, intraocular prosthesis, ciliary body chemical ablation and cyclocryosurgery. I understand it’s a personal preference for the first two and the later two have lower success rates. I’m a little confused and not sure. I’m leaning toward enucleation.
I noticed your Lucy got cancer fairly quickly after the surgery. Can I ask, did it have to do with the glaucoma or was it something else?
Correct me if I’m wrong but my understanding is that if the glaucoma is in his left eye already, chances are he could and will most likely become blind in his other eye.
Of course I’m going to be doing something to relieve his discomfort, but I’m just trying to understand. This is so hard. Thank you.
I have to admit I don’t know enough about all the options given to you as to which one to go with. Most people go with enucleation (with or without prosthesis) because despite the other options, that’s usually the final outcome anyway. Sometimes it’s a good idea to ask your vet “what would you do if this were your dog?”. Hopefully they give you an honest answer.
In terms of the cancer, I really don’t know what caused it but my suspicions are that it was over-vaccinations. That’s just my theory based on the research I have done, but I read a lot about it and they can be nasty. There really is no need to vaccinate every year and when done in combination with the yearly heart worm (which is what I was doing with my dogs) it can be lethal.
And yes, if glaucoma occurs in one eye, usually this means the other eye will succumb eventually. It could be in a couple months, six months or a couple of years but sadly the other eye will probably go as well.
That’s always a tough one to hear but just know that a blind dog can live happily just as well as a sighted dog. Just take each day as it comes – try and get the pressure down for starters. Plus my best advice would be to not wait to long to get the surgery done. These dogs can be in a lot of pain when the pressure is constantly up and the operation can be a great relief.
Keep us updated. I always like to hear how people’s dogs are going.
Hey Paul, i was right where you were at Christmas. My dog had developed glaucoma in one eye and had lost vision right away. By April, my dog had developed glaucoma in both eyes and went totally blind. She was never a candidate for any of the vision saving surgeries. If she had been, i would have done it. I opted for the enucleation after all three of the veterinary opthamologists said the prosthesis was “for me” versus helpful for my dog. They also said that they were more prone to infection, causing other issues (like stys) and had a longer recovery time. The biggest thing i wanted to say is to not do what I did and drag out the non surgical route. I went with the drops and pain meds for several months until I took her in for a check up and they said her presssures were in the 80s. I had no clue as she had been acting totally fine even playing with toys etc. Even though she had been acting fine, there was evidence of sustained high pressure that was surely very piainful. I feel incredibly guilty for leaving her in such pain. I just wanted you to know that they can be in glaucoma even if they seem normal and are on a regimin of drops. I was told there is a point when drops no longer can control the pressure. I know it is a tough and uncertain place to be. I found this site so helpful in knowing there are others struggling with the same decisions. I wish the best to you and your pup. And just so you know, blind dogs are amazing in what they can do and how happy they are.
Lisa, my dog is at a very high chance of needing to have both of his eyes surgically removed, however he his already almost 100% blind, and it makes me feel better because I can see that he gets around the house fine already, he still bumps into things but its not a big deal, and he is still happy and full of energy. I am also amazed at the way they are not only able to navigate fine, but to still maintain their spirit and happiness. This is something that would be much more difficult for humans, even though they usually have much more, and better, medical solutions.
All the best to you and your dog.
Hi there, I just wondered how your dog is now. I am in absolute turmoil at the moment. My 11yr old Bichon lost his sight in September At the time we were very against eye removal and felt that once the drops stopped working we would have to say a painful goodbye to our beautiful boy. That dreadful time has now arrived and I just don’t know what to do. I’m worried that he won’t cope with the op and we all feel very worried that we won’t cope seeing him without his eyes. However the thought of losing him is breaking my heart. I have been told we need to make a decision this week. Any advise or info would be very much appreciated I’m heartbroken and can’t stop crying.
My chihuahua had an eye removed on March 5, 2014. There had been no injury and they don’t know why but so much pressure built up that it actually ruptured the eye much like smashing a grape. He did extremely well in and after the surgery and has been doing great for the past 4 months. We choose not to get a prosthetic eye as it would have only been for looks. Because we didn’t, his skin sunk far into the eye socket which is normal. Fast forward exactly 4 months. I noticed he was draining a watery, pussy fluid with blood in it early am on July 4th. I know he has an infection which seems odd to me as he had completely healed from the surgery in March. I will be at the vet’s office as soon as they open tomorrow. I wanted to take him Friday but due to the 4th of July holiday I have had to wait until Monday because every vet in our very rural area is off .
How did it go at the vet Theresa? I hope everything is okay.
Hi, my 14 yr old jack-chi just underwent removal of one eye today due to tumor induced glaucoma. She doesn’t seem to be hurting bad with the tramadol but the eye socket itself has sort of puffed out a little bit, and looks like May be filling with fluid. Looks like swelling but not bad enough to where there is pressure on the skin, as it is still saggy. Anyone else experience this? It’s been about 12 hrs since operation, and I am beginning to worry
I’ve noticed a few people have experienced this where the eye socket fills up with fluid. Definitely need to contact the vet.
Thanks Paula for this site. So helpful and great information from everyone. My 8 year old Bichon Poodle “Oakley” is set to have his left eye removed tomorrow. A bundle of nerves my family and I are, but truly know it is what is best for Oakley. He is a great member of our family. Since March of 2013, we had been treating Oakley’s eye for early stages of Glaucoma at the recommendation of our Vet and an Eye specialist. Not really sure how it happened or if he had sustained some kind of eye injury. Unfortunately the last 8 weeks we could not maintain the pressure in his eye. Tomorrow will be a hard day but I will be so happy when I get the call that surgery is over, Oakley is doing fine and better yet, that I can go pick him up. Say a prayer for Oakley, please. Thanks again!
How did it go Kelly?
Thanks so much for all of this information. Years ago my Pugs eye spontaneously popped out hanging only by the optic nerve. They were able to save the eye but not her vision in that eye. I have been putting drops 4 times a day as she was left with chronic dry eye as her eye lid didn’t close all the way. Now it’s bad – frequently infected and crusts build up that takes a lot of lubricant to get off despite the drops. Tomorrow I’m taking her to the vet as this is a new development. I’m very concerned as it has to be very uncomfortable for her. I think they will have to remove that eye now. I’m definitely very nervous. I just want what’s best for her. I promised her that when I rescued her.
Thank you again.
Alisia
Yes, probably time for that eye to come out. She will feel a lot better for it.
Thank you for writing this! My little Italian greyhound, Sunshine, will need her eye removed. We took her to an ophthalmologist in Wilton, CT, who did a thorough exam. He was “cautiously optimistic” that Sunny’s corneal ulcer might heal though it was a very bad injury. Unfortunately the eye ruptured and she is going to need to have the eye removed. She is 14 and has many health problems, including Cushings, Grade III bilateral heart murmur, enlarged heart, seizure disorder, the list is longer, but that’s enough to know I am frightened of the procedure. I spoke to the ophthalmologist this morning, am seeing my local vet tomorrow. I am hoping she can do the surgery. I am encouraged by your dog’s experience and hoping my sweet little girl’s surgery is equally successful. Thanks again.
She’s lived to a good age despite all of those problems so you must be doing something right. I hope you can keep us updated.
Hi Paula,
Thank you very much for your post about your lovely dog Lucy, and I’m sorry for your loss.
My family and I have a beautiful dog of around 14 years, who is diabetic and as a result has had severe cataracts and some complications lately with both of his eyes. He’s on stronger temporary medication for now, after visiting the vet a few days ago, but we (as well as the vet) think that after the medication is finished, his eyes will start to have issues again (the pressure in his eyes is far too high and causes swelling, redness and pain).
The vet said if this happens again, the best thing to do is to remove both of his eyes, or else the complications can spread to other parts of his body. I couldn’t believe it….it was the worst news I’ve ever received about my dog. I have learnt, however, that it’s not as bad as it sounds. My dog is almost 100% blind already because of his cataracts, so technically it’s like he’s lost his eyes already, but he gets around the house fine, and in the end, it’s important to recognise that this is the best thing for him. Although it’s not the best news, I am lucky to say that although he’s old, and diabetic, and will most probably need to get his eyes removed, he is still a very happy and loved dog, and hasn’t had to endure much pain in his life, and this makes me deal with the situation a lot better, since I know his situation could have been a lot worse.
Thanks again for your post, particularly for posting photo’s of your dog post surgery, it made me understand and feel a lot better about the situation.
Glad I could help and yes, it is a bit of a jolt when you hear that your dog has to have an eye (or both eyes) removed. But you seem to be accepting it quite well which is the way to be. Your dog will get through it a lot better if your own state of mind is in a good way.
Thanks to everyone for sharing it has helped a lot.
Anyone know of anyone having a double eye removal
Please let me know and any updates
Thanks Sue
My shih-tzu — Mabel (14 yrs) is also diabetic, with cataracts, was diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes this past week. At the moment we are trying to keep the pressure down and pain at bay. She is currently on three different drops and a pain pill–she seemed to be fine; however, the cone went back on today as she started to scratch at one of her eyes. I’ll be running her back to the vet for a pressure check on both eyes this week, wish her luck. My vet wasn’t keen on the surgery, due to the diabetes.
How did it go Judy?
Paula thank you for sharing your story about your beautiful pet – Lucy. I am feeling better about taking my little “Espiritu” to the vet for eye removal surgery. God Bless You.
Hope it goes well Marti.
HI all sorry I couldn’t read all of the posts there really are a lot of them. I will share our story in hopes in may help someone. My little guy (Shih Tzu) was 5 when a feral cat that he was chasing poked him in the cornea of his eye, I took him immediately to a vet which now I’m sure didn’t have much if any experience of this yet and did not let on to that fact but he said that we could probably try to save It. Of course that is exactly what I wanted to hear, but 8 months later and back and forth to the vet every two weeks numerous medication eye drops 3 times a day and over $5,000 and It had to come out anyway. After everything done to him for so long I think he was happy to have it out. It took some getting used to, learning to gauge on how far to run from the steps and a few other things he had to re Learn. But he much happier than I was all I’m hoping to accomplish with this post is to help you to understand that most of the time its us humans that are more affected by this than our babies Are. If your vet says it needs to come out don’t be a fool as I was and spend thousands of dollars trying to do something that cannot be done. To me my little baby looks no different than he ever did before I still love him as I always have and he and I are still just as happy together as we ever were. Please do your dog a favor as well as yourself and don’t baby your dog he will recognize something is wrong and it may change his outlook just treat him as you always did before and all of you will be fine
I always love it when people leave comments like these because they are so helpful for other people going through the same thing so thank you Cindy.
You’re right in that it affects us more than our dogs. Most dogs just get on with it but we fret about them more than we really need to.
Our 8 yr old shepweiler Stewart developed a lump kind of beside his eye that turns out to extend inside his eye. Our vet referred us to a specialist for a second opinion about removing it or trying some kind of surgery/chemo combination to save his eye. He’s had lumps removed from other areas of his body, and develops more periodically, so it seems like he’s got something systemic going on. With that in mind, we have decided to go ahead and have his eye removed and hope they can get everything outside his eye too. It will probably only buy him time, but hopefully without the pain he must be in now. And who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and this takes care of anything malignant.
He’s such a good dog, really the cornerstone of our little farm, and I hope he gets to help raise our new Rott puppy gal to adulthood. He’s already showing her the ropes of being a farm dog.
Hopefully the surgery will be done within the next couple of weeks and he can get on with recovery. Reading all the posts here has been very reassuring, and I am looking forward to pain-free Stewart soon, learning how fast most dogs adapt and heal.
Hope it goes well Joanna. Please keep us updated.
Just found out Stew is going in next week. Our regular vet is doing the surgery, and they will charge about $450.
Thanks again for keeping this site active!
I’ll post an update when I have news.
Hi Paula,
Thank you for your informative story. My condolences on the loss of your beloved girl xxx
Our Boxer dog Kira (8 years old) is having her eye removed next Wednesday 20th August 2014 due to a tumor behind her eye. The vet feels that if she didn’t have her right eye removed that she will pass away within the next 9 months. Your story has given me hope that she will be okay after it all, and thank you for sharing also what to expect after it. It was a heart wrenching decision to have to make, but I know I don’t really have any choice. I will do what ever I can to keep our girl with us, so if the eye has to go – then it’s got to go!
I hope everyone elses beloved pooches are going well after their operations. I’d like to just have our operation over already – then I can stop worrying!
How did the operation go Jen?
Yes…….I am anxious to hear how it went, as well. Hope all is good with her now.
my 11 y/o chihuahua has subluxated lenses, glaucoma, and cataracts. I am going to have the eye with the highest pressure removed. She really shows no signs of being in much pain, but she is completely blind in both eyes. I love her so much, she is my heart.
Dogs are pretty stoic animals so they may not show their pain like us humans, but if she has glaucoma and any sort of pressure then she probably is in pain. Hope all goes well with the operation Vicki.
Stewart had his operation yesterday and it went great. The docs think this should take care of the tumor, and he is in otherwise good health. He’s been resting with his e-collar on, taking pain meds, and getting short walks.
Yesterday he was ready to play with his tennis ball and wanted to jump in the back of the truck for a ride. He was so loopy from anesthesia though!
The other two dogs (corgi & rottweiler) want to play with him, but they are all kept apart for now (rott is a crazy 4mo puppy), and we have divided their indoor sleeping area so no one can mess with his stitches.
I’m looking forward to him being healed, so we can see if he starts to perk up and regain some weight. The swelling went down a lot overnight, and I hope he keeps healing this fast. The cone is a bit of a challenge, but I think better that he keeps it on for a few days at least. His vet wants to check him tomorrow, then schedule another follow up in 10 days if everything looks good.
The surgery ended up costing $373, but that doesn’t include the e-collar we bought and pain meds he got just before surgery.
That is a pretty good price for the surgery. Some have been charged over $1000. Would love to know how Stewart is going now.
My family and I have a 2 year old Chihuahua who we adopted at 8months old. When we bought her we were told of an eye infection that the breeder was treating with aloe (I’m not even sure if that was a logical treatment). Once home, we brought Mel to our vet who then suggested a specialist. Come to find out Mel’s cornea had never developed correctly and she has been blind since birth in that eye. We were told since she was born this way it wouldn’t bother her unless symptoms got worse. Well now at 2 years old, you can see the cloudyness and her blind eye is quite larger than the other. The only signs of pain I can think of is her sleepiness all the time when she should be out running around hyper. We have recently decided to take her back to the specialist and hear all of our options of eye removal. She’s still a baby and because she is only 4lbs anesthesia worries me. I know that having the eye removed is the right thing to do. Her eyeball is so big she can barely close her lid.
I just have a few questions,
I am worried that she will freak out when she realizes that she can’t blink and such anymore. Did anyone see this a problem with your dog?
Since she is already blind I’m not worried about her sight. And as far as we know her other eye is perfectly healthy.
If you have had the silicone to prevent sunken eyelids do you feel it was worth it? She has a lot of fluff so I almost feel like it wouldn’t be noticeable but also her eyelid has been stretched so it might sink in a lot more than normal…
That is really the only thing I have left to determine is whether to fill the eyesocket or not. But this website has been so helpful. It’s great to have so much support and happy stories.
If the eye is larger then it could possibly be glaucoma. It can occur as a result of other eye problems so yes a trip back to the specialist is definitely a good idea.
I’m so glad I read this post. My little suzie had her roght eye removed yesterday. We has a three year battle with glaocoma and finally lost. Thinking about the surgery now, I’m glad it’s over. suzie had been in pain for a while and now that will stop. Your post expresses what we experienced as well.
Our vet used a prosthetic for the eye and I think we will be very pleased. suzie is a chihuahua and pug mix so she has big eyes. So far her revovery has been normal.
Thanks to all that haved posted here. It has really helped.
So good to hear that all went well with the operation Jan. Most dogs come out feeling so much better as they are no longer in pain….apart from the pain from the operation itself of course.
HI,
I have a 5 year old basset he has had glaucoma for over three years and He has had more than his share of surgery’s and meds. I have been looking for a site like this . I am wondering if anyone has gone through a double eye removal, I would like to know and talk to anyone who has or going to. I wonder the same as the post back a few said, Do they have stress not being able to use the blinking or opening and closing of their eye lids. Anyone know. My fur baby is LS (little shit) my husband named him. when he was young he was always into trouble and you gest it my husband would yell you LS and so that became his name. I call him rubyroo. I am very worried that this will cause him some kind over overwhelming stress. Yes its been real hard on my husband he was thinking false eyes but that has its on risk to and I just want him out of pain and happy to live a pain free life well as much as u can as a blind dog He has been blind for almost a year, he gets bumps here and there, sorry for going on and on LS is having surgery for both eyes on Friday October 17,2014 Please keep us in your P&T thanks Sue
My dog never had any issues about blinking or not being able to open and close the eye….but then I have no idea what my dogs are thinking.
Plus, since owning this site, I’ve never heard of anyone saying their dogs are stressing in any way about the inability to open and close their eyes.
You’ve got the right attitude about just wanting your dog to be pain free. Hope all goes well Sue.
Thank you for leaving up the site – your dog is still helping so many other dogs and their humans. We decided on Friday to remove our little rescue dog’s eye when there was no other way to ease his pain and suffering. It is now Day 3 post surgery, and he is resting comfortably. Thanks for the encouragement.
Glad it went well for your little one. Hope he is still healing well.
My 14 yr. old Chow/Aussie mix Lexi got an eye infection that caused layers of her cornea to slough off due to a calcium buildup in her eye that made it cloudy too. After a week of Olfloxacin drops every three hours, my vet recommended me to a specialist because the cornea wasn’t healing well. Long story short, I need to have her eye removed or a graft done because my girl only has a couple of layers left in the ulcerated area of her cornea. My vet said if it was her dog she would have the eye removed, as the graft will not fix her vision problem, and because the recovery is a long process…apparently an e collar for several weeks which I don’t think my girl would tolerate well. I appreciate the info on your website, and thank you for the strength reading everyone’s stories has given me. I have to admit I am very
nervous, especially after reading about some of the post op issues, but know I have to be strong for Lexi. Thanks again!!
Did you go through with the operation Pamela?
LS had his surgery today he also had a has removed from his leg he seems more disoriented then he was before like he was able to see before and now he cant but he could not see he was blind so is this normal.
he is also acting like he is mad at me and ok with my hubby. winning a lot it looks much better then I thought it would but it still will take a little bit to get use to not having those expressive basset eyes.
I also want to thank you for keeping this website going it has been a real blessing. Bless you for your kind thoughts and time you put in to this site.
Thanks Sue. Keep us updated on LS. Would like to hear how he progresses.
Thank you so much for this website. We adopted a four-year-old Papillion from our local shelter on 8/11/14. Before the vet did her spaying, she called me to tell me that she suspected “Lady” had glaucoma in her left eye. The shelter didn’t have the proper tools to test for it and the vet asked me if we still wanted her with that condition (everything else about her checked out beautifully). As my husband and I are both being treated for glaucoma and are very familiar with the condition, I told the vet, “Of course!!! It makes me want her even more!!”. Lady is the absolute sweetest, smartest, most clever dog I have ever had. Upon adopting her, we took her to our own vet who then referred us to a canine ophthalmologist who recommended removal of the eye as the pressure was sky high and he didn’t think she had very much sight left in it. So, we made the appointment and she had the surgery yesterday, 10/20/14. I was an absolute wreck worrying about her getting through the surgery with no problems and was also worried about there being a tumor or cancer. Everything went well. There was no tumor or cancer and we picked her up yesterday afternoon. She was still a little groggy and didn’t want any water or food, just wanted to sleep. This morning, she was acting more like her old self. She’s having some trouble negotiating that cone but I think that will come with practice (she needs to wear it for 3 weeks). We were never sure if she was ever in any pain from the glaucoma as she didn’t exhibit any behavior that she was. But, we are very relieved that the situation is taken care of and hope that she feels better. My consolation is that the doctor said that she probably didn’t have very much sight in the eye anyway, so this won’t be such a difference for her. I just love her to death and only want the best for her. Thank you for keeping this website. Also, my condolences on Lucy’s passing. She looks like a beautiful soul.
Thanks Nan. She was a beautiful soul, that’s for sure!
So good to hear that Lady did so well. The cone will probably irritate her – it does for most dogs but hopefully won’t be too much of a hindrance.
Today my dog had Enucleation on her left eye. I have already given her 2 different pain meds but she still appears to be in obvious pain. She is crying and whimpering non-stop. I feel so terrible right now. I want to know if I can do something more for her such as a cold compress to help with the swelling. She is 15 1/2 years old & I have never seen her suffer like this before. 🙁
Anaesthesia can do funny things to people AND dogs. It’s not uncommon for a dog to whimper after anaesthesia.
HOWEVER, just to be safe, I would call the vet and just double check that all is okay. Better to be safe than sorry.
my dog tom, who will be 15 in march, is undergoing removal of both eyes this coming thursday. he is a retired sled dog and now a total couch potato. he started having eye troubles last summer and long story short…he’s having his eyes removed. we thought we would have to put him down but the vet ran blood work and she was mystified, he has the blood and health of a 3 year old she said. she said it was recommended to go ahead with the surgery as he is blind anyhow and his eyes are painful. i feel relieved that our tom will be with us longer and yet i still feel so sad and scared and guilty for putting him through this. i can’t even imagine. i read all these comments and still just felt compelled to post in case anybody had anything comforting and reassuring to say. 🙂 thank goodness this post was here.
If your dog is already blind, you are definitely doing the right thing. If he is in pain, then he is going to feel so much better after the operation.
Keep us updated. I’d love to hear how it all goes. I still remember when mine had her operation. I was worried all day and waited by the phone for the call from the vet to say everything went well. When I picked her up, it was such a relief.
thanks paula, i will definitely write an update post. my nerves are shot and i want to cry every time i look at him now as thursday gets closer. i have an overwhelming feeling like i am putting him through this selfishly. what if he is too old? what if the recovery and healing is worse than he is feeling now? ha ha i am putting myself through such mental hell here.
I know…it is hard., because despite this being a simple operation, it still is an operation and things can go wrong, but that is extremely rare.
And even if the recovery and healing are worse than what he is feeling now it is short lived. The pain he is feeling now will go on the rest of his life.
It’s a difficult decision but I know that if I had to go through it all again with another dog in the future, I would do the same thing despite the dogs age, because I know I wouldn’t want them to suffer through the pain on a daily basis.
Carolina my Samoyed who I wrote you about 3 years ago (age 3 at the time) after being diagnosed with glaucoma in her left eye had undergone laser, valve & lens implant April 2011. She retained a slight bit of vision in that eye but the pressures had been over 70 for long periods as meds would not control it. In January 2014 her right eye had a pressure spike of over 90, she had the same surgery and between the 2 eyes retained maybe 10% vision. This week the right eye had a spike despite the surgery and the meds (drops) are not maintaining the pressure. I know it’s time to remove the eye. We are torn on what procedure, our first instinct is to have a prosthetic, but it sounds like there may be complications that can arise, they said there’s an injection they an use to merely “kill” the eye and it shrinks down, or removal and sewing eye shut. Has anyone had a good experience with a prosthetic???
In terms of the injection, there have been a few people on this site that have had that done. But from what I can tell, it isn’t permanent and the eye has to be removed at a later date anyway.
The prosthetic eye is really a personal choice. Yes, there can be some complications but a lot of people have had success with it.
Take a look at this post to see the pros and cons from different people: http://www.dogster.com/forums/Dog_Health/thread/764008
well a week has gone by since tom had his eyes removed. it’s so hard to tell anything yet. the eyes are not swollen anymore except the right one (which was the more horrible looking of the two after the surgery) has been bleeding so we are going into the vet tomorrow morning to have that checked. he is still on antibiotics for a few more days but the painkiller prescription is finished as of last night. i will post another update when i have more to tell i suppose.
(the eyes don’t look as scary as google images would have you believe!!)
Definitely keep us updated Siobhan. I hope that right eye comes good.
Our 14year old border collie mix went in today to remover her eye at12 its 130 now does anyone have estimate how long sugery is. Im nervous bc she does have liver issues to. they did a pre anistisa text and numbers were not to bad Im just praying for the best nervous waiting for a call
Not too sure on the exact time, but they would need to ensure that the dog has come out of the anesthesia and that things are looking good before they ring you.
Please let us know how it goes Kimberly.
My 9 yr old female Boston Terrier, Molly, had her right eye removed yesterday morning. Post-op was as I expected from reading some of the posts here & elsewhere. She did look like she had “gone a few rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson” as someone had stated! 😉 The swelling around the incisions makes her look like a Shar-Pei. After awakening she was coughing like a dry cough, and the vet asked if that was something she did prior (which she didn’t), so she said the tubal may have brought that on. Is this something anyone else has experienced with their dog? And if it is from the tube being in her throat, how long before that improves? That was the main issue I had with her last night. When she would awaken with the cough it was hard for her to get settled back in.
Please see Carrie’s second post below for an update on Molly.
Hello, My Eski/Peke mix is almost 4 years post double enucleation. I can honestly say that was the best and hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. She is diabetic and receives 2 insulin shots a day.
She also has seasonal allergies, so she does develop “crust” around her eye sockets. This week there has been a green mucus discharge that almost reminds me of a sinus infection. We have a vet appointment on Saturday, but i like to be prepared for the worst. Has anyone else come across this?
That’s interesting Melissa. I haven’t seen that before. Does your dog have prosthetic eyes or have the eyes been completely sewn shut?
No her eyes were not completely sewn shut, but they are closed. She did have an infection, possibly from trying to rub an irritant out. I believe at the time, sewing the eyes completely shut was out of my budget limit and we couldn’t wait any longer to remove the infected eyes. She’s not had this issue in 4 years, so I’m not worried about getting them sewn now.
Since she did have a UTI, she was put on an antibiotic. I also have an eye flush and wipes to clean out her eyes. That alone has made a huge difference. I’m going to make sure I keep the wipes on hand at all times, especially during allergy season.
I am writing again today to post updates & progress reports on Molly’s recovery. Since yesterday the improvement is amazing (what a difference a day makes!). The coughing I described yesterday has almost entirely stopped. The vet had called to follow-up and I told her about the cough, and she said it was likely from her having a short snout. (My other Boston Terrier snores insistently, so I can see what she means).
She wears her e-collar most of the time, I only take it off when she eats & a couple hours in the evening. When I put it back on is the only time she starts the coughing, so it may be due to having it against her throat (or just the fact she doesn’t want it on and that’s her way of letting me know). She’s funny to watch walking around with the cone on…bumps against door frames and against the wall since she can’t judge how far it sticks out. I follow her out when she uses the bathroom to make sure she doesn’t run into anything in the yard. I’m a nervous Nellie when she gets up & walks around, but she’s almost back to herself.
The swelling around the incisions has gone down a lot, too. She looks like herself from all angles already.
So far, so good! I will keep posting as anything new arises.
Thanks for your site! And for keeping it going for so long. I have been on here reading everyone’s stories since last week, and take great comfort in knowing we all share a common bond!
That’s awesome Carrie. I love when people post updates….it’s always so good to hear that their dogs are doing okay.
Hi Guys, I post her about 1 year ago on my 15yr old dog having her eye removed. When she is 16 now and its time to get her other one out. You would think that this gets better doing it the 2nd time around although not for me. She has aged a good bit although the Dr. thinks she will do fine with surgery, she is a bit concerned about recovery due to her having colitis with nervous dogs. I have struggled with this, it just does not get easier but I know that It is selfish of me to keep her and not go through the surgery and her being in pain. Thank you for all the post on this website. It brings comfort to me to reread these stories and even bring me back to my story I wrote 1 year ago about her surgery. Please pray all goes well. Thanks. mm
So sorry to hear that Mary….as you know, with glaucoma, the second eye usually succumbs eventually.
And you’re right…it doesn’t get any easier but at least you know what to expect this time.
The problem with glaucoma in dogs is that not only does it cause eventual blindness but the dogs are also in so much pain so there is no real alternative at this point other than to have the eye removed.
So there is always this dilemma of not knowing whether to operate or not, particularly when a dog has other issues like yours has plus your dog is not a pup anymore either. But we don’t want them to live with 24/7 pain, so all we are left with, is knowing that we have to go ahead with the surgery even though there are risks. It’s not easy.
It was very helpful to leave up this website and see all of the comments. We had been dreading the removal of our Nootie’s left eye worried that she might not survive the surgery because she has a seizure disorder. So we took a less drastic route, temporarily avoiding surgery and Dr Ringhold gave us drops to treat the glaucoma. This morning, 10 months later, the decision was made for us. Late last night, Nootie was very uneasy and kept licking and licking which is not terribly unusual because she licks herself endlessly to keep herself clean. She also seemed to want to sit upright as opposed to laying flat late last night but she finally settled and we all went to sleep with Nootie taking her 1/3 of the bed out of the middle. When we awoke this morning her eye had been bleeding so we took her to the animal hospital and they are operating on her now. The vet said there was some sort of cancerous mass on the eyeball itself whih wasn’t there 10 months ago. So keep you fingers crossed. She is an 8 year old white pound puppy who looks like a collie- aussie cattle dog mix (white with fawn colored markings) who has a seisure disorder and is now completely deaf with eye problems (of course none of these problems were known when we rescued her 7 years ago) including cataracts in both eyes and the glaucoma in one eye. She doesn’t really act deaf and blind when she is taking her morning walk and up until recently, she has always loved to play with her toys, but more recently has had difficulty finding them when she tosses them about. Anyway, she is being operated on now as I write this and we look forward to her return home soon. Hopefully, I will have good news to report.
I hope everything went well Cynthia and Doug. I really hope you can provide an update…
Thank you for this wonderful website.
We have a gorgeous vizsla, Bailey, who is nearly 14 1/2 and he was diagnosed with glaucoma in 2009 in his left eye. The eye was removed and was confirmed as primary closed angle glaucoma. This terrible disease seems to be very common, but when Bailey first showed severe eye pain it was a Saturday evening, and the emergency vets insisted it was just an infection and sent us home with eye drops which only hurt him more. Two awful days of wrong diagnosis, meant that by the Monday when our regular vet referred us to an opthalmologist, his pressure was over 50 and his vision was already damaged. We could not believe what was happening to our precious boy, it was a huge shock as we never knew dogs suffered from glaucoma. The eye vet asked all about Baileys history, as it can be an inherited condition. We so hope his mum and syblings have not suffered with it, because we don’t believe they would receive the care and treatment needed.
We rescued Bailey from abroad when he was a tiny pup. He was being kept in a disused building behind the place we were staying on holiday. He cried so much the night we arrived that we followed the noise and broke down the door to let him out! So there was my baby boy, a tiny 4 week old dehydrated pup whose tail had been cut off and was infected, covered in fleas and ticks. The holiday turned into a week of vet visits and sleepless nights, but it was all worth it, as 14 years on we have the most beautiful, loving boy and he is the centre of our universe.
Sadly we have reached this awful time where his ‘good’ right eye has raised pressure and we have to decide if we will put him through surgery and remove the eye at this late stage in his life.
Other people’s stories on here are comforting and helpful, I’m terrified of putting him through an anaesthetic because of his age and because he has laryngeal paralysis, but I can see many elderly dogs with various problems have coped well.
Our lovely local vet who has seen Bailey through many health issues, is happy to do the surgery and will let me bring him in after her first consults so he doesnt wait in a cage, and I can stay until he is asleep, and be with him soon after he wakes, because she truly understands how stressed Bailey is without me. The vet nurse is wonderful too, and Bailey knows them well. However my vet hasn’t performed this surgery for over 3 years, but feels totally confident to do it. The opthalmologist is fantastic and performs this surgery regularly, but his surgery is always very busy and they would have Bailey from early morning, possibly with a long wait in a small cage surrounded by noises he doesn’t know, before surgery, and then they would keep him until early evening. Bailey was 5 years younger when the first eye was removed, and was distressed for 3 days after, which was very upsetting. Now he is very elderly, and totally dependent on me, my heart tells me to use my regular vet who knows him so well and wants to make the whole ordeal as stress free as possible. My husband is more inclined to allow the opthalmologist to perform the surgery since our vet explained the risk of blood loss from the blood vessels behind the eye. We would be grateful for any advice. Thank you.
My dog went through the same thing Emily. Misdiagnosed at the first consultation and wasn’t diagnosed properly until the next day. But I don’t blame the vet.
In terms of whether to get the specialist or your local vet to perform the surgery is a tough one, because both options has it’s benefits. Just know that most local vets are quite able to perform the surgery. Your local vet also sounds like she is extremely caring so that would do it for me, but that’s just my opinion.
My foster puppy “Penelope” just had her eye removed yesterday. I am so grateful for all of the helpful information. Last night I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to handle the next two weeks…but thanks to you all I’m feeling very positive about the situation. Thank you!
That’s so good to hear Felicia. I know when my dog was going through the same thing that the internet was a godsend.
My wife and I were told that our 9 month old Boston terrier needs to have both of her eyes removed because of glaucoma. I am so upset because I love her big beautiful brown eyes. We are thinking about taking her to the eye doctor but I don’t want her to suffer. We are so conflicted. Any thoughts. This is such a difficult decision and we want her to have a great quality of life but she is so young and has to be going through this. Just so sad.
I know the feeling Eric. It’s such a difficult thing to experience, but just know that if the eyes are removed your are still going to love her. She will still be the same dog and you will get used to the eyes not being there pretty quickly.
The fact is, that if she has glaucoma and the drops are no longer working to keep the pressure down then she will be experiencing constant pain. So it really is as simple as deciding whether you want her to be in pain or not. I know that I didn’t want my dog to be in pain and I asked the vet what he would do if his dog were in the same situation. He immediately said that he would take the eye out. That was enough for me to go ahead with the operation.
First all, thank you SO much for the encouraging post, and thank you everyone for commenting with your experiences.
Our 7 year old mutt has just been diagnosed with secondary glaucoma in her right eye. We are about to do a full blood panel in the morning to see what the underlying cause could be, and the other eye seems to be very healthy and in tact. The eye specialist did not recommend eye surgery yet (although her IOP pressures were insanely high), but knowing that she is completely blind in her right eye made my husband and I come to the decision to speak with our vet about removal. She is a very happy, affectionate dog, and now is just lethargic and depressed… something I have NEVER seen in her. With a new baby on the way, we are fearful of wasting money month after month on these eyedrops that just will not work. The thought of the eye removal just brings us happiness, to be honest. To know she will be out of pain makes it all okay.
I wanted to ask, once the removal is over, are any sort of eyedrops necessary to put in the empty socket to keep from drying out? Or can we just remove the eye and leave it at that?
Thank you again.
Once the eye/s are removed you don’t need any drops….at least my dog didn’t need any. The eye socket heals over and the fur grows over so nothing is needed.
Hi,
Our 1 year old Husky named Bauer just had his right eye taken out this morning after being diagnosed with Blastomycosis.
We did not know that Blastomycosis exsisted before and it was big news to us when we found out what it was, as it is not very common and often misdiagnosed cause vets/people are unfamiliar with it.
He has the fungus in his lungs right now but is on medication to hopefully clear it away. His right eye had the fungal infection on the back of it and as it got worse and we continued with glaucoma eye drops, the pressure was too much for him. We didn’t like seeing him in pain, and collectively agreed he would be more comfortable without his right eye. Since the fungus was also behind his right eye, we are hoping that it will not return to that area.
We thought Bauer had kennel cough and he was on treatment for that at first, and then were told he had an eye infection a week later once the cough was gone. Once we did an x-ray and blood work and were told he had blasto we really had to educate ourselves. Please take a moment to read about it as it is in more areas than you think.
Symptoms to watch for which we were unfamiliar with are:
– Fever, Loss of appetite (anorexia), Weight loss, Eye discharge, Eye inflammation, specifically the iris, Difficulty breathing (e.g., coughing, wheezing and other unusual breathing sounds), Skin lesions, which are frequently filled with pus.
Your dog may not show all signs of this. We noticed Bauer was coughing first, then he was not hungry or thirsty and other symptoms like his eye popped up a week later.
I will update you with any information I find helpful on Bauer’s eye recovery.
Thank you all for the stories of support.
http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/respiratory/c_multi_blastomycosis
Thanks so much for this information Cailey. I haven’t heard of blastomycosis so this sort of information is very helpful to me.
Definitely provide us with updates.
Hi Guys, I wanted to give you an update. My 16 really close to 17 year old dog had glaucoma in her remaining eye. We had her eye taken out on Monday the 5th of Jan. 2015. She did very well through surgery. She was not as alert later that day when we brought her home. The Dr. went ahead and gave her more pain meds right after surgery. She also had a small growth removed from her mouth. I just wanted to say that anyone considering this operation on elder dogs please let this be an inspiration. My dog did hurt for 2 day and on the 3rd really seamed to perk up. She is resting very well and I am so glad I did this now knowing she is out of a lot of pain. I do want to say that I did do some serious praying and I always fast before something like this. I felt the peace of GOD on me the whole day she had the surgery. There was a calmness within me that only comes from God. I owe this to the Lord as well as the Dr’s. They did a wonderful job. I know most vets probably would of not touched her due to her age. She did have some slight elevated kidney and liver issues although despite all this she did well. Thank you Paula for having such a wonderful website that distress owners of animals have a place to go. I hope this helps someone out there. God Bless!!!
Thanks so much for this CM. A lot of people worry about older dogs having operations which is completely understandable so this will help many. There is always going to be a risk but I know personally I would rather take that risk rather than have my dog in pain 24/7.
Hi all, our 11 yr old Cocker Spaniel had both eyes removed on Dec 19, 2014. We didn’t realize she had glaucoma until late in the summer and started treating her with drops. The ophthalmologist specialist we took her to informed us that her left eye was already blind and started treating the right eye with drops to try and save it. After 2 months of this we notice symptoms of her going blind in that eye (wouldn’t jump off couch, go down steps, ect). We took her back and the ophthalmologist suggested a surgery on the eye to try and save it. So we went ahead with the surgery. It didn’t work because she went totally blind the next day. This was Dec 4th. After two weeks and no chance of her eyesight returning we decided on complete eye removal (both). After 3 weeks she has not readjusted well at all. She will not open her mouth to eat, she will just try and scoop up little bits with her tongue. She can’t smell us even when she walks up and bumps into us. She can’t find her way around the house (even after living here 8 yrs.) She just walks around and runs into everything and can’t seem to get her bearings strait. The vet continues to say it just takes time or maybe something else is going on with her. We are at a loss of what to do. Yes we took her to another vet for second opinion, he said basically the same. My question is, has anyone else experienced this kind of behavior from their dog and we are? How long does it take to readjust? Any comments would be appreciated.
Three weeks is still a bit early to say at this point. It did take my dog a couple of weeks before she stopped running into things as often, although being blind they will always run into things. And every dog is different so yours might just be taking her time about it.
But there could be something else going on as you say. She could be suffering from depression which could be setting her back a bit. You say her sense of smell is off so I wonder whether something was affected during the operation??
Either way, unless she is losing weight or having other symptoms I would give it another few weeks. If after 6 weeks she hasn’t improved then you probably need to get her checked out to see if there is another issue somewhere.
Please let us know how it goes Craig. I really like to keep track of the dogs on this site and I always like to see how they are going.
Thanks all for the info. Guess we are just a little worried and not used to seeing her this way. We still think something is wrong with her smell, she just can’t seem to pick up the scent of us. I do take her out a lot and she is now she is going up and down the steps and around the yard without a leash. I still have to call out for her when she doesn’t hear me walking around so she can find me. Again thanks all, and I will let you know how she is coming along.
Hi Craig, I did a lot of research on dog going blind due to this disease. What I found was that they have to get use to it. Unfortunately your dog sound like it could see a little then had the operation and went blind, so she never had to understand what it was like not to see. When mine went blind when the last eye what little sight she had co no longer see she wined when she walked and didn’t want to walk. She finally stopped the wining. She got use to it. She may have some anxiety. I found that noise helps her. I will put a fan on or air purifier. She likes the TV and hearing us in the room. I also took her out side several times and it really helped her release some anxiety. She got to sniff much more. Find her a safe spot in the house. ( I used the same spot she normally likes to lay) and when she got disoriented I always put her there. Make sure you face her the same way each time, if it is a north direction etc… My dog can no longer walk due to hip issues and age, but she has gotten use to being blind. It was much easier than I though it would be.
My dog has been blind for 6 weeks now and just this week is starting to figure things out. We got the scented stickers for the walls and when he won’t walk in the house, I put a leash on him and lead him around. If he refuses, I let him sit. He eventually makes it over to us on the sofa. It takes time.
I think you have to just ignore him because if you help him along by leading him around he will come to rely on you to make his way around. If he knows that no one is going to come and help him he will eventually have to do it himself.
Yesterday, my sweet pittie, Pikachu jumped a 4 ft fence and was gone until night. When we found her, she had the whole left side of her face bloody and her eye was a mess. We got her to the vet who told us later today that her cornea was lacerated and her retina was coming through the tear. He gave us 2 options; put her to sleep, or take the eye. She’s not even 2 yet. She’s my service dog… she’s my husband’s service dog for his diabetes. Good thing she doesn’t need 2 eyes to alert to his sugar. This is hard, but we love her. She didn’t ask for this. Of course we opted for the surgery. I can train another service dog, I can’t replace our Pikachu. Thanks for all of your stories. They really helped me feel better.
Let us know how it went Helen. Did Pikachu have her eye out?
Hello everyone, I seriously in need of your advice. I have a 2 year old siberian husky pet named Piggy.
An old friend of my dad raise Piggy for 1 year and 5 months then recently gift him to my family.
When piggy was 5 months old, that bastard owner punished him so bad his left eye catched glaucoma and gone blind the day after.
The worst is he totally left it untreat for a whole year and then gift him to my dad.
The other eye still haven’t got glaucoma yet and from what he told me, and information from this website, I think it is a secondary glaucoma.
To make it even worse, I take him to 4 vet and all of them don’t know about this glaucoma stuff, I guess because my country is freaking poor and not advanced in pet treatment. They only able to treat common dog diseases.
I take Piggy to the 5th vet, from what I research on internet, this guy is the best and most famous in my country. When I take Piggy to him, he knows about this glaucoma and show me some books and pictures about it. But his procedure is completely wrong !! He didn’t take any eye pressure test for both eyes, he only get blood sample and that’s it.
In short, I seriously don’t want to leave my Piggy to those quack vet. But I can’t leave him untreated either.
So may I ask if anyone here have any experience with untreated glaucoma blind dog? What will happen to him if leave his eye untreated like that (already blind 1 eye, and I understand that he will feel pain in that eye). Is there any danger to his live or something like that?
Right now I try to earn as much money as I can so I will able to travel with piggy and help him get treatment overseas. But I’m scared he might not be able to hold on till that time. He seems to not feel any pain and act happy like any normal dog, but I seriously don’t believe my eye until I get him checked by true vet.
Any advice would be great.