Today I want to tell everypawdy about my trip to the Pet Eye Dogtur!! As I mentioned in my post last Monday, we don't have an eye dogtur for pets near us. Mama and I didn't mind traveling the 3 1/2 hours to Medford, Oregon to visit Bliss Animal Eye Care. It was a nice, well managed office and they really did go out of their way to make sure Mama and I were comfortable and relaxed during my visit!
When we got there, Mama had to fill out some paperwork so I scoped out the place.
They had a whole toy box full of toys to play with! I'm not a big toy guy but Jakey and Rosy would have had a blast playing with these!
They had fresh water guarded by this little guy, Mama insisted I sit next to him so she could get a picture....Mama thought it was a SCUBA dog but I explained it was a doggy that was modeling a halo that helps puppies who can't see well.
Sigh, Mamas, am I right??
After a very short wait, they called my name and we went into the exam room!
First, Ericka, my Vet Technician(seen here on my left) did all the usual eye tests. You know, the paper in the eye test, checked my eye pressure and put that icky green dye in my eyes test. Mama had to help with that, so she couldn't take pictures. Then my Eye Dogtur, Dr. Schorling, came in and took a look into my eyes.
Mama and I want to let everybody know the muzzle is just a precaution, and since I wear one while Mama gives me baths, I am comfortable in a muzzle. I am NOT fond of anyone getting in my face and Mama thought we should be safe...so I wouldn't have to be sorry later.
I was a very good boy and hardly even growled while the dogtur was looking around. After the dogtur finished, the muzzle came off, and she and Mama talked about my diagnosis.
The good news was, I don't have cataracts, I don't have dry eye, and I don't have glaucoma.
I do have a condition called keratitis. This means my corneas are inflamed. It is common in Shih Tzus, and other small dogs with short snooters. It can cause cloudiness, redness of the eye and vision impairment if left untreated. Luckily, my condition was caught early and is pretty mild. Dr. Schorling prescribed anti-inflammatory non-steroidal eye drops to help clear up the cloudiness and prevent the progression of the condition. I will always have to take the drops, but since they don't hurt AND I get Zukies afterwards. I don't mind.
I also have a condition called Iris Atrophy. This means my iris tissue is thin and isn't constricting in the light as much as it should. This condition is common in Poodles and Shih Tzus. There is no treatment for Iris Atrophy, and that is why sometimes you might see me squinting in some of my pictures. The iris atrophy is also why my eyes are cloudy sometimes. The irises don't constrict and, as a result, you can see the cloudiness in my eye from the keratitis.
Weird, huh??
Mama and I will go back to Medford at the beginning of May to make sure the drops are doing their job. After that visit, hopefully I will only have to go back once a year!
Mama and I want to thank Erika, Dr. Schorling and the staff at Bliss Animal Care for doing such a nice job of making me feel at home and for explaining everything thoroughly to Mama, not to mention summarizing everything in print(making it easier for Mama to explain it to Daddy!).
We are joining our friends at Comedy Plus for the Happy Tuesday Blog Hop this week!
