Buster's Eye Injury

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

My son came into town for a visit and tried to introduce his pointer mix pup Calvin who is about a year old to my Peke Buster. 20-20 hindsight, I should have told him to wait until I got home from work, but didn't - so I get the phone call "Ma, who is your vet? ". Buster had gone after Calvin, latching onto his face and Calvin pushed him away with his paw. If Buster had a snout, it would have been fine. Instead, Calvin's paw hit Buster's eye which began to swell and discolor. Its 4:30 on a Friday afternoon, I 'm a good 40 min. away from home. My son heads to the vet and I packed up what I was working on (on deadline, of course) and head there too. I wasn't even half-way home when he called from the vet's to say that he needed to go to the emergency vet hospital. The vet on call (not one of the usuals) said he had glaucoma and he didn't have the right medications to treat it. None of that made sense, but I changed course from S-SW to due south and got to the hospital before them. I hadn't been there for several years but was relieved to see a familiar face at the desk - Claudia who assists at the training facility where I get their nails trimmed each month who knows Buster's feisty personality very well.

Dr Braun at the hospital examined him and was surprised that my regular vet's office didn't sew the eyelid shut but he didn't want to re-sedate him so he kept him overnight for observation. He called me Sat AM to advise that the eye was swelling again and he wanted to suture it. I picked Buster up at 2:30 PM and he was groggy and docile all afternoon and evening. He's not much for sitting in my lap, but he wanted to be picked up so I held him in my arms . I couldn't see his face over the e-collar, but knew from the snoring that he had dozed off. I let him nap for an hour or so then put him on the rug. He had trouble finding a way to lay down comfortably at first.

Its raining like crazy here with strong winds - a real nor'easter - so pottying has not been fun. He let me carry him up & down the stairs last night and did some business in the yard despite not being able to get his snub nose near the ground to sniff for a good spot. We spent the night in the living room - Buster and I together on the couch and Josh on the easy chair where I put him.

This AM the fun began as the pain meds wore off. He was growly when I tried to pick him up but since he has the e-collar on, I just ignored it but kept reminding myself not to put my face in his.They gave me Metacam liquid for him. I think I got half a dose into his snapping jaws - the rest is on the e-collar.

Since coming home he hasn't been interested in eating at all so I went to the supermarket this AM and bought him some steak and some hamburger patties. I grilled the steak on the George Foreman and fed him a few pieces. After he wolfed those down, I put a half dose of Metacam on a piece. Eureka ! The medication problem is resolved. I poured the juices from the steak on his kibble and he ate some of that too.

I called my pet sitter on the way home from the hospital to give her a heads up and so I wouldn't have to write a long note of explanation to her tomorrow AM. I will probably have to work 10 hours tomorrow, so I'm thinking about maybe taking him with me so I can keep an eye on him.

This is going to be a verrry long 10 days until those sutures come out and his vision is evaluated.

[Tammie]

1. OMG What an ordeal

I hope everything works out for Buster. You're right....it's going to be a loooong 10 days for the both of you. I hope he's feeling a little better. Sounds like he's getting the best TLC. Good luck to you and little Buster and keep us posted!

[egadsbrain]

2. What about the glaucoma?

Was it just an injury or did the first vet find glaucoma too? Sounds like the on-call/weekend/emergency vet syndrome. Gone are the days when you could just call your vet and actually get... your vet!

Poor Buster! I'm a cat-person, but have great respect and admiration for pekes. Damned independent little guys!

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

3. The vet at the Emergency Hospital said there

was no glaucoma - it was swelling from trauma. His eye was popping out of the socket and tearing away from the optic nerve.

I was very disapppointed with the quality of care from the on-call vet and will let the regular vet know when we are there for suture removal. I've recommended my vets to many people and had positive feedback from them. One had taken her dog to the Emergency Hospital and was told $3000 for treatment of a leg inury or put the dog down. My vet did the surgery for about a third of that with an excellent outcome. Unfortunately, when its an after-hours emergency , you're stuck with whoever you can get.

[ernstbass]

4. I hope you and Buster are hanging in there!

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

5. Poor Buster has dire-rear

The vet thinks it was the hamburger and steak, I thought it was the pain med Metacam. Whatever caused it, the poor guy has bloody stools now. Vet said to mix a little of the meat with rice, so I cooked some brown rice for him last night and mixed it with a little meat and some of his regular kibble that I had moistened with warm water. I was surprsed when he actually ate it.

I'm exhausted from cleaning him and the floors, washing the throw rugs, "sleeping" with one eye open to catch him if he needs to go outside ( he's never quite figured out that he needs to let me know that he has an urgent need), hand feeding him since he can't quite get that snout into the bowl, wiping his whiskers for him after he eats, etc., etc. This would be a whole lot easier if I could have taken time off from work this week

The eye still looks swollen - it bulges a little more than the other one. We go to the vet Tues for suture removal and vision test. What kind of eye chart do you think they use for dogs ? Assorted bones or biscuits facing in different directions ?

[egadsbrain]

6. Fortune cookies and egg rolls for the peke!

The stress from the e-collar can't be helping either with the pooper problems. Have you ever tried slippery elm syrup for diarrhea? I find it works wonders with my cats and it doesn't taste bad at all. You take 5 or 6 capsules, empty them into about 1/4 cup boiling water and stir. By the time it's cooled it's nice and thick. It keeps for about a week in the fridge. 1cc per 10 pounds twice a day makes the whole GI tract more comfortable. Doesn't conflict with other meds or special diets and some furkids actually like it. Hope Buster's next vet appt. goes well!
:hi:

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

7. I hadn't heard of using slippery elm

I been giving him acidophilus. He is eating the brown rice
and as of this AM his BM's were firmer.

I know he was feeling better yesterday because he brought a toy to me when I came home. Even with the e-collar on, he is managing to pick up toys.