Scratch On The Eye - Back From The Vet

[3DogNite]

We're back

and the consensus is : Age related Degenerative Epithelial Disease

so NOT a scratch that should heal within a couple days.

 

we opt'd to do nothing at the moment. The split looked smaller than it was last week so we are going with the theory that it is trying to heal. more 'splits' could appear at any time - so i'll be watching her closely and if I start to see more signs of discomfort - then we go back and do the needle debridement option.

 

keeping our fingers crossed that this doesn't turn into 'the year of the eye ball'

L and Spirit

 

*********

1/27

Spirit has an apt. today at 2. they will be doing the full work up then the burring and more meds. I'm sure.

Please keep her in your thoughts today - and maybe me too,,,

i understand this is worse for the worried parents than the patients.

 

Thanks!

***********

Spirit has a scratch "ulcer" on her eye -- we went in last week, got the eye stained and with the ultraviolet light could see a nice scratch on her left eye. We have no idea how she got it!

prescription cream antibiotic something "neomycin and polymyxinB sulfates and Bacitracin Zinc"

 

after a week using the cream, she is still squinting with her eye - it is still weepy and draining and we go back in to the vet - where they stain the eye again - and yes, the ulcer is still there.

 

They gave me 2 options:

1. take small amount of blood - spin it to get a serum and use that as an eye drop - I guess the eye doesn't have the blood circulation to have efficient healing

2. debride (is that the right term?) the current ulcer : basically making it worse with a small scraping then using the above eye drop to help the healing along.

 

I think option 3 should be continue with the cream, it might still heal - but maybe not???

 

seems a little weird - and thought i'd just ask here - DOES THIS SOUND RIGHT?

 

i've been stuck in the world of PLN and CHF for so long with lazer that i wanted to get a second opinion with the GT community --- knowing there are several vets who could chime in.

 

 

Thank you and Spirit Thanks you too!

L-

 

 

Edited January 27, 2014 by 3DogNite

[greysmom]

Oy! No experience, but sending hugs for you and Spirit!

 

{{{{{hugs}}}}}

[Neighsayer]

Mickey had this problem. We did option 2, but continued to use the original cream. Healed up with no problem. The procedure bothered me more than him! My vet said that sometimes the process needs to be repeated, but Mickey was fine with just one treatment! Good luck! My vet offered to refer me to a specialist, but said that they would just do the same thing for more money. I love and trust my vet...been with him for fifteen years. When he first saw the scratch, he said we should try the cream first, but explained that he had just been through this with his daughter's dog, and they had to proceed to option 2.

[cometdust1]

Sounds exactly right. I had shih Tzus. there big eyes were always getting scratches. Sometimes they do have to debride them to encourage blood flow to the cornea.

[rascalsmom]

Buddy scratched his eye on two occasions--he ended up having chemical debridement. It healed up OK, but he ended up with pannus in that eye. Are you going to a specialist? Sometimes that's needed.

[3DogNite]

Buddy scratched his eye on two occasions--he ended up having chemical debridement. It healed up OK, but he ended up with pannus in that eye. Are you going to a specialist? Sometimes that's needed.

hadn't planned on going to a specialist, but might call to check them out. i'm sure more $$$ will be required, but maybe it would be worth it.

[rascalsmom]

Definitely more money, but sometimes it's the best way. We took Buddy to a specialist, and I never regretted it.

 

Sad story about vets in general: the girl who cuts my hair has a cat who, a few years ago, developed eye problems. The vet tried treating it, and kept changing the medications, but still the cat wasn't getting better. In fact, the cat was going blind. She finally took the cat to a cats-only vet, who immediately recognized glaucoma. This vet referred her to the same specialists that Buddy went to years later....they removed both of the cat's eyes. BUT--the cat is still alive, and doing well. Her owner just doesn't rearrange the furniture any more.

 

I might add that we now go to the same cats-only vet with our cat.

[Batmom]

Never heard of option 1.

 

It can take those things a couple weeks to heal.

[JJNg]

Using serum as an eye drop can be an effective way to improve corneal healing. Opinions seem to vary between ophthalmologists, but I was taught to use it when I was in school. And our local ophthalmologist recommended it for a case of a bad 'melting' corneal ulcer that I saw recently.

 

If there hasn't been any improvement after a week of treatment with the current antibiotic ointment, then just continuing with that probably isn't the best idea. Either option 1 or 2 is reasonable, and a specialist may get even more aggressive with additional meds if they feel it's needed.

[3DogNite]

Thank you!

I talked to my regular vet. And didn't get the impression he'd done many of these procedures. I'll probably calling a specialist for my own peace of mind.

 

Thanks!

[3DogNite]

going to the specialist - updates to come in 1st post

[3DogNite]

back from the vet - see post 1