Loving my Oldies

Yes, I need to just put it aside and, as you say, concentrate on my girls. Bunches is getting more cuddles than ever because she is on eyes drops several times a day and she tends to hide under the couch or the cabinet. In the morning she gets four different sorts a few minutes apart, two more at different times through the day and the same four in the evening as in the morning. Beatrice is on half that number and she just sits there waiting for the onslaught. Shala is on one in the evening, so she is the easy one. Strawby (foster dog) is on meds that go in her food. I love them all more than words can say. Needless to say, I have a typed out program that gets checked off through the day. Busy, huh !!!

I have been so sad this week since being given the news about Bunches and Beatrice, but a further shock has been added and I simply don’t know how to process this one. I told a friend (not very close, mostly email correspondence) about their diagnoses and how much it was going to cost. This person sent me a reply suggesting that I put them to sleep and go out and get another dog. I could hardly believe what I was reading and have been feeling sick ever since that someone would actually put this in writing. I know I just have to shrug it off and forget it, but it still shocks me to the core.

Yes, that's the reason.

Really beautiful. You have really captured their essence and should be very proud of yourself

She is very beautiful. Sadly her eyes are like those of my foster dog, Strawby, who came from a puppy farm at the age of 11. Whether she was there all her life, I do not know, but she has been with me for nearly 5 months now, and only because I live with her can I see any improvement. It breaks my heart daily to see her wildly scramble to her feet to rush out the back door when she hears me walking down the hallway. At least now, she doesn’t go tearing downstairs, but stops on the deck to look back at me. I talk to her, tell her how beautiful she is and give her treats (she runs away again so I have to put them on the floor) and eventually she will come inside, just inside the door, ready to bolt all over again. You have obviously worked wonders with Cassie and I hope that one day both she and Strawby will be free of their demons.

If I were 30 years younger, I would be helping to take Miniature Bull Terrier off the Vulnerable List. Love those little dogs.

@Papillon Kisses, Kelly Caruso is married to the specialist I am seeing with Bunches and Beatrice . I used to see her with Danny many years ago.

No, Eye Clinic with offices at Artarmon and Crows Nest.

@Deeds, yes, I did consider this, but not sure which way to go. I have had experience with the eye specialists at SASH and was far from happy. The specialist I have been seeing is pretty well the leader in this field, lectures, books, etc and was the hospital partner for many years of another specialist who did the operation on Bunter many years ago.

Thanks to everyone for advice and experiences. I have had blind dogs, one eyed dogs, etc etc. I also had a little dog (some old time DOLers ight remember the name) called Bunter who was completely blind with cataracts. He had the operation to insert artificial lenses and he had perfect sight. It was extraordinary. However that was a different situation from the one I am facing now. Just to clear up, the prosthetic isn't like a false eye that humans are given and nor does it come out. I was too shocked to take in all the details, but from what I recall, it is a button like thing and eye tissue is stretched around it (my words). It doesn't look like an eye, rather it is cloudy, sometimes blueish and sometimes reddish. I have pretty well decided against that as it is quite a procedure and it takes a long time to settle down. I found this on google: "An intrascleral prosthesis involves creating a large incision over the top of the eye underneath the upper eyelid, removing the contents of the eye, placing a silicone prosthesis inside the shell of the eye, and closing the incision. With this procedure, the pet retains the shell of the eye." I have always understood glaucoma to be extremely painful and, via google, this is what I turned up for humans (because someone told me his parents had glaucoma without experiencing pain or discomfort): "For the most common form of glaucoma in the United States, primary open-angle glaucoma, the disease is typically not painful. This is why glaucoma is often called the “sneak thief of sight.” There are no symptoms to clue an individual in to the fact that there is ongoing damage to the optic nerve." Then there is another form which is extremely painful: "If you experience symptoms that come on suddenly, you may have acute angle-closure glaucoma. Symptoms include severe headache and severe eye pain. You need treatment as soon as possible. Go to an emergency room or call an eye doctor's (ophthalmologist's) office immediately." And: "In neovascular glaucoma, the drainage angle gradually closes because of new blood vessels that grow on the iris and in the drainage angle. Eventually, the entire drainage angle is blocked off and the eye pressure becomes very high, thus leading to eye pain." I need to check with the specialist to see if he can tell which sort of glaucoma Bunches has, but because of the medication he has given me for her, I have to assume it is this latter one.

I started fostering two little Pekingese sisters in October 2021, so approximately 16 months ago. Rescued from a hoarding situation by the RSPCA, they were transferred to Denise At Paws rescue group. To cut a long story short, while the last thing I needed was more dogs, Shala was besotted with them and from a shy, behind-the-door little girl, she really opened up and started to be a frisky little dog, asking for pets, etc etc. Every time adoption was mentioned, I would tear up thinking of the loss for Shala .... and the rest is history, as they say. They have had a couple of eye operations to open up their eyes and to excise some of the folds and were on eye mediation for life. I decided it was about time they had a check up, so I took them to the eye specialist yesterday expecting him to give them the once over and send them off. Sadly and shockingly to me, this was far from the case. BUNCHES: Apparently she is completely blind in her right eye, has glaucoma probably caused by a completely dislodged lens which is sitting at an angle across the eye. The specialist says her eye needs to be removed sooner rather than later. I just can't believe it. She has never (and I mean NEVER) showed any signs of being uncomfortable, let alone in pain. BEATRICE: Both eyes have a lot of scar tissue which should be attended to asap. Apparently, her sight would be like looking through scratched and dirty glasses. She needs an operation to attend to the scar tissue and the specialist has recommended a slow release treatment (a bit like those given to women as a contraceptive) inserted above her eyes. His conclusion, verbatim: these are very bad eyes. My poor babies. I am in such shock and devastated that Bunches will lose an eye. Apparently a prosthetic can be inserted, but it doesn't look like an eye and from the photos the specialist showed me, dogs who have these done look as though the eye has glaucoma. I considered this for, yes, cosmetic reasons and also because I thought it might be more comfortable for Bunches in terms of keeping muscles in place, etc, but I am having my doubts about this. Has anyone any advice to give me? I know eye removal is a fairly common operation, but I am really worried about my little Pekingese having these operations. Because of the breed, the specialist has recommended getting in a specialist anaesthetist. Has anyone ever had a prosthetic? I'm feeling a bit defeated at the moment. Needless to say, it is going to be hugely expensive, but the dogs' health and wellbeing come first. They are on heaps of drops, so I have to gear up and be attentive.

It's over 4 months now since she came here and Strawby is very much still a WIP, sadly. I still have to shut of access to downstairs at night otherwise she spends the whole night outside as she did last night and it rained heavily . She still runs away from me even when I have a treat in my hand. There have been some little improvements, but they seem to be short lived. A couple of examples: when I have come home from shopping or wherever, she has been at the side gate with the others. She has coming running to the front door when I open it to come inside, she has appeared at the study door when I and the other dogs are there, just little things like this. No biggies like a tail wag, or just waiting for me to pick her up. I still have to corral her and she still shakes like a jelly when I pick her up. I had to dry and brush her this morning after her night in the rain and she shook the whole time, but she did look nice afterwards . Sadly I don't think she will ever more than partially heal, but I am getting used to that proposition and we just continue on as usual chatting to her, giving her treats and hoping that one day the penny will drop. At this stage, I think she is as "happy" as she can be.

The horror is that there are probably hundreds if not more people and animals still alive. It is impossible to comprehend what people are going through.

I don't notice any change in terms of drowsiness or "not quite there" with my dogs when I give them Trazadone, but I understand you wish to find something natural. The problem with those sorts of agents is that they take a long time to have any effect.

@Kazm, just over a year ago, I adopted two Pekingese sisters who were from a puppy farm. They are both totally gorgeous and very very funny. They are not generally nervous except one of them predicts storms hours away and the other is nervous about going to the grooming. I have Trazadone on hand for these sorts of situations. Just a tiny bit of a pill given two hours before the event (eg before you have to go out) and it works for several hours. Of course, you can also go out and get Molly a couple of permanent siblings - LOL.

No wonder the rates of depression are skyrocketing. Many years ago, I attended a lunch hosted by my boss which was attended by several of his friends and business colleagues. Afterwards, he asked me if I had enjoyed myself. I mentioned one of the men (who my boss had been friends with for decades) and I said, 'He would sell his grandmother for a dollar." My boss replied, "50 cents." I realised from working with him and that company ("big end of town") that morals never ever played a part in how business was done. You could hate someone but if they had a deal ..... let's explore it. It is evident in every aspect of life where so many people have no sense of right or wrong. All that matters is them and what they want at any particular time. It is very depressing. You only have to read a little bit of social media to see the ugliness that is part and parcel of humankind.

I’m not sure they are lucky to be in the hands of those owners. Long haired fluffies in Queensland need someone with more than a peanut sized brain.

"A slap on the wrist." Yep that's right. Make the people sit in a locked car for a couple of hours FFS. A slap on the wrist will never be enough for these excuses for human beings.

Wonderful photos, @grumpette. Puppies have the biggest smiles ever

"Police dog Dravec, aged five, died while off-duty on December 26 after serving on NSW Police's Dog Unit for almost six years." Now, maths was never my strong suit, but even so I can still see something is wrong here . . . .

There used to be a condition in some contracts: all care, no responsibility. Today the default condition in regards to just about every aspect of life is: no care and bugger-all if anything goes wrong. What the hell will the world be like in a decade or two? Even worse. Having been bitten quite a few times over the years, I can guarantee that those bites are very very painful.

A few years ago, a GS who could hardly walk his back was so sloped and his elbows were practically on the ground, won BIS (or similar) at Crufts. An other year, a Pekinese who had had soft palate operations and could hardly breathe also won. You ask why. Examine the judges, their contacts with breeders, etc etc. There's an old adage, "Follow the money."

The German Shepherd is a complete tragedy and a shocking indictment of all judges and breeders. In my eyes, the only ones changed for the better are Bull Terrier and Rottweiler. The Dachshund is tragic as well.

And buy you for company during Covid and then dump you when you cry because you are left alone for hours a day.