Posting here for traffic - need urgent opinions about my lovely Dog :-(

[Huskylover1]

I have posted in the doghouse section, but no replies, so posting here for traffic.

We have an awful predicament. Our dog is 8 years old. She suffered Glaucoma when she was 3 years old, and after treating the "bad" eye with multiple drops a day for 18 months, she had to have that eye removed (the tissue started to die).

On 22nd December, she walked in to a wall, and we knew something was wrong with her "good" eye. We got her to the vets and the pressure in her eye was too high, meaning that the Glaucoma had now hit her "good" eye, so she was hospitalised. She came home a few days later, and amazingly a week later had her sight back! Felt truly blessed!

She was placed on a treatment plan of about 11 drops a day. With a plan to gradually decrease this, as things stabilized. Thankfully, I work from home!

Anyway, since then she's had 2 more relapses (pressure in the eye too high). This is very painful. She was admitted again yesterday, to be placed on 2 IV drips. One reduces the pressure in the eye, the other hydrates her organs.

So, this is her 3rd admission and hooking up to IV's, since 22nd December. The vet says that with 3 admissions in 6 weeks, the prognosis for the eye doesn't look good, ie. she will be blind forever now, and we have 2 options :

1)Remove the remaining eye
2) Put to sleep

She is home now (picked her up this afternoon), and we don't have to make this decision until her next relapse. This could be tomorrow/next week/next month, no idea. The pressure will spike, she will be in pain, and we will have to quickly decide what to do.

I am not sure that I can see her with two sewn up eye sockets! It feels cruel. She is a magnificent beast, a black and white husky with bright blue eyes (well, she did have). She's a real hunter. Loves running wild off the lead and playing fetch, both of which will now be off the menu.

DH thinks we should remove the eye and see how she copes, but this is another major Op, and when we got the first eye out it was horrendous, she had a bad bleed and her whole face was matted in blood. I am thinking it would be kinder to PTS. I don't think it's fair to put her through another major Op, just to buy another 4 years (till her life expectancy), which would be a life of no sight and effectively no communication, as she can't speak!

That's the predicament....very grateful for any views.

I know a very happy jack Russel who has Been blind for years. I'm sorry you have to make this decision.

Hopefully today all you'll be focusing on will be a very waggy tail as she realises you're there again. She'll probably be fine once she's home again and has worked it out. Don't forget that dogs rely on their noses and their ears a lot too (or certainly that's how it seems whenever I'm cooking or ease the fridge door open silently!) so losing her eyes is probably miles harder on you than on her. She'll likely be more confused why she's getting more cuddles than usual and why you keep sobbing on her... It'll be okay. You just need to get her home and get used to how she looks now.

I think another aspect OP is worrying about is how she'll cope with her dog's eyes after the operation.

Please don't see it as disfigurement, OP, she's still your lovely dog.

Husky put away the asthetics, hopefully it will grow on you and you will get used to it. The main thing is, is your dog happy and enjoying life. Please focus on the positives, its a new and different life, she is still your dog underneath. Would you do that to say your dh if he became blind, no he is still your dh underneath. If after a while, your dog is not enjoying life than you can have her PTS, if she is and is happy, than let her live her life. I could not put my otherwise healthy dog to sleep, just because I cannot stand seeing her after her eye op. That is your issue, not hers! I am so sorry to be blunt. Give your dog that chance, and see how it goes. Mabey go for counselling too, if that will help you to cope with her disability.

"I actually cannot bear what tomorrow will bring - picking her up, with 2 fucking sewn up eyes, I just want to run away."

When you pick her up, and you speak, she will look at you. She doesn't need her eyes to look at you ... she will see you with every fibre of her being ... she will know you with every cell of her body.

And she will need you ... don't turn away from her, because she would see that too. You're her world.

She's still your dog.

Upthread , the OP mentions looking after other dogs in the house, which might potentially bump her lovely DDog (which when she's recuperating and trying to replot her environment isn't ideal) She'll likely need to be kept away from them while she regains her strength and her bearings.

OP- I agree with most others, I'd have PTS . But the surgery is done and the way I look at it - she had limited vision and potential pain.
Now she has no vision but no pain.

She is still your dog yes, but only time will tell if she wants to live this life. You've given her a lot of times, care and expensive Vet treatment. I'm hoping the Vet recomended this surgery in the best interest of your Husky.

If it isn't , then you have done your absolute upmost and you take that final journey.
Once she's home, you can decide, to your lovely girl.

How are you getting on OP? Is she home yet? How are you feeling? I've been thinking of you

Hope all is well

Personally I would give her a chance. I know a few dogs that are totally blind and cope very well - still able to run around off lead in large open areas and perfectly happy. One still plays fetch like a demon with a bell ball.

There are some excellent tips on caring for a blind dog here

Huge hugs to you OP. What an awful weekend for you all. I really hope she is doing well after surgery and you and DH are okay xxxxxx

Sorry link fail. If you Google Blind Dog Rescue UK and go to the download section you'll find a document on caring for blind dogs

I sort of understand the whole aesthetics aspect, one of mine has the most beautiful eyes, but honestly, OP, this is not about you and how you feel. It's about the dog and the responsibility you have towards her, as well as your relationship with your DH, which will suffer if you get pissed and cry about how the dog will look, ffs. Is she happy, healthy, able to adapt?

It's a bloody tough draw, but having other dogs will help. Take time to reinforce her recall. Stick a bell on her once she's off lead again, if you let her. I know a husky owner who swears they should never be off lead!

I think in all honesty I would Pts. Quality of life is in question with each episode. I say this as someone who has recently stopped chemo for my 10 year old dog as it was becoming too much and he had started to become resistant to the treatment which I kind if what's happening to yours when the drops don't stop a pressure spike. He is with us but I know it's not for much longer, enjoy the time you have but don't be scared when the time comes xx

Goodgrief the dog's had the operation.

Husky I hope she's recovering well, I've no experience with blindness (in dogs at least) but some more experienced posters advice seems very positive.

In regards to looks, my great uncles Alsatian escaped and ended up getting burnt really badly. Half his fur just looked like black tar, it was strange at first but in the end no one really seemed to notice it. I know blindness is completely different I'm just talking about the actual looks side of things as it seems to be what your finding upsetting.

Everyone loved that dog, on one memorable occasion my great uncle ended up in a bit of a altercation over him. He was 70 odd at the time but like I said he really loved that dog.

Oh no! Poor lady. Hugs to you whatever you decide. I think I would be very sadly saying my goodbyes.

i wouldnt PTS couldnt do it at only 8

I'm s vet nurse and I think the op is worth it. Dogs manage very well indeed without sight. In canines the sense of smell is the predominant one not sight. ( that said, even cats get along well without sight) in the house you'll be surprised as to how quickly she gets used to furniture placement etc. The look she'll give you if she bumps into something you've moved is very comical! She won't be able to free run in new areas anymore but keep up the free running in safe, known areas and you won't know she has no sight. And the dogs you lol after will know. And she'll become more forceful at her space. Glaucoma is hideously painful. Had a relative with it and he was in agony. I'd get the op sooner than later. It'll be easier to come back from if she is well and the eye hasn't deteriorated too much. Good luck

How is she op?

OP I hope you have your girl back home now and have come to terms that she's still your lovely dog who loves you dearly. She won't care that she looks any different.

I would have had the operation and given her a chance, and I do think it's important that everyone is in agreement about PTS. Hope she is recovering well

Hi OP. I'm so sorry your and your pup are going through this. Can I just ask was this a Husky thing? Are they prone to it. We have a cream and white boy and he has congenital cataracts in both eyes. He is slightly blind (he comes over as a bit dopey/not concentrating) but our vet says it's not bad enough yet to warrant a corrective operation. Are the two linked or is it just very bad luck for your boy? Who sounds like a dream by the way. There is no way mine could ever be let off the lead although my husband is a keen runner and takes him on a horse lung line so he has good runs.

So sorry you and your ddog have had to go through all this. Reading this thread has made me give my boy and extra cuddle tonight. He is the same age as your dog too

Hi all. Thanks so much for the advice and support.

She came home from the Operation yesterday morning. She really didn't cope well, at all. She cried a lot, and she NEVER cries. Even in the past, when the pressure was high (and therefore she was in pain), she never cried.

We walked her, gave her all day, but at tea time we decided enough was enough.

We went back to the vets, and she passed away in our arms last night.

I can't eat much. Nor DH. We went to Asda afterwards, and wandered round looking for something to cook for dinner. Came away with bread and scones, they seemed the easiest to stomach. We only managed half a scone each for dinner. And we hadn't had lunch either.

My worry, is that we put her through the Operation for nothing, and that we shouldn't have. But it's a double edged sword, because DH wanted to throw everything at it, to give her a chance. And if we hadn't, he would always have wondered if we gave up too soon.

fourkids It was Glaucoma she had, and yes the breed are prone to it. Didn't know this, until it actually happened to her though.

We had two lovely huskies and putting our girl to sleep was the hardest thing ever. She was incontinent, had a large tumour on her leg and had developed fly strike... she could have lived longer but her quality of life was hard.

What ever you do you will second guess yourself, but think about what your husky loves to do... what pain will they go through and what will they still be able to enjoy if blind?