Tango's At The Vets Tonight

[spottychick]

Hi all!

My dalmatian Tango has been battling an eye ulcer since I got him. After 3 vets and several different antibiotics we (the vet and I) reluctantly decided he has to have surgery and so he is staying overnight at the local vets and has surgery first thing tomorrow. Poor wee babe (and poor wee bank account )

We only went to check progress but when the vet put the staining stuff in his eye she wasnt happy - it hadn't improved at all. She called in the older vet and they both said he needs surgery and they could do it first thing in the morning (they don't do surgery in the afternoon unless it's an emergency). Because I live a bit out of town and there is a mountain in the way with a quite tricky windy road that gets black ice on it, I don't like driving through there too early so they said he could stay there free of charge if I provided the food. (nice of them I thought). That way he could have surgery first thing and then I could pick him up in the afternoon when he's fully recovered.

So me and the dogs raced off to the shops and I left them with a can of NG chicken and rice, a small tub of cottage cheese, a banana and an apple and detailed lengthy instructions on feeding him and giving him treats (the apple being the "treats" - he adores them). [eats well dont he!!!] Tango was already leaping up beside me and doing his tango dance just at the sight of the apple and banana so we just HAD to give him a piece .

I rang a little while ago because it occurred to me that I could ask them to clip his nails while they have him anaesthetised and at their mercy - save me risking life and limb to try it. They said sure they could do that and told me they were just preparing his dinner, but I knew that because I could hear him making "OH MY GOD dinners coming" noises in the background. They assured me he is having a great time and loving all the activity and stuff going on around him (ie not missing me one bit ) and they will be putting him in a big 'pen' with lots of blankets in a room with a heated floor tonight (geez can I stay too!!?)

SO Fingers crossed for my sweet little terror for tomorrow morning that everything goes well - I'm a bit distressed because

1. The last time I put a dog in for surgery I took him back home to bury him

and

2. WHen I was dropping off Tango, the food etc they asked me to wait because they were euthenasing a lady's dog. I could hear her talking in the consulting room clearly distressed and then she came out to get the car ready and was in tears and making distressed traumatised dog owner comments to everyone in the waiting room and then she carried her sweet pup through the waiting room and out to her car, sobbing all the way. I lost it and couldn't speak properly to the girl at the counter. My mouth just wouldn't respond to my commands and my eyes had gone all weepy.

Anyway - apparently when he comes home he will have an E Collar (not electric LOL) to stop him rubbing his eye and I've never experienced that before so can anyone give me the info on how dogs are with them. ANything I should watch out for or whatever. Is it likely to distress him, how much does it restrict him? How do I help him cope with it? Anything else you know or can think of would be very much appreciated.

Edited July 2, 2010 by spottychick

[yarracully]

Hi all!

My dalmatian Tango has been battling an eye ulcer since I got him. After 3 vets and several different antibiotics we (the vet and I) reluctantly decided he has to have surgery and so he is staying overnight at the local vets and has surgery first thing tomorrow. Poor wee babe (and poor wee bank account )

We only went to check progress but when the vet put the staining stuff in his eye she wasnt happy - it hadn't improved at all. She called in the older vet and they both said he needs surgery and they could do it first thing in the morning (they don't do surgery in the afternoon unless it's an emergency). Because I live a bit out of town and there is a mountain in the way with a quite tricky windy road that gets black ice on it, I don't like driving through there too early so they said he could stay there free of charge if I provided the food. (nice of them I thought). That way he could have surgery first thing and then I could pick him up in the afternoon when he's fully recovered.

So me and the dogs raced off to the shops and I left them with a can of NG chicken and rice, a small tub of cottage cheese, a banana and an apple and detailed lengthy instructions on feeding him and giving him treats (the apple being the "treats" - he adores them). [eats well dont he!!!] Tango was already leaping up beside me and doing his tango dance just at the sight of the apple and banana so we just HAD to give him a piece .

I rang a little while ago because it occurred to me that I could ask them to clip his nails while they have him anaesthetised and at their mercy - save me risking life and limb to try it. They said sure they could do that and told me they were just preparing his dinner, but I knew that because I could hear him making "OH MY GOD dinners coming" noises in the background. They assured me he is having a great time and loving all the activity and stuff going on around him (ie not missing me one bit ) and they will be putting him in a big 'pen' with lots of blankets in a room with a heated floor tonight (geez can I stay too!!?)

SO Fingers crossed for my sweet little terror for tomorrow morning that everything goes well - I'm a bit distressed because

1. The last time I put a dog in for surgery I took him back home to bury him

and

2. WHen I was dropping off Tango, the food etc they asked me to wait because they were euthenasing a lady's dog. I could hear her talking in the consulting room clearly distressed and then she came out to get the car ready and was in tears and making distressed traumatised dog owner comments to everyone in the waiting room and then she carried her sweet pup through the waiting room and out to her car, sobbing all the way. I lost it and couldn't speak properly to the girl at the counter. My mouth just wouldn't respond to my commands and my eyes had gone all weepy.

Anyway - apparently when he comes home he will have an E Collar (not electric LOL) to stop him rubbing his eye and I've never experienced that before so can anyone give me the info on how dogs are with them. ANything I should watch out for or whatever. Is it likely to distress him, how much does it restrict him? How do I help him cope with it? Anything else you know or can think of would be very much appreciated.

All an E collar is is like a big sheet of clear plastic that they feed a collar through and put around the dogs neck. It is to stop the dog from bumping into the operation site and from scratching it. The dogs seem to adjust to it quite well but the first time they go to eat out of a bowl can be a bit funny to watch as the e collar stops them from getting their head in at first.

Don't worry about it it is only to protect the injury from the dog and other objects. In years past we used to cut the bottom out of a plastic bucket and put that over the dogs head so they couldn't annoy the injury.

However plastic buckets don't look as nice as the e collar.

[W Sibs]

Ohh.. poor Tango.

Sending healing vibes to him.

E collar is just a plastic thing around his head. None of my dogs ever had to wear one... so I don't know how it works.

[Tassie]

Oh poor Tango - and poor you - and that poor lady with her little dog. It's just the worst part of pet ownership isn't it. I would have been like you - I would have lost it too.

Sounds like Tango is going to have a lovely warm comfortable night - wishing him all the very best for tomorrow - and yo for when he comes home with his collar.

[matilda1]

Sending lots of luck and healing vibes your way.

I am sure Tango will be fine, but I understand how you feel.

What exactly is wrong with his eye, and what surgery are they doing?

Edited July 1, 2010 by BellaDonna

[spottychick]

THanks for all the thoughts/vibes and information/advice

Belladonna - he has an indolent ulcer and the operation is where they scratch the eyeball to promote healing then sew the inner eyelid over the eye to allow healing to take place. I think he also goes on a course of antibiotics (more of them) but obviously they would be internal rather than the ointment types he's tried up until now.

They are also concerned about whether his eyelashes/eyelid are scratching the eye but they can't get a good look until he's under. He is still building the fatty tissue back around his eyes (he had lost all the fatty tissue there when I got him so both eyes were sunken) so it's possible that's causing problems as the ulcer is located right down the bottom of his eye. If it is his eyelid/eyelashes causing problems they may have to remove a bit of the eyelid or something. But they're reasonably sure that wont be necessary and that he's got enough fatty tissue now to stop that happening. Sorry if that sounds a bit garbled - it's what I could gather from the 2 vets having a rapid fire vet-like discussion

You can see his eye problem in this pic

THe other eye looks good tho - much better than it was a few months ago when most of the time you couldn't see his eyes at all.

Edited July 1, 2010 by spottychick

[persephone]

yep- I usually put the bowl/s up on something .. as the plastic cone obviously hits the floor well before the dog's nose .. and they cannot comfortably eat/drink

Good luck - hope the op fixes the problem!

[spottychick]

Ahhh great tip persephone! Thanks - I'll find something tomorrow to put his bowl on before he comes home.

Edited July 1, 2010 by spottychick

[cavNrott]

Spottychick, my elderly Rottweiler Faith, had eye surgery for the same thing at the end of last year. The vet messed around with it for about 4 weeks and performed surgery that didn't work. We were then referred to an eye specialist who did the surgery but he didn't stitch the 3rd eyelid. Instead they put a contact lens in to protect the eye. They debrided the cornea and did that grid scratch thing...the actual terminology escapes me at the moment. It was done under local anaesthetic.

Faith didn't have to wear an e collar and the eye didn't bother her at all. 10 days later at post op visit the eye had healed perfectly and she's had no trouble with it since.

Damn local vet cost me $1700 in consults, unsuccessful surgery and general messing around with the eye. Specialist charged about $800 maximum, including antibiotics and it went perfectly. In future if we have any eye issues with the dogs I'll be asking for a referral to the specialist right from the start.

Hope all goes well with Tango.

[spottychick]

Oh dear CavnRott, I sure hope this works for Tango! I've also spent a lot on him so far!

Good to hear your girl's eye eventually got sorted.

The vet did mention the specialist but I think he flies over from melbourne and is only available in launceston/Hobart so we're hoping it doesn't come to that. That contact lens idea sounds dead clever!

[spottychick]

I just rang the vet. Tango is just waking up after the op and all seems well. Apparently he has been a model citizen, no barking, whinging or carrying on when in the crate waiting or overnight in his pen etc. Somewhere along the lines he may have been crate-trained.

What a good boy!

I'll be picking him up after 3 today.

[persephone]

[Tilly]

If Tango is anything like my older GSD dog ... be prepared for lots of bruises at their head height - and a knee capping or two. You soon learnt to get out of the way when he was doing zoomies as it would end in tears - mine usually.

My boy didn't seem to realise their head was now bigger and often tried to squeeze between me and wall ... naturally I gave way first. He had no trouble eating with his E collar on ... in fact he used to push all the food along the flood until it was in a pile and then put his cone over it to protect it from the other dog while he was eating.

Our rottie on the other hand ... didn't move a muscle when we put it on him (he had 2 lots of eye surgery). He was still sitting in the same place he was when it was put on him - and he refused to walk while it was on. We ended up having to leave it off him and thankfully he never bothered with the stitches.

Edited July 2, 2010 by Tilly

[spottychick]

If Tango is anything like my older GSD dog ... be prepared for lots of bruises at their head height - and a knee capping or two. You soon learnt to get out of the way when he was doing zoomies as it would end in tears - mine usually.

My boy didn't seem to realise their head was now bigger and often tried to squeeze between me and wall ... naturally I gave way first. He had no trouble eating with his E collar on ... in fact he used to push all the food along the flood until it was in a pile and then put his cone over it to protect it from the other dog while he was eating.

Our rottie on the other hand ... didn't move a muscle when we put it on him (he had 2 lots of eye surgery). He was still sitting in the same place he was when it was put on him - and he refused to walk while it was on. We ended up having to leave it off him and thankfully he never bothered with the stitches.

I can tell this is going to be fun

[Mum to Emma]

Spottychick, my elderly Rottweiler Faith, had eye surgery for the same thing at the end of last year. The vet messed around with it for about 4 weeks and performed surgery that didn't work. We were then referred to an eye specialist who did the surgery but he didn't stitch the 3rd eyelid. Instead they put a contact lens in to protect the eye. They debrided the cornea and did that grid scratch thing...the actual terminology escapes me at the moment. It was done under local anaesthetic.

Faith didn't have to wear an e collar and the eye didn't bother her at all. 10 days later at post op visit the eye had healed perfectly and she's had no trouble with it since.

Damn local vet cost me $1700 in consults, unsuccessful surgery and general messing around with the eye. Specialist charged about $800 maximum, including antibiotics and it went perfectly. In future if we have any eye issues with the dogs I'll be asking for a referral to the specialist right from the start.

Hope all goes well with Tango.

I agree with your message - for complex procedures always go to a specialist if there is one available in your area! They do these procedures routinely - your local vet does not.

[spottychick]

I agree with your message - for complex procedures always go to a specialist if there is one available in your area! They do these procedures routinely - your local vet does not.

Yep but when you live in a rural area that can be a challenge. I'm excited just having a normal vet within reasonable driving distance for the first time in YEARS!

Tango is home and seems quite perky - but not happy with the stupid thing on his head that keeps getting in his way and banging into things.

His eye looks wierd. He has these tiny rolled plastic things in there.

He also keeps trapping Peppers bottom in the plastic "bucket" coz he runs up too close behind her hahahahaha

[matilda1]

THanks for all the thoughts/vibes and information/advice

Belladonna - he has an indolent ulcer and the operation is where they scratch the eyeball to promote healing then sew the inner eyelid over the eye to allow healing to take place. I think he also goes on a course of antibiotics (more of them) but obviously they would be internal rather than the ointment types he's tried up until now.

They are also concerned about whether his eyelashes/eyelid are scratching the eye but they can't get a good look until he's under. He is still building the fatty tissue back around his eyes (he had lost all the fatty tissue there when I got him so both eyes were sunken) so it's possible that's causing problems as the ulcer is located right down the bottom of his eye. If it is his eyelid/eyelashes causing problems they may have to remove a bit of the eyelid or something. But they're reasonably sure that wont be necessary and that he's got enough fatty tissue now to stop that happening. Sorry if that sounds a bit garbled - it's what I could gather from the 2 vets having a rapid fire vet-like discussion

You can see his eye problem in this pic

THe other eye looks good tho - much better than it was a few months ago when most of the time you couldn't see his eyes at all.

This surgery has quite a high success rate.

Does he have a button stitched to his eye?

Hope he is recovering well for you, he sounds like a real sweet heart

[spottychick]

No he doesn't have a button but he has what I think is a shunt and the inner eyelid is stitched shut. She told me that in addition to doing the "grid" abrasion on the eye itself, they also abraded the inner eyelid and did something fancy where they took some of his blood, processed it and put it into his eye as some sort of serum (?????).

Last night he had a miserable time of it with his Elizabethan collar. He crashed into everything, bashed into me and Pepper, bashed into things around the bed when he tried to get in it (including the wall) and took forever to sleep because he was so uncomfortable. He kept getting up and running around frantically shaking his head. I felt so awful for him - like I was torturing him LOL He actually snapped at my hand at one point so I'm a little worried he's taking a few steps backward in his "trust" development.

But the little devil has made a serious effort at resolving the Liz Collar problem all by himself.

Observe:

Note the brown masking tape on the right hand side of the collar - he has snapped the damn thing in two!!! He just bashed into the door frame a few times and broke it.

PS THey forgot to clip his nails dang it!!!

[Tilly]

Poor baby looks absolutely miserable ... maybe he is just milking it for some serious sympathy (which I hope you are giving him) ...

[Kirty]

Is it a tiny bit of tubing above his eye? They usually sew something on the upper eyelid (sometimes a button but frequently a piece of tube) to stop the stitches pulling through the eyelid.