[ChiChi's Mom]

Yesterday was a horrible day. I was getting ready to take my daughter to work at about 6:45 am, the dogs were all doing their normal stuff. My daughter's Dachshund, Otto and her Chihuahua, Rico were playing on the couch when I heard a horrible screech and found poor Rico with his eye dislocated and Otto trying to lick him and comfort him. It freaked me out because I know it is an emergency and where I live there are NO emergency vets. My daughter has to call her vet and the soonest he could be seen was 8 am. To make the long story short, they had to put him under anesthesia and replace the eye and suture the lid shut for3 weeks. We have meds for him to take orally and to be put in his eye (the left the tiniest bit in the corner open so he could have his drops and ointment) and we go back in 3 weeks to see if he will retain sight in the eye or if he will even be able to keep the eye. It ticks me off that he had to wait for over an hour to be seen because none of the vet clinics in this area provide after hours care. Oh, and to add insult to injury, while he was under for his eye they went ahead and neutered him! :toothy8: The poor baby has "the cone of shame" and he hates it and he is totally miserable.

 

[ChiChi's Mom]

Rico is feeling much more like himself tonight. He is wagging his tail and hanging out with his buddy Otto (the Dachshund) on the couch and eating and going to the bathroom normally. Thank goodness! He was so needy that I had to sleep on the couch with him last night so that he didn't freak out and scream. He may be my daughter's dog, but he is obviously MY baby!! The vet said she is not sure how this happened, but that Otto may have bitten his eye while the were playing and caused the injury. I'm just really glad he is feeling better. But he hates the collar with a passion and I am afraid to try a softer one because this one protects his eye when he tries to rub or scratch at it.

 

[ChiChi's Mom]

Day three of his ordeal and he is becoming difficult to medicate. I can get the oral one down him, but we are beginning to have war over the topicals. It took 2 people to treat his eye this time. This is going to be a long 3 weeks.

 

[ChiChi's Mom]

That is terrible, I feel so sorry for your little Rico. I was just curious did the vet ask you if you wanted him neutered, so he would only have anesthesia once, or did he just do it. Don't get me wrong I am a huge advocate of spay/neuter but I think they should ask if you wanted it done. Good thoughts for a speedy recovery.

The vet called and asked about the neutering. It saved having to put him under twice and it saved a few bucks for us to do the procedures together. Except for the stitches in his eyelid and the cone you would never know anything had happened to the little bugger, he is back to being his usual bratty, spoiled rotten little self. Boy am I glad!!!!

 

[ChiChi's Mom]

This is how he looks this evening, 4 days since he was injured. Quite an improvement! He has a glint in his eye and is formulating some kind of plan . . . It is so nice to have the little brat back to normal. I appreciate all the support and advice and Rico and I will keep you all posted on how his recovery progresses, but so far, so good I am pleased to say.

 

[ChiChi's Mom]

Two weeks into his recovery Rico is doing very well, he has adapted the cone and has been behaving completely normally. Also, I do believe that he can see a little bit out through the sutures or the opening at the corner of his injured eye because he seems to be tracking with the eye and following motion, and several other people have commented on this so I hope it bodes well for him retaining sight in that eye. :hello1:

 

[ChiChi's Mom]

UPDATE!!!!!!! Rico had his stitches removed today and (....drumroll please....) he can see out of the injured eye!!!!!!! Woo Hoo! He does have a small corneal ulcer on the eye and has more ointment to be put in 4 times a day and some more oral antibiotic, but he is done with the cone and so happy to be back to his normal self. He goes back in a week so his doctor can stain the eye and see if the ulcer is healing well. He is one lucky pup!