Blind Briggs Goes To The Hospital

This is why we do this.

The eye exam today made clear that Briggs was definitely a dog in pain.  He has been suffering for a long time.  And now he's finally going to get help.

First, a brief explanation of glaucoma.

The eye is constantly producing an internal fluid called the 'aqueous humor,' which normally drains out through a part of the eye called the 'drainage angle.'  This balance of fluid production and outflow is what maintains a steady pressure inside the eye.  With glaucoma, the fluid can't drain out and thus continues to build up inside, causing the internal pressure to rise dramatically.  The increased pressure damages both the optic nerve and the retina.  Eye pressure -- called intraocular pressure, or IOP -- is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHG), and the normal range in a dog is 15 to 25 mmHG.

In the photo above that I took this morning, our vet Dr. Brenda Culver is measuring Briggs' eye pressure using a diagnostic instrument called a Tono-Pen while vet tech Heather holds him.  In his left eye, the pressure was a stunning 80 mmHG.  This was compounded by the fact that his lens had detached and was pressing on the inside of his cornea.  His right eye was 35 mmHG, but Brenda thinks the lower IOP is only because the pressure had been so high for so long that it had finally started to kill the cells that produce the fluid in the first place.

In humans, glaucoma is reported to cause constant head pain as bad as a migraine.  Because dogs with glaucoma typically have higher IOP readings than humans with glaucoma, some veterinary ophthalmologists believe that this condition is even more painful in dogs.  And with pressures as high as 80 mmHG, I can only imagine how much pain Briggs has lived with ... and for how long. 

In this next photo, Brenda is looking at his eyes using an ophthalmic microscope called a slit-lamp, which magnifies all the internal structures:

Then Brenda stained his eyes with a dye strip and  turned on the blue light setting on the slit-lamp for another look.  This would reveal whether there were any ulcers or other damage to the cornea:

The condition of his corneas is important to know because of the surgery Brenda is going to perform.  Rather than enucleate, or remove, his painful blind eyes -- there's no way to restore vision, so our only goal now is to eliminate his pain -- we're going to try and save his eyeballs and thus his 'natural' look.  This is done with a two-part procedure called 'evisceration and intrascleral prosthesis.'

In this operation, Brenda will make an incision at the top of the eye, remove the internal contents, and place a silicone ball -- the prosthesis -- inside the globe.  Then she will suture up the incision site.  The cornea keeps the prosthesis in place.  So the eye will look relatively normal ... not compared to a typical healthy eye, but it will still look like an eye.  Briggs will be able to blink, move his eyes around, and otherwise look like himself.  You can read more on this procedure here.

We have done this on several animals, including Widget and Dusty.  There are risks that the body will reject the prosthesis as a foreign object, but so far we haven't had that happen.  If it does happen and we can't save it, then we will end up removing the eye after all.  We have not been able to do this procedure on all of our blind dogs who've had eyes removed because the cornea has to be healthy and in good condition, and also because some eye diseases make this procedure simply not feasible.

Brenda is planning on doing Briggs' surgery tomorrow, but only after we get his blood work back and after Brenda's husband, Dr. Britt Culver (our internal medicine specialist), does a neurological evaluation.  Because of Briggs' neurological deficits -- he wobbles -- he could be at slightly higher risk for anesthesia, so we want to make sure we minimize those risks as much as possible before proceeding.

At the top of this post I wrote, "This is why we do this."  But we couldn't do this alone.  As I mentioned when I wrote about Pepper last week, all of our animals get the best veterinary care possible because of the sanctuary's amazing friends.  In the wake of Pepper's loss, we had a number of wonderful gifts to help pay for her care at WSU.  And this afternoon, shortly after I got back from Helena, we had another example of how blessed we and these animals are.  One of the kindest, most generous individuals we have ever known called Alayne to make a gift that will cover the entire cost of Briggs' surgery and hospital stay.

That kind of compassionate, generous spirit is how we do this. 

Comments

[Foustein Davenport]

All of those at Rolling Dog Ranch are certainly Angels here on earth. Disabled animals and children are certainly God's "children" and all of you are to be applauded for the unconditional love and care that you give them. Please keep up all the good work that you do.

[Mircat]

Blessings to the donor who must have the kindest heart ever! Will send good thoughts to Briggs and the doctors and can't wait to hear you tell us about how he feels when the pain is gone. Give our boy Briggs some good lovin' from all of us!

[Linda]

Good luck Briggs!!!! And as always, Alayne and Steve, thank you for doing whatever these precious animals need to thrive.

[Taylor's on Olympic Peninsula in WA state]

First of all : Thank you so very much to the GENEROUS GENEROUS donor of funds for Brigg's surgery . You are an ANGELx1000 !!! You prove that there are other GOOD people in this world.(reading this blog , it is very apparent there are lots of realley nice folks out and about) Let us all get our good thoughts togather and send them Dr. Brenda's and Briggs way. Can't wait to hear of Briggs being painfree and happy. He is going to be a handfull of energy !!!! Watch out world here comes the mighty Briggs!!!!!!!!! Take care

[Helen Rietz]

Brigg's case reminds me of something I'd like to share, as a heads-up to all of us with animals. Several years ago I had a cat who, over several months, began to be somewhat less interested in life. She still ate well and did everything in her normal routine - just more slowly and with less enthusiasm. I thought she was just getting old (she was 10). Then, one day she began wimpering softly and pawing at one eye. To make a long story short, she had glaucoma - and the opthalmologist said it had probably been building for quite a while, giving her a growing and intense headache. We tried to save her eye for appearance but finally had to remove it. She then had one eye permanently closed - but SHE didn't know she looked strange to people. All she knew was freedom from pain, and she returned to her spunky little self, despite her age. She lived seven more years, happy and pain free. I guess the lesson is to keep an eye out for eye problems as the source of even subtle changes in behavior. Better to catch the condition early if you can. All the best to Briggs, and thank you again Steve and Alayne.

[Debbie]

Prayers for Briggs for a safe journey through surgery; prayers for his medical team for a steady hand and clear thought-and, most of all, blessing to you and Alayne for your devotion and dedication to these most deserving of creatures.

[ginger & Tobias (the greythound)]

Thanks so much for getting Briggs the medical help that he so badly needs! Also, thanks to the generous donors that have made this surgery possible for him! I hope everything goes great for him.
Big hugs to all,
ginger, Tobias & Tlingit

[Carla Polastro-Nigro]

Dear Alayne & Steve, once again, a huge thank you for all you do for the animals at RDR! A special thank you, too, to the donor of the funds needed for Briggs' surgery and hospital stay: he/she must be a very special person indeed.

God bless you all.

[Lalla and Sasha]

You look at Briggs, how he bears all that so bravely...and all the animals at the Rolling Dog Ranch, and you wonder what right we humans have to complain about anything...

[Shirley & James, Portland, OR]

Ditto to Carolyn's comments--said purrfectly.

[Peggy Fields]

Every day we hear of horrible things happening in the world.

So I can't tell you how heartwarming it is to read about little Briggs and his eyes.

That someone rescued him. That the wonderful folks at Rolling Dog Ranch got him to the vet. That the doctor is going to alleviate his pain. And that a generous soul is going to cover the whole cost.

Briggs is just a little guy. But all this effort to make him whole just restores one's faith in the wonder of humanity.

Thank you all.

[Jane Tunnicliff]

My best wishes and prayers are with Briggs for a complete recovery from surgery. I hope he awakens pain free, healthy and has a wonderful life at RDR. I see a new pain free Beagle - could be baying more than before!

To all of you loving souls - the Beagle rescue group, RDR and the compassionate donor, a very humble Thank You for all you have done to give this dog a new life.

Jane, MacKenzie and Roux

[Morgan Skilling]

Yay!!! I am so happy to hear that a donation has been made to cover Briggs I'm actually a little weepy. We loved having him here and his happy outlook and stoicism in the face of what must be excruciating pain makes me so, SO glad we were able to save him. He's a special dog indeed. Bless you guys!!!!

[Carolyn Kupferschmid]

You and Alayne's enormous hearts and unwaivering dedication and compassion for these animals has a profound affect on all of us. When your heart breaks, our hearts break, as well. I cannot even begin to thank all those who give whatever they can so these animals can have a fighting chance. I think we would all concur that helping these animals, as well as our own animals, is so much more rewarding than accumulating "stuff". I recently found a book at work titled "When The Game Is Over It All Goes Back In The Box". When all is said and done, I need little more than piece of mind that I gave God's creatures 100 % of my heart and soul. And some of the time it hasn't been cheap. But it has been more than worth it. An animal's unconditional love is more valuable to me than anything I could ever buy. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!