Should I have an operation?
The question today is should I have an operation on my eyes? I don’t know what to decide and Mum has said it is up to me. Obviously, I’m not a young dog and any operation carries a risk. I was all right having the ulcer on my eye operated on, so overall that looks a low risk. At the moment, my tear production level in my left eye is 6. I think it’s supposed to be over 15, so that’s not good. However, in my right eye it’s actually zero – no tears at all. The only lubrication my eye gets is from the eye drops.
Eye drops
I already have three different eye drops three times a day. I make sure Mum doesn’t forget and stand next to my medications at the appropriate times. If Mum doesn’t leave what she’s doing then I bark at her to remind her. I’m really not going to forget when it is all that stands between me and not being able to see. Some days my eye is quite sore, even with that level of drops.
My specialist has said that the lubricating drops I can have 6 or 7 times a day if Mum is prepared to have her whole life revolve around me. Thankfully she is. When we came home she places a bulk order for packets of that drop so we don’t risk running out.
The way forward
If I have the operation then we’d do it in stages. I’d have the right eye done first and see how I get on, then if I still wanted to go ahead I could have the left one done. The operation would move my saliva gland and create a new tear duct from it. It’s not ideal and it doesn’t always work. There are also possible side effects and it can help to change my diet to help with some of those, but all that is manageable.
My decision for now
The decision I’ve made for now is that we will see how I feel with Mum giving me drops many more times a day. If I still have days where it leaves me really miserable and uncomfortable then I’ll go ahead with the operation. If using more drops makes things more manageable then we’ll continue like that for a while. Mum says I don’t have to wait the full four weeks if I’m not happy. Now we just have to see how I go.
Love and licks
Wilma
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