I have been very fortunate to have found this blog, to read everyones stories has truly been a bandaid to my heart. Thank you to everyone who has posted pics, stories, and experiences from everyones journey as i hope my story can console anyone who is confused or curious how it is to have a blind dog.
The morning of Sonics surgery i was very comfortable and secure on my decision to have his eye removed.I prepared myself by reading this blog, searching online, and looking at pictures. Again sonic is a 12yr old husky who was diagnosed with glaucoma. Enucleation of his left eye was his only option at this point. I dropped him off at 730am and picked him up at 1. the surgery itself went quickly and good. I was worried the whole time waiting for the phone to ring anxiously. Keeping myself busy making sure our home was comfy, and ready for his post op return. When i picked him up, he had a cone on and was bruised. he had some slight dry blood. he walked pretty normal until he was put in my car. The whole drive back which was only about 15 min, he cried and cried.
I was not prepared for that one. The Dr. reassured me huskies tend to be very vocal on their pain, but in no way was i prepared for him crying so loudly and non stop. I felt hopeless. The anathesia was coming off and it felt like it was getting worse. Poor guy. Throughout the night his cries became softer but they did not stop. he slept next to me and I messaged him the whole night it seemed. Finally we both felt asleep.
The next day came along, and what a 360! His tail was raised, he was almost back to himself. He has 4 days in from his removal and each day is def getting better than the next.
Awwww what a good boy. My labrador was diagnosed with diabetes over a year ago and I’m starting to notice cloudiness in both her eyes. She’s hesitant to go outside at night now, too. I’m not necessarily fearful that she will lose her sight, because she is a very smart and resilient girl. I’m more worried about glaucoma and pressure building in the eyes. Did Sonic exhibit any behavior that led you to believe the pressure bothered him?
I realize your question was for Sonic’s Mom but I can answer this if you didn’t get one. My Minature Schnauzer started also getting to where she didn’t want to go down the steps to her run at night. She lost part of her sight and was running into things. But the pressure made her just want to curl up in a ball and not really move much. We took her to see the opthomologist and she was diagnosed with cataracts and glaucoma. They put her on drops at first to see if the pressure would regulate. Within a week she was blind in both eyes. She is 13 but otherwise in good health but the doctor didn’t want to put her through the surgery of removing her eyes. Fortunately her little body decided to help us and her eyes started shrinking which meant the pressure was going down. Now she doesn’t have any pressure at all. Her eyes have sunken in and the only thing that we have to do is put an ointment in her eyes twice a day because she developed dry eye. So I guess is your lab seems more lethargic than usual and just wants to sleep a lot, I would take her/him in to be checked.
Good luck. It’s hard but it does get easier.
Cindy
Hello,
I am very touched by your story. I am reading all of it to try to find answers. I am so happy the worse time has passed and your little puppy is doing better.
I just enjoyed this group because I really need support and I am desperate. I am going through a terrible moment with my 12 years old Shih Tzu. Dorian was attacked by a stray dog who I tried to help and the stray dog ended up injuring his right eye. It popped out. He went through a surgery last week and we were very hopeful because they tried to keep the eye and it is much less swollen 1 week after the surgery but, we lost our hope when the vet said today that the removal of the eye might be necessary because, the eye it is not attached to where it should be and we should rush an appointment with the eye specialist. I keep blaming myself for trying to save the stray dog from a bad future and my fur baby ended up been hurt. I wish I could meet some people in person to help me go through this. I cry everyday, I am exhausted trying to overcompensate him and the last week has been the worse. I can’t live a normal life, I can’t leave him alone. I can’t do my job. I am really emotionally affected by this entire situation.
Know what you are going through. I feel the same about my border collie who is having his eye removed tomorrow. Feeling physically sick, can’t concentrate on anything and just feel terrible for my poor baby. Just hoping and praying that his other eye will be ok. My thoughts are with you and I hope Dorian and you get through this ok. Try to stop blaming yourself for what has happened – you were only trying to help a much less fortunate dog than your own and this is the measure of a true dog lover.
I appreciate being able to participate in this blog, yesterday my 14-year-old female yorkshire with diagnosis of glaucoma and cataracts in both eyes and that previously had an ablation procedure in the left eye to reduce the pressure, unfortunately four days ago a deep ulcer of aggressive origin appeared in the right eye. Just hearing the ophthalmologist tell me that there was nothing to do but remove its right eye, leaving me very affected. I must tell you that I am a professional surgeon in retirement and I never thought this situation would affect me as in these moments I see my little yorkshire terrier without its right eye, because its surgery was done yesterday. I know that the best decision has been made in this case, I know that she recovered, seeing my family suffer is not being easy, but precisely the surgical procedures are a process where there is no immediate magic for the results we want to see immediately . It is a process, and it is in this process that our strength should help us to project what we want so much: to see our beloved pets as happy as possible. Minie is recovering, today she started walking again, she went out to garden, She felt the sun as always and keeps asking for her favorite cookies. still convalescent, a little sore, but I can say that Minie will soon be better and what I most want is to see again smile at my family when that happens.