Prolapsed Eyeball

[carrie]

I left for work at 2:45 yesterday, popped the dogs in their yard, and my housemate called me at 4:45pm... to tell me my chihuahua crossbreed's eyeball had popped out of his head. He brought him straight to me at work and then we rushed to the vets where Napoleon went into surgery immediately... I tell you what, I was almost physically sick. I'm a veterinary nurse and don't normally have a weak stomach but when it comes to my dogs, I don't cope at all.

Surgery went well... Napoleon went home last night on pain relief, antibiotics, antiinflammatories and with his eye to be bathed, but we were up all night, he just couldn't settle with the Elizabethan collar on, and finally we got some sleep this morning, only a few hours, but by the time he woke up, his eye was more swollen and the discharge was all hard and caked over...

Another trip to the vet and then after consulting an eye specialist, we have new medications and I'm just keeping him by my side for the next few weeks with regularly bathing...

It's awful. I nearly fainted this morning after cleaning his eye out. That might sound pathetic but I just don't cope with my own dogs injuries...

Anyone been through a prolapsed eyeball and have any advice?

[Cavalier]

My Cavalier had a prolasped eyeball last year. We tried for 6 weeks after it prolapsed to save the eye - but she developed severe glaucoma and exposure keratitis (she wouldnt blink properly). We unfortunately had to make the decision to enucleate the eye.

We placed in a prosthesis so she didnt have the "sunken in" look to her face.

[Akay]

Cripes! I can understand why you'd be so distressed! Fortunately it has never happened to me and I hope it never does, it sounds horrible. How painful is it for the dog? Kudos to your neighbour for being so neighbourly!

[Elfin]

If it were my dog, I would want it to have had a complete temporary tarsorrhaphy (to be left in for 2 weeks, and to be undone in stages) and be on systemic cortico-steroids.

The chance of vision retuning depends upon the amount of damage done to the optic nerve. The eye may also be permanently "turned" due to the extraocular muscles being stretched.

I would also consider having a canthal closure (permanently making the eyelid opening slightly smaller) to reduce the chance of it happening again.

A friend's dog prolapsed a globe, we replaced it within an hour, it was back in the ring in 3 weeks, with full vision! Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

All the best with your little one.

EFS

Edited September 25, 2009 by Elfin

[~Anne~]

I had a rescue with a prolapse. It had been out for 2 days! The optic nerve was dry it had been out for so long. Pumba responded very well to the surgery though and he actually regained vision in the eye. It looked a bit yuko for a few days but soon settled.

This is Pumba and his eye is perfect now.

Edited September 25, 2009 by PugRescueSydney

[Cavalier]

If it were my dog, I would want it to have had a complete temporary tarsorrhaphy (to be left in for 2 weeks, and to be undone in stages) and be on systemic cortico-steroids.

The chance of vision retuning depends upon the amount of damage done to the optic nerve. The eye may also be permanently "turned" due to the extraocular muscles being stretched.

I would also consider having a canthal closure (permanently making the eyelid opening slightly smaller) to reduce the chance of it happening again.

A friend's dog prolapsed a globe, we replaced it within an hour, it was back in the ring in 3 weeks, with full vision! Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

All the best with your little one. :D

EFS

This is what we did with my girl - except the tarsorraphy was in for 6 weeks. Still failed though

[jemappelle]

My Shih Tzu had both eyes prolapse at different times but both times caused by rough play with my young ACD at the time. Fortunately I was home both times and was able to get her to the vet quickly. The first time she had the tarsorraphy surgery and all was successful and the second time it was a different vet on duty and he put drops in her eye and pushed the eye back in, and with follow up drops she was fine.

No loss of eye sight each time - a very lucky girl.

She was very quiet for about a week each time though - think she had an awful headache.

[carrie]

If it were my dog, I would want it to have had a complete temporary tarsorrhaphy (to be left in for 2 weeks, and to be undone in stages) and be on systemic cortico-steroids.

The chance of vision retuning depends upon the amount of damage done to the optic nerve. The eye may also be permanently "turned" due to the extraocular muscles being stretched.

I would also consider having a canthal closure (permanently making the eyelid opening slightly smaller) to reduce the chance of it happening again.

A friend's dog prolapsed a globe, we replaced it within an hour, it was back in the ring in 3 weeks, with full vision! Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

All the best with your little one.

EFS

Thankyou for your advice! I appreciate it alot! I've worked as a vet nurse, although I'm not fully qualified, but we haven't head any eyeball prolapses whilst I was working so I found it a bit tough.

Napoleon has a complete temporary tarsorrhaphy, and the animal eye specialist has said that yes it needs to be in for two weeks minimum (as opposed to the surgeon originally recommending just one week) and Napoleon is on metecam, cephalexin and tramdol for the pain...

I swear Napoleons doing better than I am, I've been so stressed and upset, he just wants to play!