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Every person should watch this movie. Go here to do so:

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Your babies become my babies

I do some dog (and cat) sitting here and there, mainly for family and friends, but a few others as well. Since I work in animal care and with a lot of dogs specifically, I have an excellent grasp on the care needed, but also connecting with the dogs. The longest I cared for someone else's dog was a full month when they were WAY out of the country. The current care-giving has been nearly two weeks. And although this puts a slight stress on some of my own dogs (and cat) when the guests are younger and more energetic (all of my dogs are seniors), the dogs always incorporate into my household nicely.

I had a realization the other day when loving on the guest dogs: They totally trust me and show love immediately for caring for them. The look on their faces and in their eyes is priceless and I can't even fathom those who betray that trust. Dogs are so pure and really do make you feel like a better person just for providing for them.

When a dog enters my home, they do truly become mine while they are with me, no matter the length of stay. Their parents should feel great relief in that, for that level of commitment can be hard to find.

 

 

 

Jasper & Joey take over the couch. (Photo credit: Me.)

Mine don't care too much: Calin took over THEIR bed. LOL. (Photo credit: Me.)

The Story Of An Eye (part three - finale)

Long delay in updating, I know! So, on with the “story”: The conclusion.

Back to more rechecks. I took Mona all the way to Columbus for one of the first rechecks since the melting corneal ulcer was diagnosed. The eye not only had the ulcer, but there was a small area where the cornea was so thin that the specialist said the eye could start leaking fluid/blood, meaning the eye would no longer be viable. What’s more, she was not sure the eye had vision anymore. We would hold out hope, though.

The next recheck, the eye/ulcer was looking better and there was a slim chance Mona still had vision in the eye. However, the following week, a different eye specialist working that day didn’t think so. Since this was the first time I had seen this particular specialist and wasn’t very “impressed” with her as much as the other two, I didn’t let that completely dash my hopes. More rechecks and the result was what I didn’t want to hear: Mona’s vision, which had been restored by the surgery, was now gone in that eye. More so, and this is the kicker, that thin area was still at risk of giving, so the eye needed to be removed completely. As a matter of fact, the eye was starting to atrophy, so the body was more or less trying to absorb the now un-functioning structure. Luckily, my own vet could do that, saving me money and Mona a trip to Columbus.

No more left eye, right after surgery. (Photo credit: Me.)

It's a big bummer for two main reasons: 1) Mona did get her vision back in the eye for awhile. I chose to go for the surgeries with the mindset that, as a Chihuahua, she could easily live to her 20s and therefore had half her life left to live. To do that with full vision really was the most optimal for her well-being. To have her get her sight back and then lose it again really sucked. 2) I spent A LOT of money on the surgeries and aftercare. Money wasn't going to totally dis-sway me. I would do anything for my babies. But, it was extremely disappointing because of the final result. 

That being said, Mona is great. She's adjusted to only partial vision just fine. I always make sure she knows what's coming from that blind side, though. The last thing I want is for her to develop any anxiety from things startling her because she didn't see something coming.

"I don't need no stinkin' eye . . ." (Photo credit: Me.)

 

The Story Of An Eye (part two)

Getting Mona’s cataract and glaucoma surgeries done was going to be tricky since she had to go to Columbus for it and I had a very hectic work schedule around that time. Luckily, my city’s emergency clinic would transport her to Columbus for a fee. I jumped on that option and took her in early (we’re talking 5:30 AM) on a Monday in September last year. Her surgeries were Tuesday and she would have to stay for at least three days to have her eye pressure checked regularly. This in and of itself was stressful for me, not having my dog, but I could only imagine how it was for Mona. At least I knew what was going on. All she knew was she was away from home with strangers.

Her surgeries went good and the specialist was confident eye sight had been restored. But, her eye pressure started going up. Evidently they go conservative with lasering glaucoma (you can go back in but you can’t put it back), so after spending the weekend at the hospital, I was told they had to go back in. After that, her eye pressure was good. Eleven days later, I get my dog back in an ecollar and on five different eye meds, some which were to be given four times a day, and two oral meds. 

Surgery was on her left eye. (Photo credit: Me.)

She would have rechecks every week to two weeks for a little while to ensure everything was healing nicely and the eye pressure was good. And it was. I got the go-ahead to take off her ecollar, although meds would continue for awhile. I left the ecollar on one more day, then took it off. Then, the following Monday when I got home from work, she was squinting. By Tuesday, I could tell she had a corneal ulcer. Ecollar: Back on (to her dismay). Upon recheck, diagnosis: Melting corneal ulcer (basically meaning infected).

Oh boy. 

Melting corneal ulcer. (Photo credit: Me.)

How will this story end? Stay tuned for the final installment of "The Story Of An Eye".

The Story Of An Eye (part one)

Back in June, I had a dental and skin biopsies done on my long-haired Chihuahua, Mona. She had had some fur loss in some places for a little while and her normally big, fluffy tail was lacking. Little did I know at the time that her skin and coat issues (hormone-related) would be the least of her problems.

Shortly after those procedures, I noticed what looked to be a cataract forming in Mona’s left eye. Bummer, but not too unusual for an 11 year old Chihuahua. However, it popped up so fast that it just baffled me. Nonetheless, after keeping an eye on the eye (har har), I finally consulted with my vet about it. In looking at it in passing (I was there for one of my other dogs and Mona was along for the ride, as always), he suggested consulting with an eye specialist. My thinking is it caught his eye (har har) as being more than a cataract. And it was. She was now at least largely blind in that eye (I HAD noticed some missteps on her part). But, she also had glaucoma, causing higher than normal pressure of the eye. This meant surgery. A whoppingly expensive surgery. The good news was that there was a large chance that her vision would be restored in the eye. So, being the dog (and cat) mom that I am, I swallowed the shock of the estimate and went for it. That’s what credit cards are for, right? Plus, I have pet insurance for her, so I was hoping to recoup some back. However, the story didn’t end with the surgery. Nor did the financial and emotional toll end there, either. 

Stay tuned for part two of "The Story Of An Eye".

Mona before any eye troubles. (Photo credit: Me.)