Sudden Blindness (Update 9/17/08) Vet Called Have 3 Options, Can you give me your opinions please.

glad to hear the pressure is going down!

 Thanks well I have to take Daisy back to the vets on tuesday to check her pressure again, like I told the vet I might as well live there lol Update you's again on tuesday wish her luck, her eye sight hasn't come back and she's almost out of all her meds but the specialist said it might take up to 3 weeks for her right eye to recover seeing how her pressure was so high but I don't think she'll ever see again I still have a little hope but not alot. I did notice that she is getting really aggressive when putting her eye drops in, my mom came to visit her and put her drops in and Daisy who never growled at her or even showed her teeth, did both to my mom, she's always showing her teeth and growling at me when I put her meds in now, I feel bad for her she's hating it as much as I am

Anyway back to this again on tuesday again wish us luck  

 Well once again we were at the vets to check the pressure in her eyes her bad with the lens floating is at 40 and her right eye is at 23 they both went down just one point, I had my 2 nieces with me no one else could watch them ( they were suppose to sit there and not talk while the vet was talking to me but didn't happen) anyway he told me he'll call me tomorrow after he speaks to the specialist, he's gonna see if we can get Daisy down to just a few meds or maybe just have to give her 1 med.

He did say he doesn't believe Daisy will get her eye sight back, he said that's his opinion and he knows the specialist has his own but he said he believes  the glaucoma has settle in and it is to late to save her eye sight in her right eye, he did say he will talk with the specialist about putting something in her left eye (didn't really get everything because I was hearing my 5yr old and 2yr old niece talking while the vet was trying to speak to me and they would not listen to me for anything) So I'll know more tomorrow on what's next he did say that it would cost almost $500 for what he wants to do, but I don't know.

Oh and they had to put a muzzle on Daisy today, he came into the room by himself as he always does and went to pick her up like he has been doing and she growled at him he moved back so quick and was in shock to see her do that I told him see what I mean now, she growled at him twice because he went to move back and I guess she sense that and he growled at him, he was wow I can't believe that she's been so good. So he had a tech come in and he put a muzzle over her and picked her up and placed her on the table  tech held her so he can get her reading. Thats all for now until the vet calls me tomorrow with what's next. 

 Poor Daisy... She's probably in so much stress now...

Totti and I are sending you some good vibes again! Good luck and keep us posted! 

Willow and I are keeping Daisy in our thoughts too!

I hope the Vet is wrong and the specialist is right about being able to save some vision.  Poor Daisy.  I think those drops must sting, my Lab hated her drops although she never growled or nipped, she would try and hide from me.  Makes you feel terrible since you can't explain to Daisy why she has to go through this.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.

 Thank you everyone, yes she is stressed out I feel so bad for her I know she hates getting the drops also all she wants to do is sleep and lay in her bed, really the only time she comes out of the room is to go outside to the bathroom which sometimes I have to force her to go out, and she comes out at dinner time when she hears us eating. Also from last week until yesterday it said Daisy lost about 2-3 pounds then she was a week ago, she really hasn't been eating I guess you could say she's probably depressed seeing how she doesn't want to do anything anymore.

Same here JackieG I am hoping the specialist is right for Daisy sake. I am still waiting on the vets call I am betting he calls me after closing hours at the office,so will update when he calls me.

Thanks again everyone it's time for her meds again oh what fun lol. Daisy loved to play soccer  she would catch the ball I'm gonna try and get her to play get her moving some.

 Well the vet called, he talked to the specialist and now they both agree that they don't think Daisy will be able to see ever again, the specialist said since her levels aren't going down fast enough her left eye was blind but the right eye we had hope but now I lost that hope, vet said there are 3 options 1 they go in and take fluid from both eyes he said it would cost $450 for one eye or $550 to do both eyes and that has to be done at the specialist, 2 is they remove both her eyes (which I do not want to do at all) and 3 keep her on the meds. My vet asked the specialist if we could ween Daisy off almost all the meds specialist said no because each one does something different.

He said if it was his dog he would try option 1 and remove some fluid but he also said that might not work either because the fluid could always some back. It's so hard I really don't want to remove both of Daisy's eyes not even one.

What would you's do??? Could you's give me your opinions on if it was your dog???Thanks  

I have heard that the high pressure in the eyes from glaucoma is very painful. That's probably why her behavior has changed. Personally I would have them taken out. With her having no vision she is also at risk of injuring her eyes.

If it were my dog, I would them removed because of the pain. If the appearance would bother you, I know they make prosthetic eyes for dogs.

This is a great website, talks about how painful the glaucoma is in dogs, and what your options are.

http://www.animaleyecare.net/diseases/glaucoma.htm

 Oh gosh I have no advice just sympathy and empathy - I feel so sad for Daisy and for you. I will keep you both in my thoughts and pray that you come to a decision that you are 100% comfortable with

Good luck and give her some loving for me 

 Thank you kpwlee and samshine, I am waiting on the specialist to call me back he went into surgery. But his tech said they have a really high success rate with taking the fluid out, they don't remove all the fluid some and then they put medicine in it or something like that, but the specialist will be calling I guess when he's day is over with.

I have been calling around for her meds 2 are really expensive Travatan is $85 and Azopt is $45 and everywhere I called no one ever heard of Demecarium Bromide. The other 3 drops are on the $4 so thats good.  I'm thinking to keep her on the drops for a few more weeks and hopefully her pressure goes down more, and then probably take the fluid out.

I know samshine said something she would be worried about her dog hurting her eyes not really worried about that I believe they will be fine without taking them out but I am worried about her breaking her head she bangs it so much when trying to get around the house. My mom's uncle was saying maybe we should put her down (which I will not do) because she had told him she lost about 2-3 pounds in just one week and said she's probably depressed which I said myself but don't think she needs to be put down I think if she was suffering really bad that would be an option but last option.

Well it's her meds time. Thank you for your prayers

daisyprincess

I am worried about her breaking her head she bangs it so much when trying to get around the house.

  I don't think she will do that so much once she adapts to losing her sight and learns to find her way around using her other senses, mostly her sense of smell. It's important not to move things around; it will make it easier for her to avoid bumping into things. There are books about helping blind dogs adjust. Here's an example;

  http://www.amazon.com/Living-Blind-Dogs-Resource-Training/dp/0967225302
  

One of the suggestions in the book is putting down carpet runners  and teaching the dog to walk on them.

 I'll be praying for you and Daisy; {{{{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} 

If it were my dog I would have the eyes removed.  The meds are painful and if they can't guarantee that removing fluid will be a permanent solution, why spend that money and put Daisey through more stress and trauma.  The cosmetic part is not something that would bother me personally but I totally understand if it would bother you or others in your family.  Daisey won't care if her eyes are removed as long as the pain is gone.  I'm sure she is depressed from all the stress and pain and of course she can sense how upset you are.  She will adapt to being blind and as I said in an earlier post my blind dog still played fetch with her tennis ball.  I would put the ball up to her face so she could smell it, hold her collar and then throw the ball.  She would run out and start hunting for it and of course she would find it by scent.  I was lucky to have an area of the yard that was open with no obstacles for her to run into.  She knew the yard and the house and most people didn't realize she was blind she got around so well.  Give her some time to adjust and she will be fine once the pain is gone.  Take her on leash walks if she doesn't seem too nervous about it, dogs sense of smell tells them more about their world than their sight.  This may help cheer her up.  Good vibes heading your way.

daisyprincess

My mom's uncle was saying maybe we should put her down (which I will not do) because she had told him she lost about 2-3 pounds in just one week and said she's probably depressed which I said myself but don't think she needs to be put down I think if she was suffering really bad that would be an option but last option.

Dogs really don't get depressed from losing their sight. They can be confused, but not depressed. It is a human trait to think about what we have lost but dogs just live in the moment and adapt very well. If she's not eating, it's because of the pain. I hope this does not sound harsh, you really do have my sympathies. If you go with the fluid reduction that should help her feel a lot better too. I just would not wait too long to do something.

I just know that the eye removal would be her best chance at being pain free. I don't think the prosthetic eyes are terribly expensive. If the fluid reduction does not work, you very likely would be going to this surgery in the future.

Did you look at that site I linked? It's very informative. Here is a quote.

Pain. Increased intraocular pressure is painful. Dogs, cats, and humans have normal intraocular pressures between 10 and 20 mmHg. Glaucoma often results in pressures of 20-28 mmHg in humans, but pressures of 45-65 mmHg are common in dogs and cats. For this reason, glaucoma in pets is more painful than glaucoma in humans. The pain persists in the form of a constant headache or migraine. This discomfort can result in decreased activity, less desire to play, irritability, or decreased appetite, and is often not apparent to the owner. Your pet will not tell you the eye is uncomfortable.

daisyprincess -- honestly, I know what Samshine and some of the others are saying is difficult.  I had a *very* similiar situation when Muffin the Intrepid lost his hearing and we had to have his ears removed.  I agonized over it for a YEAR. 

WHAT IF??  What if his ears were to get well?  If we remove them they can't!  WHAT IF ... what if he CAN hear something .. aren't i being mean?

 It came down to a point where we literally had to remove the ears or lose *him* to a potential abscess.  After the first ear was removed **I WAS SOOOOOO ashamed of myself**

Why?  Because I delayed so long.  *sigh*

He was SO much different after that surgery -- it was suddenly SO OBVIOUS how much intense *pain* he had been in for soooooo long.          Shoot, longer than we'd had him!  We had never *seen* him pain-free.  He was like a puppy again.   "whoo hooo I DON'T HURT!"

The second ear followed on in infection very soon after (his were allergy triggered -- it wasn't like glaucoma that is simply in both eyes) and I will *never EVER* forget the night he woke up in the middle of the night and began to SCREAM in pain.  The ear ache was back.

I scheduled the 2d ear's surgery THAT day.  It was sooner than they usually do them together (ear ablations are an enormous surgery -- far far far greater than the eye removal - like 4 hours each ear under anesthesia) but we didn't want to wait because he *****WAS in pain!!!****

To you, blindness is the worst thing in the world.  To a dog, honestly it is quite minor.  This dog isn't depressed over losing its sight.  It IS IN PAIN. 

The meds?  Frankly there are side effects long term -- and what on earth are you preserving?  **nothing**.  The eye damage is done.  Two vets agree. 

 Give her a break -- have the eyes removed and let her be OUT of pain.  She's telling you she hurts and she's scared **because** she hurts.  The eye drops HURT.   Why would continuing them even be an option?  Making her have further surgery to remove the fluid and continue eye drops that hurt?  WHY? 

Daisyprincess -- truly, please see it from her point of view.  The drops hurt.   The eyes don't see and are a source of pain.  It is within your grasp to relieve that pain permanently. 

Have you started to help her learn to live blind?  It's not impossible.  I've had several blind dogs (both Billy and Kee are rapidly becoming blind -- Kee has almost no sight at all any more -- I"m not just whistling in the dark here).  You just have to help them learn.

But right now -- your job as her 'mom' is to let her be without pain.  Truly -- if you examine your own reasons for wanting a miracle thru reducing the pressure it is likely because you think she *might* see.  But at what cost?  pain? 

She's a dog.  Dog's eyes are *not* nearly as good as ours.  They see very little ... but she has a nose!!  Teach her to 'see' with her nose.  It's do-able if she's not in so much pain that she can't think.

I'm not trying to be hard-hearted here.  I DO ... ohhhh I SO understand how you feel.  Because for a year I just couldn't even *imagine* having Muffin's ears removed.  It just seemed so mean. 

But on the other side of it -- when I realized how much pain *I* had put him thru by delaying?  I was completely ashamed of myself.  His BEST years were after those darned ears were gone.  He became our family "watch dog".  If Muffin said it was outside IT WAS.  The other dogs deferred to him because his sense of smell was SO acute they knew he left them in his dust. 

He was 6 -- and he grew in confidence **after** he was deaf.  Because he didn't hurt ANY more. 

 You can help her not hurt.  Really ... please consider this carefully.  We aren't trying to say mean and nasty things to you.  Your first responsibility to her is to keep her out of pain ... isn't it?