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mimodok · 07-19-2012, 05:53 AM

I grew up with two Yorkies, a male and female. The male passed away a few years ago and my parents still have the female. I now live with my fiance and we have our first dog, a little female Yorkie we have named Mishka.

She is 10 weeks and 3 days old today. After we got her we learned that she had an ulcer on her right eye, which we treated with antibiotic eye drops 3 times per day for about two weeks. Somewhere in there we had to take her to the emergency clinic for coccidia, which she is now clear of. While in the emergency clinic the veterinarian checked on the progress of her ulcer and noticed that she had no menace reflex in that eye. He told me she might have limited vision or be blind in that eye, and that I should return to my regular vet and ask for a referral to an eye specialist.

We have since seen an eye specialist. She was diagnosed with Keratoconjuctivitus sicca (congenital), Optic Nerve Asplasia, and a Previous Corneal Scar. She can only see dim shadows and shifts in light out of her right eye. The good news is that her left eye is as normal as can be and the ulcer is healed in her right eye. Unfortunately, the vision in her right eye will either stay the same or decrease to total blindness as she develops.

The veterinarian's main concern was her dry eye which may persist in the future. "When an inadequate level of tears are present, the eye produces a thick mucous as a substitute. The lack of tear production not only leads to mucous production but also scarring and pigmentation of the surface of the eye. This eventually leads to loss of vision and is uncomfortable for the pet."

Has anyone else had experience with congenital dry eye? What treatments worked best for you? There are three treatment options if her dry eye persists in life. Continue with multiple prescription eye drops multiple times per day, do a surgery where a salivary gland is transplanted to a tear duct, or remove the eye.

The eye drops are inconvenient and expensive but the pet insurance should cover it for her lifetime. The risk with the surgery is that the salivary gland tends to produce more "tears" than necessary so the dog always has a runny eye. The other risk is that some dogs' eyes are irritated by the saliva, which leads to other complications and potentially having to remove the eye. Removing the eye would be my last resort. Yes, it would remove the problem but I want her to look and feel like a normal dog as much as possible. I know that people would look at her and react to her differently if she was missing an eye. I grew up with a large tumor on my face (hemangioma) for the first 5 years of my life, and it definitely affected my social development for years even after it was gone. So, I can relate and would hate to have to put Mishka through a similar experience.

Also, what can I expect from a dog that is blind in one eye? Is there anything I need to be more careful or aware of? Are there any precautionary measures I should take when introducing her to new situations or just in general?

I apologize for the long post and appreciate any advice you can give.

07-19-2012, 05:53 AM	#1
mimodok Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Wilmington, NC, US Posts: 99	Blindness and Dry Eye I grew up with two Yorkies, a male and female. The male passed away a few years ago and my parents still have the female. I now live with my fiance and we have our first dog, a little female Yorkie we have named Mishka. She is 10 weeks and 3 days old today. After we got her we learned that she had an ulcer on her right eye, which we treated with antibiotic eye drops 3 times per day for about two weeks. Somewhere in there we had to take her to the emergency clinic for coccidia, which she is now clear of. While in the emergency clinic the veterinarian checked on the progress of her ulcer and noticed that she had no menace reflex in that eye. He told me she might have limited vision or be blind in that eye, and that I should return to my regular vet and ask for a referral to an eye specialist. We have since seen an eye specialist. She was diagnosed with Keratoconjuctivitus sicca (congenital), Optic Nerve Asplasia, and a Previous Corneal Scar. She can only see dim shadows and shifts in light out of her right eye. The good news is that her left eye is as normal as can be and the ulcer is healed in her right eye. Unfortunately, the vision in her right eye will either stay the same or decrease to total blindness as she develops. The veterinarian's main concern was her dry eye which may persist in the future. "When an inadequate level of tears are present, the eye produces a thick mucous as a substitute. The lack of tear production not only leads to mucous production but also scarring and pigmentation of the surface of the eye. This eventually leads to loss of vision and is uncomfortable for the pet." Has anyone else had experience with congenital dry eye? What treatments worked best for you? There are three treatment options if her dry eye persists in life. Continue with multiple prescription eye drops multiple times per day, do a surgery where a salivary gland is transplanted to a tear duct, or remove the eye. The eye drops are inconvenient and expensive but the pet insurance should cover it for her lifetime. The risk with the surgery is that the salivary gland tends to produce more "tears" than necessary so the dog always has a runny eye. The other risk is that some dogs' eyes are irritated by the saliva, which leads to other complications and potentially having to remove the eye. Removing the eye would be my last resort. Yes, it would remove the problem but I want her to look and feel like a normal dog as much as possible. I know that people would look at her and react to her differently if she was missing an eye. I grew up with a large tumor on my face (hemangioma) for the first 5 years of my life, and it definitely affected my social development for years even after it was gone. So, I can relate and would hate to have to put Mishka through a similar experience. Also, what can I expect from a dog that is blind in one eye? Is there anything I need to be more careful or aware of? Are there any precautionary measures I should take when introducing her to new situations or just in general? I apologize for the long post and appreciate any advice you can give.