aliwake Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) My boy has had ongoing issues with very mucky eyes, particularly overnight. I tried doing the calendula tea rinse over the last couple of weeks, which definitely made short term improvements, but was not lasting. I took him to the vet last week and she checked for dry eye (not an issue - he has plenty of tears!), scratches and lumps etc (also all clear). She said it was most likely a low grade infection or an allergy, so we've been using a steroid and antibiotic ointment for the last few days. His eyes are looking a LOT better, but not 100% and my gut feeling is this is going to continue to be a problem. The other concern I had, that I pointed out to the vet, it that his eyelids are quite floppy/droopy. She asked if he sleeps with his eyes open (which he does), and said the eyelids could definitely be an issue. We're just in wait and see mode at the moment, but she said it is possible to do an eyelid tuck to tighten them up, if it continues to be a problem. It makes sense to me, but such delicate surgery seems pretty scary. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had experience with this problem, and if you took the surgical route, what was the outcome like? Edited February 4, 2014 by aliwake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 got photos of his eyes ..just relaxed ones? :) you may want to consult a vet who is experienced with eyes ... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 An eyelid tuck is entropion surgery. It is where the lashes roll into the eye and scratch the cornea. It is very common in Shar Pei. http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/eyes/c_multi_entropion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 I haven't taken any photos yet pers - will try to do so in the next day or so. The look normal and have good contact with his eyes when he's upright and awake, then they seem to sag away if he's lying down. You can see a lot red inside his lower eyelid at times. Our vet said she is confident doing eye surgery, but has offered to refer us to an eye specialist, so we will probably do that. Thanks Ams, Lisa has suggested ectropian, so perhaps you can both place bets and I'll let you know the winner when we've seen a specialist :) Sounds the the symptoms are very similar - on-going conjunctivitis... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) normal resting pic for you: Can see them sag a little in this one: Will try to get a close up when he's sleeping tonight Edited February 3, 2014 by aliwake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I haven't taken any photos yet pers - will try to do so in the next day or so. The look normal and have good contact with his eyes when he's upright and awake, then they seem to sag away if he's lying down. You can see a lot red inside his lower eyelid at times. Our vet said she is confident doing eye surgery, but has offered to refer us to an eye specialist, so we will probably do that. Thanks Ams, Lisa has suggested ectropian, so perhaps you can both place bets and I'll let you know the winner when we've seen a specialist :) Sounds the the symptoms are very similar - on-going conjunctivitis... Looking at the first photo I'd go with ectropion as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Looking at the first photo I'd go with ectropion as well. No bets then! I had another look at the ectropion entry on wikipedia, and it has a picture of a cocker spaniel with it, and it does look a lot like what nixon has going on... So has anyone had this surgery in an adult dog, and can tell me what the recovery was like? He did not take well to wearing a cone last time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 (edited) I have seen lots of these done with no problems - provided the vet is experienced :) Instead of a cone , why not LOOK HERE? I haven't used them .. but it seems they would be MUCH easier to live with! Edited February 4, 2014 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Good to know, thank you! Your link doesn't work - was it for one of those novoguards? I think they look pretty weird, but will probably be a better option than a cone. He has a cloud collar but I doubt it will keep him from getting at his eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 link fixed. Those optivizors look fantastic! they are specifically designed for eye protection :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 They do look like they'll be the best thing for him - he's such a sook! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I'd take Nix for a consult with the Eye specialist you mentioned, confirm ectropion or something else and get him to do the surgery. Optivizors look awesome too! Poor Nix, he's had so many issues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 He's on his last day of cream today, so the plan of attack is to see how long it takes for the problem to return once treatment has stopped, then try to get pics of his eyes at their worst, then contact vet again for referral. Fortunately since we've already seen the vet about his eyes - we shouldn't have to pay any more for additional treatment (yay insurance!) Certainly takes a load off my mind. He's certainly run the gamut of minor problems since we've had him - fortunately he still enjoys going to the vet, even if my wallet doesn't :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Definitely see a specialist. Ectropion surgery is generally only recommended in severe cases. He may simply have allergic conjunctivitis or lazy/blocked tear ducts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Maeby Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I only have experience with Entropian (not Ectropion). My Pug had Corner Closure Procedure surgery when he was 12 months old and it was the best thing I ever did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 Thanks for all the feedback guys. We have a specialist appointment on 5th March, so will update once we know what's happening for sure. His eyes are definitely mucky again already after finishing using the cream we had. They're still not really bad again, but definitely get progressively worse every day. Poor boy. He was swiping at his eyes with his paws the other morning so it clearly doesn't feel very nice for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 Hi all, we had our eye specialist appointment yesterday afternoon. Apparently he has signs of allergic conjunctivitis, which is worsened by his subtle ectropion (because the conjunctiva is exposed more than usual). Actually, he called it subtle at the beginning, but he was struggling to get a proper look thank to a very excited wiggly dog. Once Nixon settled and was just wandering around the room I think he was able to see the problem a lot more clearly. He basically said that his eyelids are too big for the size of his eyeballs. So, we're using viscotears gel to create a barrier on his eye to reduce exposure to allergens, and to keep the eyes lubricated. He said they are fine to use regularly, then occasionally if there's a bad flare up we can use the steroid cream from the vet to get it back under control (can't remember what it's called). He agreed that surgery would be useful for him, and said we should talk it over, then get in touch if/when we decide to proceed. He said there's a chance his upper eyelids would need adjusting too, but they would wait and see until he's under. He said even though the upper eyelids look good at the moment, in an older dog they could droop more and cause *(something starting with t) where the upper eyelashes droop into the eye and irritate it. Given Nix had some (unrelated) surgery on friday, we will manage his eyes conservatively for a couple of months then re-asses. I feel like it's something that is going to continue to cause him problems forever, and the surgery would probably be very worthwhile in that he has a lot of years ahead of him (hopefully!), and if they can be more comfortable, then it will be worth doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Does Nix dig in sand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 No, he doesn't really dig much at all, and we definitely don't have any sand in our back yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Have you tried calendula tea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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