Brian- Eye problems

[Josephine]

Before I went to surgery for something like that I would consult with an ophthalmologist.

Poor thing. It does look inflamed and angry.

[klynne]

We only have one veterinary opthamologist, Dr. Kittering, who comes into our area once a year, to see dog clients only. Waiting list is huge, and no exotics, unfortunately, unless something has changed I haven't heard about.

[glade]

Well, there is less swelling around the eyes, but both his eyes are completely clouded over. The good news is, he is pretty good at his hand feedings, and still eating his hay and some veggies. No outward signs of pain other than the appetite, but he is on metecam.

I have seen changes since switching antibiotics, I hope they are good ones. The swelling has gone down overall, but the eye is horrible looking. On his left eye, the scelera is actually swolen up a bit over the edges of the cornea, which is odd.

We are using the anitbiotics, and a sterile lubricant between, every 3 hours. Handfeeding several times a day also.

I feel so helpless without a good vet around here.

Please excuse his nails in the picture, he came to me with curly nails, and I forgot to cut them this week with all the other stuff.

This picture is dark, but you can see the swelling of his eyeball.

[lisam]

Oh my! It was just the one eye, and now both? I hope Josephine sees this.

[glade]

Originally, it was mainly one eye, but the other was slightly swolen. Now the other eye has folled the same path, and is now the same almost, other than the actual eyeball swelling.

Brian is not young (5) but his is a little trooper.

I forgot to mention he now has very little reaction to light in his eyes, and acts like he is fully blind.

These pictures were taken right before lubricating the eyes.

It is hard to see in the pictures, but the swelling overall is down.

[glade]

One other thing, that is not drool on his chin, I had just finished feeding him.

[Maja]

I just saw this and it really looks bad. I'm not sure if this can be done on pigs, but in people when the eye infection is too "deep" and severe local treating with an ointment and drops is not enough. Subconjunctival antibiotic injections enables better penetration of a drug into eye tissue. Often there's a need for systemic antibiotics. I have no clue how would you give a subconjunctival injection to a pig. Maybe trying systemic antibiotics first?

[Lynx]

There was a recent pig with a mass behind its eye (I think Erin's pig?). I wonder if there is something else unseen going on.

Hoping for the best (I added the second pic to the board [re permission given in feedback forum thread - thanks!]).

[glade]

Thats what I am afraid of, Lynx. I feel handicapped by the lack of decent specialists around here.

[glade]

Well, not much has changed.

He's kept his weight even, but feedings have become a bit of a chore.

He will chase the syringe, but then fight me when I try to feed him. And its hard to not hurt his eyes. He will still eat hay, some pellets, and a few bites of veggies on his own.

He is still on the metacam, gent. drops, and systemic antibiotics. His poops are smaller, but nice and firm (and he says yummy!) Meds still every three hours (throughout the night, too)

I know I need to make a decision soon. We go to the vet on Monday, and I just don't know if I can keep him going through this if we can't figure out what it is.

As for surgury, without a reputable eye specialist, what can I do?

But Brian is still being a little ham, and getting used to his new dark world. For floor time, instead of walking all over, he starts in a circle, then works up to a bigger and bigger circle, stopping to sniff anything he finds.

Here he is posing:

[mkkayla]

Bless his heart. I hope you can get him some help soon, they really look painful.

[Talishan]

Pistachio's thread

Is there any way you could go to Erin's vet, or is that just plain too far?