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.)