Border Col
Daisy Has an Eye Problem
UNDERSTAND THE SIGNS THAT YOUR PET IS IN PAIN!
Hi newsletter friends! It’s your buddy Sam here, and today we’re going to talk about Animal Pain Awareness Month. Sometimes my human, Dr. Petersen, will start talking to me and asking if I’m okay when he notices me acting funny or not sticking to my daily routine. It’s hard for me and my other cat and dog friends to vocalize when we’re experiencing pain and discomfort. Although you may not be able to decipher various barks and meows, there are some behavioral symptoms you can look out for that can help you determine if your furry friend is in pain. Here are three signs you should know. Vocalizing For dogs: You may notice your canine groaning or grunting more often as they stand up or lay down. You could also hear them whining or whimpering as they get comfortable. For cats: Your feline could meow more than usual. They may also start purring when you usually wouldn’t expect them to. Cats could also growl or hiss if approached by their owner, other human family members, or other pets. Changes in Routine For dogs and cats: Four-legged friends can become more restless because they can’t find a comfortable place to lie down. They could have less energy, Pumpkin Spice Latte for Dogs
Dr. Green Took Care of Dachshund
Daisy is the sweetest senior dachshund who came in with Dr. Green and her team for an eye issue. Daisy’s family noted that she had been squinting her eye and that her eye was more red than normal.
Dr. Green began by performing a thorough physical exam, with specific focus on Daisy’s eye. Her eye was sensitive and reddened, she had some watery discharge, and she was sitting with her eye slightly closed, causing her third eyelid to be visible. So, Dr. Green performed basic vision testing. She then looked at her eye with magnification to make sure she didn’t have anything rubbing her eye such as an
eyelash out of place. Next, Dr. Green and her team performed a test called a fluorescein stain to check for corneal ulcers. The team first placed a few drops of the highlighter
yellow fluorescein stain into Daisy’s eye, flushed it with some eye wash, turned the lights off, and then looked at Daisy’s eye with a blue light. Unfortunately, her eye did glow from the stain, meaning that the stain was sticking to exposed underlying layers of the eye, ultimately diagnosing a corneal ulcer.
Corneal ulcers can be caused by multiple things including injury, conformation issues with the eye such as eyelids folding into the eye, eyelash disorders, dry eye, nerve paralysis, and infections. Pets with corneal ulcers may squint, have watery eye discharge, continually rub at their eyes, have red eyes, and/or have an elevated third eyelid. In Daisy’s case, we suspected that her ulcer could have been caused by trauma as she had been staying with several other pups while her owners were away on vacation.
With this information, Dr. Green elected to start Daisy on an antibiotic eye drop and pain medications. Another key component for eye ulcer healing is an E-collar,
or cone, to prevent Daisy from rubbing and pawing her eye, potentially further injuring it. Other things used to heal more complicated ulcers include plasma eye drops and topical medications to help with eye pain. Sometimes, veterinarians have to resort to surgical treatment of eye ulcers as well. Fortunately for Daisy, after a couple of weeks of her owners diligently applying eye drops and keeping the cone on, her eye healed up with no complications
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