Well today took an unexpected turn...

PugandTwoFrenchies · Aug 16, 2015

Last night I had noticed that Penelope's third eyelid had become irritated again, but normally it's more of a white color and swells, and then it goes away quickly on its own (I still give her Maxidex drops just in case).

However, this time her inner eyelid looked more red, I noticed that the white part of her eye was red, and she was squinting a bit, so I knew it was bothering her. I rushed her off to the vet this afternoon as a walk-in and got in quite quickly.

After the dye test it was confirmed; she scratched it. (I'm surprised it hasn't happened earlier, as her and her brother wrestle and race through the shrubs and trees like their butts are on fire)

So, the vet who was looking at her said that he's going to treat it like a corneal ulcer, and recommended that give her drops, then come back to see the opthamologist. Then he remembered that the opthamologist was actually in, so he took Penelope over to him to let him take a look.

They concurred, it's a scratch. But, the opthamologist wants to make sure that it's not some inner eyelashes causing it, so they asked if I could leave Penelope there so that the opthamologist can take a look at her in between appointments.

That was 3 hours ago. I'm going crazy!!! If it's her eyelashes (which I'm not confident it is... I think it's all of the rough housing that her and her brother do), then he'll have to remove them which means sedation or who knows what.

I just want her back home! I want to know what it is, and I want her back home.

I've been through corneal ulcers plenty of times with my pugs. It's not fun, but they've all healed from them. (My male scratched his eyeballs several times...ugh! I think the female I used to have had it a couple of times too)

My heart has been racing all day waiting for the phone to ring to hear the news and when I can go pick her up. Poor Penelope... I wasn't expecting to have to leave her there! I'm sure she's freaking out, as she's a bit of a scaredy-cat. I feel so bad for her.

eeturk · Aug 16, 2015

Poor P! Sending good thoughts your way. I know that twisted, sick feeling in your stomach when you're playing the waiting game with the vet. Hope you get some good answers soon!

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Tgirl · Aug 16, 2015

Poor baby. We will be hoping for the best. Please let us know what's going on when you find out.

2bullymama · Aug 16, 2015

Oh my... Sending hugs prayers and positives

Mavis · Aug 16, 2015

P&TF, I'm so sorry about Penelope. It is particularly hard when they have to stay overnight because you know all they want is to be home and you want that, too. Sounds like she is in good hands if that is any consolation. Hopefully, this will be just a minor blip and everything will go back to normal again tomorrow.

davidh · Aug 16, 2015

Poor girl, hope it's just a scratch and she will be better soon. I hope you get to pick her up soon too.

blushy · Aug 16, 2015

Aww! Still no news about Penelope?!

Poor girl! Eyes are tricky! When Isabelle got cherry eye I was so stressed out.

Hopefully it's just a scratch and you can bring her home! Although that still stinks anyway, she will be home!

[emoji173]️

Chiana · Aug 17, 2015

Oh no. The wait is the worst! I'm sure Penelope is in good hands and will be back home in no time.
They have most likely just being busy over there. Last time I took Mo to clinic in a rush (walk-in as well) they also kept him there for many hours.

How does the corneal ulcer normally look Iike?

Alice Kable · Aug 17, 2015

Paws crossed here for a speedy recovery!

PugandTwoFrenchies · Aug 17, 2015

UPDATE: I finally got to pick up Penelope at 6:30 pm last night, and the opthamologist confirmed that it is an ingrown eyelash that's causing the aggravation, so we'll have to remove it if it doesn't grow out on its own. (I booked a surgery date for this Sat. regardless)

So for now, we're giving her antibiotic drops and Tear Gel to lubricate the eyeball so that her lash doesn't cause any further irritation.

Total cost? $350.00 for the visit, the two meds, the fluorescent dye, and the pre-op blood work. The surgery itself will be around $500-600, as she'll have to go under. Just a quick procedure, but nevertheless, she can't be flailing about while the dr. is trying to laser off the eyelash and its root. I have Trupanion pet insurance... I'll be curious to see how much they'll cover.

Interestingly enough re: costs, I was charged $20 for Tear Gel when I know I can buy it in the SuperStore for $8. :nono: The drops were $42. Again, I'll bet you I can get it at the pharmacy for less. This particular hospital is not known for its reasonable prices. LOL But what do you do?

I can already see her eye has improved even within 24 hours. Not as red, so that's good.

(Sorry, I don't know how to tag people) [MENTION=1348]Chiana[/MENTION], an ulcer will look like a cloudy whitish/bluish color on the iris. On Penelope's you can see the bluish color towards the top. That's a general indication that they've nicked it. With my pugs, once the scratches have healed, a scar will remain on the cornea which looks kind of like a whitish color (you can only see it if you turn them the right way in a certain light, etc.)

The only real issue at this point is getting the drops into her eye. Boy, is she a fighter! I'm going to have to implement the 'towel restraint'...LOL Wrap her in a towel like a mummy so that she doesn't push my hand away. Still, she dodges with her head, so I always end up losing a few drops hoping that one of them eventually lands in the eyeball. (My male pug did the same thing... he eventually got used to it and was a total star when having to give him drops)

Good times! Her and Fergus are playing their usual tug o'war game now.

Chiana · Aug 17, 2015

Phew! Glad to hear your baby is back home and they found what was causing the issue. Sorry that it requires yet another visit, but at least then it will be sorted.
Yup, I can relate to your experience, sometimes caring these little guys it's like a tornado has swirling through the wallet

However, most important thing is to get them healthy and back in shape :whew:

Thanks for taking time to explain cornea ulcer. Mo has these strange whiteish cloudy circles in his eyes...probably caused by ramming the bushes. Hasn't been treated for those, but I have noticed them in certain light and keeping an eye for any changes.

Good luck for the operation and keep us posted!
we are also struggling here with drops...but for the ears :facepalm: I have to try that towel trick you mentioned! These guys sure can kick!

Tgirl · Aug 17, 2015

I'm glad she is back home and feeling some better. Sometimes Veterinary hospitals pay more for meds, etc than walmart or big pharmacies sell them for because the bigger companies buy so much they get a MUCH better price. I know my dogs insulin costs us $40 at work (our cost..what we pay the company) and Walmart sells it for $24. So..needless to say I buy it at Walmart. So, that might be why it's more pricey there.

PugandTwoFrenchies · Aug 17, 2015

Tgirl said:
I'm glad she is back home and feeling some better. Sometimes Veterinary hospitals pay more for meds, etc than walmart or big pharmacies sell them for because the bigger companies buy so much they get a MUCH better price. I know my dogs insulin costs us $40 at work (our cost..what we pay the company) and Walmart sells it for $24. So..needless to say I buy it at Walmart. So, that might be why it's more pricey there.

There is a chain of vet clinics/hospitals here in Calgary that are American owned, so that jacks up the prices, as well. (More hands in the money pot)

Just recently, the 24 hr emergency clinic I brought Penelope to finally stopped charging "emergency fees" on top of the regular consultation fee that you pay when seeing the vet. (The emergency fee was an extra $90!) People were outraged that they were being penalized for doing the right thing and bringing in their pets, so other 24 hours clinics opened in response and clearly advertised that they WEREN'T charging emergency fees.

Long story short, more competition made them clean up their act (a little bit). They may have taken away the emergency fee, but they charge higher prices for other things.

You just can't win. :fie:

Jakeyjake · Aug 17, 2015

Awww poor baby. I'm glad she is home and okay. I hate the waiting game too when my pups are at the vet.

Squishy Walnuts · Aug 18, 2015

Poor P!! I'm glad she's going to be OK. I went through this with my BT Uma and she almost lost her eye. Several thousands of dollars later (eep!) they managed to save her eye. She's had a few scratches on her eyes since thanks to her rough playing with Wally so now I have to separate them once they get too rowdy. I'm now quite the expert in giving eye drops to my dogs.