Dog with corneal ulcer. Need advice for cone and eye drops.
August 27, 2022 11:50 AM Subscribe
I thought my Shi Tzu had a mild eye infection, but it is a corneal ulcer. He now has to wear a cone and I have to do eye drops every 2-3 hours all day and night. Surely some of you have had a similar experience. Any tips?
Dexter (previously, with cough), has been on Hydrocodone and oral steroids for chronic bronchitis. Also may have Cushings (per the second opinion vet). (Steroids make Cushings worse but nothing else helped with the worsening cough which is now nearly noexistent). Vets don't know if hydrocodone effectiveness wanes over time in dogs, and he's been on it a few months. Maybe it's helping with any eye pain because he has been acting like himself. Admittedly, himself is a grumpy guy.
We just got home with the cone. He can't seem to reach anything on the floor (dropped snack, for instance) and I don't think he could drink from his water bowl. He seems so very unhappy, but the ulcer won't have any chance to heal if he rubs it with his foot, or into the carpet. (He may have gotten it from rubbing his face into the carpet, which he does a lot because he gets a lot of eye crust.)
Because he is short, the front of the (relatively small) cone hits the floor when he tries to sniff something on the floor. Sniffing things on the floor and outside is one of his favorite activities. It must be terrible to have to adjust your whole sense of personal space.
I guess we're just going to have to do the best we can. Any ideas to make him more comfortable? I figure I'll have to feed him by hand and get him to drink somehow. (Also the steroids make him want to drink and pee more ugh).
After all that I have to give him an eye drop every 2-3 hours. I guess just keep resetting an alarm on my phone? It's just me here so I won't be waking anyone .
Oh yeah, so if it doesn't work he'll need a corneal graft. The vet actually said he has no current signs of glaucoma but his eye showed no blood vessels which would suggest his body was trying to heal the ulcer. Have you had a dog go through that?
Tax, with cone. No cone.
Dexter (previously, with cough), has been on Hydrocodone and oral steroids for chronic bronchitis. Also may have Cushings (per the second opinion vet). (Steroids make Cushings worse but nothing else helped with the worsening cough which is now nearly noexistent). Vets don't know if hydrocodone effectiveness wanes over time in dogs, and he's been on it a few months. Maybe it's helping with any eye pain because he has been acting like himself. Admittedly, himself is a grumpy guy.
We just got home with the cone. He can't seem to reach anything on the floor (dropped snack, for instance) and I don't think he could drink from his water bowl. He seems so very unhappy, but the ulcer won't have any chance to heal if he rubs it with his foot, or into the carpet. (He may have gotten it from rubbing his face into the carpet, which he does a lot because he gets a lot of eye crust.)
Because he is short, the front of the (relatively small) cone hits the floor when he tries to sniff something on the floor. Sniffing things on the floor and outside is one of his favorite activities. It must be terrible to have to adjust your whole sense of personal space.
I guess we're just going to have to do the best we can. Any ideas to make him more comfortable? I figure I'll have to feed him by hand and get him to drink somehow. (Also the steroids make him want to drink and pee more ugh).
After all that I have to give him an eye drop every 2-3 hours. I guess just keep resetting an alarm on my phone? It's just me here so I won't be waking anyone .
Oh yeah, so if it doesn't work he'll need a corneal graft. The vet actually said he has no current signs of glaucoma but his eye showed no blood vessels which would suggest his body was trying to heal the ulcer. Have you had a dog go through that?
Tax, with cone. No cone.
Take the cone off for feeding time and supervise him directly. Then put the cone back on. You might also be able to give the dog a break from the cone if he’s willing to be a literal lap dog and you can catch him before he scratches or rubs.
posted by charmedimsure at 1:11 PM on August 27, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by charmedimsure at 1:11 PM on August 27, 2022 [5 favorites]
I think a different kind of cone, maybe an inflatable, or fabric. They come in a few different sizes, so maybe bring your pal with you to a pet store to pic one out.
When my boy needed one, our groomer found one that fit perfect, it kept his paws off his face but he could still drink and sniff.
posted by Marky at 1:16 PM on August 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
When my boy needed one, our groomer found one that fit perfect, it kept his paws off his face but he could still drink and sniff.
posted by Marky at 1:16 PM on August 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
The inflatable donut style collar is much better for my dog than the cone. Cone: can't reach treats, can't reach water, scary plastic noise. Donut: a pillow wherever you go.
posted by phunniemee at 1:38 PM on August 27, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 1:38 PM on August 27, 2022 [3 favorites]
Re: the corneal graft, I don't want to sound heartless, but my mum coped perfectly well with one eye for over 75 years. If you have the means to provide the surgery that's awesome, but I would consider it a treatment, not a necessity.
posted by kate4914 at 3:13 PM on August 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by kate4914 at 3:13 PM on August 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
OK, I just Googled [transparent dog muzzle], then [transparent dog eye protection], and discovered that goggles for dogs are a thing.
I don't know if you could get them to stay on, or if you could find ones that would stay on, but you should be able to find ones that you could modify to stay on. Also.... if you do this, you have to post more photos. Please.
If it were me, I'd probably be sitting down with an inexpensive muzzle to cut out the mouth part and attach pieces of clear plastic bottle (edges sanded and/or blunted and/or coated with a margin of Sugru) and vinyl straps... very carefully, to avoid strangulation risks. Oh, and I'd definitely be searching for DIY dog muzzle patterns and instructions.
Oh yeah, Sugru! I bet you could make some cool doggie goggles using a bunch of Sugru and some kind of plastic lens. Make sure there is ventilation around the eye area, too.
posted by amtho at 3:40 PM on August 27, 2022
I don't know if you could get them to stay on, or if you could find ones that would stay on, but you should be able to find ones that you could modify to stay on. Also.... if you do this, you have to post more photos. Please.
If it were me, I'd probably be sitting down with an inexpensive muzzle to cut out the mouth part and attach pieces of clear plastic bottle (edges sanded and/or blunted and/or coated with a margin of Sugru) and vinyl straps... very carefully, to avoid strangulation risks. Oh, and I'd definitely be searching for DIY dog muzzle patterns and instructions.
Oh yeah, Sugru! I bet you could make some cool doggie goggles using a bunch of Sugru and some kind of plastic lens. Make sure there is ventilation around the eye area, too.
posted by amtho at 3:40 PM on August 27, 2022
Response by poster: Thank you, amtho, but I am not a DIYer in the best of times. We went to Petsmart and I got an inflatable one. He's also sitting by me and not touching his eye, so I'm leaving it off for now. I think I'll probably put it on overnight when I'm sleeping. I hope he will be able to lie down comfortably.
kate4914, for sure. In fact I asked the vet about removing the eye before he has an ulcer that ruptures, but the vet said that is not a good option, that it is a terrible surgery. Terrible for the dog? Terrible for the surgeon? He made a big deal out of not wanting to lose the eye. I didn't ask, but I will see what the other vet on Tuesday says. I don't know if his comment was financially motivated. It was my first time seeing this vet. I know I have seen a lot of one-eyed dogs that seem perfectly happy.
But maybe he won't need any of that. I hope these antibiotic drops will clear up this problem, though apparently the Cushings means he has a higher likelihood of getting the ulcers.
Happier boi, before the troubles.
Wet from bath, in simpler times.
posted by Glinn at 4:31 PM on August 27, 2022
kate4914, for sure. In fact I asked the vet about removing the eye before he has an ulcer that ruptures, but the vet said that is not a good option, that it is a terrible surgery. Terrible for the dog? Terrible for the surgeon? He made a big deal out of not wanting to lose the eye. I didn't ask, but I will see what the other vet on Tuesday says. I don't know if his comment was financially motivated. It was my first time seeing this vet. I know I have seen a lot of one-eyed dogs that seem perfectly happy.
But maybe he won't need any of that. I hope these antibiotic drops will clear up this problem, though apparently the Cushings means he has a higher likelihood of getting the ulcers.
Happier boi, before the troubles.
Wet from bath, in simpler times.
posted by Glinn at 4:31 PM on August 27, 2022
Dexter looks like a good boy!
Do the donut inflatables block an eye rub? We used one when we got our dog spayed, but I would think she still would have been able to get to her eye with a paw. Maybe the cone at night?
Though, our dog was bigger. But, dogs, they are clever…
posted by Windopaene at 5:28 PM on August 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
Do the donut inflatables block an eye rub? We used one when we got our dog spayed, but I would think she still would have been able to get to her eye with a paw. Maybe the cone at night?
Though, our dog was bigger. But, dogs, they are clever…
posted by Windopaene at 5:28 PM on August 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
Not sure if you are looking for tips on eye drops, but I found this video really helpful when training our dog to be okay with eye drops.
posted by imelcapitan at 6:21 PM on August 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by imelcapitan at 6:21 PM on August 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
My (pug) dog suffered from a corneal ulcer. Had the ulcer not healed, my vet recommended enucleation over the corneal graft. The vet made the graft sound worse to me. Also the graft would cost 5-6x the cost of the enucleation. Interesting that I got different recommendations on treatment protocols.
My dog healed with drops only 3x daily. He was in pain and was refusing drops so I had them administered at the vet. They got the job done. Administering drops 8-12 times a day sounds like a complete nightmare. Do feel free to negotiate with the vet and come up with a treatment regimen that works for you. I really learned how to advocate for my personal needs as a pet owner though that ulcer experience.
Personally I would leave the cone on and take it off at mealtimes under direct supervision and for hands-on cuddle time. Yes the dog will be depressed at other time but hopefully that’s only a few minutes before sleeping. I’ve grown to appreciate the cone as it frees me from the responsibility of monitoring the injury site. Caring for a sick pet is stressful and any tool to lower my stress is much appreciated.
A few sessions a day of 2 minute cone-free cuddles will boost everyone’s mood. Make this a priority, I really noticed this making a difference when managing a sick pet.
posted by shock muppet at 10:59 PM on August 27, 2022 [3 favorites]
My dog healed with drops only 3x daily. He was in pain and was refusing drops so I had them administered at the vet. They got the job done. Administering drops 8-12 times a day sounds like a complete nightmare. Do feel free to negotiate with the vet and come up with a treatment regimen that works for you. I really learned how to advocate for my personal needs as a pet owner though that ulcer experience.
Personally I would leave the cone on and take it off at mealtimes under direct supervision and for hands-on cuddle time. Yes the dog will be depressed at other time but hopefully that’s only a few minutes before sleeping. I’ve grown to appreciate the cone as it frees me from the responsibility of monitoring the injury site. Caring for a sick pet is stressful and any tool to lower my stress is much appreciated.
A few sessions a day of 2 minute cone-free cuddles will boost everyone’s mood. Make this a priority, I really noticed this making a difference when managing a sick pet.
posted by shock muppet at 10:59 PM on August 27, 2022 [3 favorites]
Not a dog, but one of our cats went through two rounds of eye surgery and: the first day in the cone was definitely the worst and made us feel terrible about putting him through it. But he did adjust to it fairly quickly after that: less and less accidentally clonking it into things.
For us the trick to food & water was small-ish raised bowls that Jake could access by tipping his head down so that the cone encircled the bowl. It took him a few tries to get this right at first, but he learned.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:27 PM on August 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
For us the trick to food & water was small-ish raised bowls that Jake could access by tipping his head down so that the cone encircled the bowl. It took him a few tries to get this right at first, but he learned.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:27 PM on August 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
In fact I asked the vet about removing the eye before he has an ulcer that ruptures, but the vet said that is not a good option, that it is a terrible surgery. Terrible for the dog? Terrible for the surgeon? He made a big deal out of not wanting to lose the eye.
I (a human) had a corneal ulcer maybe 15 years ago, and frankly this is like saying “he has a really nasty scrape on his knee and administering the antibiotics is a huge pain, should I have his leg cut off?”
My corneal ulcer took maybe a week to treat with drops, and healed so well that now eye doctors can’t tell it happened at all unless I tell them. Your dog’s condition may be a pain in the ass currently, but it’s not permanent - and if, as you say, he is prone to these, how will you feel if you have his eye removed and then his other one gets infected?
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:01 AM on August 28, 2022
I (a human) had a corneal ulcer maybe 15 years ago, and frankly this is like saying “he has a really nasty scrape on his knee and administering the antibiotics is a huge pain, should I have his leg cut off?”
My corneal ulcer took maybe a week to treat with drops, and healed so well that now eye doctors can’t tell it happened at all unless I tell them. Your dog’s condition may be a pain in the ass currently, but it’s not permanent - and if, as you say, he is prone to these, how will you feel if you have his eye removed and then his other one gets infected?
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:01 AM on August 28, 2022
Response by poster: showbiz_liz, I never said I wasn't trying the antibiotics first. That is what I am doing right now. That is what this question is about. Obviously I hope it works with an excellent outcome like you had. But if it does not work, then decisions will have to be made, because the ulcer may grow and eventually rupture which is extremely painful, not to mention horrifying, and he loses the eye anyway.
posted by Glinn at 11:29 AM on August 28, 2022
posted by Glinn at 11:29 AM on August 28, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Glinn at 12:47 PM on August 27, 2022