Update: Jack Is At The Vet Today

[Mooper]

Poor Jack is miserable tonight. He won't leave his right eye alone.

It was a bit gunky this morning, and a greenish yellow colour. I made up a lukewarm saline solution, dabbed some on the eye with a different cotton wool square each time, then forgot about it.

Until coming home tonight ;) The poor boy's eye is so swollen and red. There is no longer a goopy yellow discharge but his eye does seem to be weeping. I'm worried about the boy I'm lucky that he's never been off-colour before.

With no new flowering plants in the yard, no change in diet etc I can't think of anything else this might be ... although there could be a grass seed in there, I suppose. The back lawn is overdue for a cut

Fingers crossed that some antibiotics and ointment will be all we need to clear this up.

Edited October 12, 2006 by Mooper

[arby]

instead of saline solution make a strong cuppa tea let it cool for a bit and use that to wipe his eyes, it will relieve it. Tea has some anti bacterial property in it that helps with eye problems. Probably a good idea to wash both eyes.

Remember to wash your hands after it and not let anyone else touch the eye without doing the same. Conjunctivtis is highly infectious.

[Mooper]

Thanks, arby

I've been washing my hands so much with antibacterial soap that I'm sure I'm going to end up with a skin condition now! So don't worry, we've been very careful to avoid any cross-contamination.

A few DOLers recommend the tea solution. I'll give it a try before bed. ;)

[Muttaburra]

Yep, and you can also put a tea bag on each of your eyes too and have a beauty sleep. I've never tried it but supposed to be good. ;)

Sounds like a foreign body to me, some sort of scratch or irritiation, that has gone on to get infected. The vet can look close and see if there is any ulceration occurring.

[Mooper]

It came on so quickly, IDWT, that I fear you may be right. But we'll know in the morning.

For now, it seems Jack's food drive is sufficient to make him forget about his irritated eye! He sat and watched me until I released him for his dinner, and didn't paw at his eye once. Duffer that he is ;)

The tea should have cooled down now. I'll give that a go. Will add extra tea bags for my beauty sleep next time

[Rozzie]

Has it been really windy? Ours (some of) got gunky eyes after the huge wind a week or so ago...

[Mooper]

It was really windy last Thursday, Rozzie, and is pretty breezy today. But in the interim, no, it wasn't excessively windy.

We do, however, need to cut the back lawn so there is a fair bit of grass seed about.

The vet was shocked at the inflammation when we went in this morning, so Jack is in for the day. They've sedated him and will have a good look under his third eyelid as the vet strongly suspects a foreign object of some sort. Fingers crossed that his eye isn't scratched.

It's the first time I've had to leave him at the vet! Poor lad wasn't happy but should be a much happier pooch this evening when we pick him up ;)

[poodlefan]

It's that time of the year Moops - the pollen is rife and half our office has hayfever.

I bought a herbal eyewash from Greenpet that seems to be helping Lily's eyes.

We need some rain to take all the dust and pollen out of the air. ;)

[Muttly]

Poor Jack, hope nothing too serious.

[Scarlet]

I've had dogs with scratched eyes and it is not normally hard to treat.

Once it was just drops and another time the eyelid was sewn together for I think around 7-10 days. He had to wear an e-collar though as he kept scratching his eye. There were no permanent problems.

Best wishes for a healthy dog tonight.

[Mooper]

I'm hoping it's nothing too serious, too!

The brave lad struggled a little when the vet first went to look at the eye, but I put my arm around Jack's ribs and he settled. He just stood there for what felt like 5 mins while the vet opened Jack's eyelids ever wider.

He's a good boy ;)

[Mooper]

Well, they had to sedate him pretty heavily to have a good look around but can't find any grass seeds or other foreign bits and bobs ;) They think it may have flushed out of its own accord from last night's saline or the tea treatment.

So the groggy boy will spend the afternoon snoozing there with some ointment on the eye and I'll pick him up this evening

I hope it all clears up OK! Oh, I forgot to ask about any scratches ... will check that with them tonight.

[Daisy]

good to hear the big boofer is ok ;)

[Paula-]

I hope Jack's feeling better, poor fella ;)

[Teebs]

Oh good, im not the only sstressed out owner!! I am off to pick Kaos up in an hour, after her day at the vets

hope your boy is ok!

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

Mel give the boofer extra cuddles from me. Hope he feels all better soon. ;)

[Vehs]

So??

Hope he's okay!

[kaywoman68]

I'm glad to hear he seems OK. Give him a big hug from me too!!!!! ;)

[BittyMooPeeb]

glad to hear that he seems to be OK ;)

You can relax tonight with some teabags of your own

[Mooper]

We're home :p

The poor boofer couldn't jump in the car when we left the vet's, he was still so groggy. The vet said "for a dog with such a calm exterior, he has a hell of a lot of spunk" ... they were going to lightly sedate him for the eye examination and ended up opting for full anaesthesia He wouldn't let them anywhere near his eye

On the plus side, his eye looks heaps better. There is no sign of trauma -- no scratching, no evident nasties -- so the vet thinks it was just a severe, sudden case of conjunctivitis.

He's on Amacin ointment three times a day and has antibiotics (2 tablets per day for 5 days). If his eye doesn't look normal within two or three days, we're under instructions to bring him back. But it looks so much better now that I think we'll be in the clear

The vet also said he's not contagious. I'm not sure how he knows that, but it's good news because it means we can still go sheepherding on the weekend. Although I'm wondering whether all that dust might be a bad idea ... Jack might be herding in his Doggles!

Jack sends snuggles to you all