I took Billy, the blind Beagle who arrived last week, and little Wilbur to see our veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Sarah Hoy, in Burlington, Vermont yesterday. Billy was clearly in a lot of pain from his eyes -- we started him on pain medication that day he came -- and we needed to get a definitive diagnosis to figure out what was going on. In a word: glaucoma. His left eye, the most painful one, had a sky-high intraocular pressure reading of 67. Ouch. That's enough to make your head feel like it's going to split open. Interestingly, it didn't have that classic glaucoma look to it -- solid gray and bulging -- but glaucoma it was.
His right eye had a normal pressure, which most likely meant that eye had already gone through a complete glaucoma cycle and finally "burned out," which lowers the IOP back to normal. But the current pain in that eye was from a luxated, or dislodged, lens, which had come to rest against the cornea.
In the photo above, Dr. Hoy is using a slit-lamp to examine Billy's right eye while her vet tech Patty holds him still. Here's another view:
At this point, with two very painful blind eyes, the only thing to do was enucleation, i.e., remove them. So Dr. Hoy took Billy into surgery first thing this morning. She called mid-morning to say he had come through the operation in great shape. We will pick him up tomorrow.
Everyone there fell in love with both Billy and Wilbur, though Billy in particular was a cuddlebug.
I'll post photos and an update on Wilbur's eye exam for Monday. In the meantime, Billy will be pain-free for the first time in perhaps years. And that will make for a very happy boy.
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The new Shelter Challenge started Monday, January 9 and ends at midnight on March 18. Grand prize in this round is $5,000, plus $1,000 for weekly winners and $1,000 for state winners. There are also other categories ... please see the Shelter Challenge website for details.
*** We are now LISTED UNDER OUR NEW NAME, ROLLING DOG FARM. State is still NH for New Hampshire. ***
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We just won $1,000 as a weekly winner for Week 4 in this current contest, and thousands more in the previous contests. The Shelter Challenge really does bring in a lot of money for the animals here!
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Billy wants to be in tip top shape so he can play his role in the beagle takeover of RDF. The little guy will be so happy to be feeling good for the first time in a long time.
Posted by: Bob | March 02, 2012 at 06:11 PM
It's amazing how a dog's "attitude" changes after the enucleation is over and the pain is gone! 2 of my dogs have gone through it (one for glaucoma, one for something with a ridiculously long name) and you could just see the relief. And neither of them had suffered as long as poor Billy. I'm so glad he found his way to you guys!
Posted by: Barb | March 02, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Billy,
Makes me cry for all the pain you went through and now crying for joy that you will be pain-free.
What a sweet, brave boy you are!
Posted by: Chloe | March 02, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Whoo hoo for Billy! And double whoo hoo for RDF! Hope the Wilbster is doing well, too. I remember a happy beagle as being a quite "busy" beagle...just sayin'!
Posted by: Mary H. | March 02, 2012 at 09:26 AM
Get well wishes to Billy--he was so fortunate to be rescued and then to come to RDF! Thanks to you, Steve, for educating by blogging. When our blind rescue poodle was in terrible pain due to new problems with his eyes, the emergency vet was surprised--and relieved--when I asked for enucleation. Thanks to RDF, I knew that it was the right choice. Our guy is pain free and happy as ever!
Posted by: Jan in Winnipeg | March 02, 2012 at 08:54 AM
Hooray....pain free and greatly loved!!! It doesn't get any better than that.
Posted by: Glenda | March 02, 2012 at 06:36 AM
Once again - THANK YOU!!
Posted by: Morgan | March 02, 2012 at 06:16 AM
A pain-free Billy makes all of us very happy, too!:-)
Alayne & Steve: you're truly angels!
Please give sweet Billy a huge hug for me when you pick him up at the vet clinic.
Posted by: Carla Polastro-Nigro | March 02, 2012 at 04:37 AM
I'm sure if Billy could talk, he'd be saying "Thank you, thank you, I feel no more pain!" I'm so glad he's pain free now and will be able to just enjoy himself with all his friends at RDF.
Posted by: Ann | March 02, 2012 at 12:27 AM
Yeah Billy---start of a wonderful new life!!!!!! THANK YOU RDF!!!!!!
Posted by: Shirley * James/Portland, OR | March 02, 2012 at 12:09 AM
I wonder what the average number of eyes per dog at RDF is. When I took in disabled animals, I would sometimes amuse myself by finding the numerical average number of eyes, legs, etc. The answers always contained fractions. Nutty? Well, I guess so.
Posted by: Moon Rani | March 02, 2012 at 12:05 AM
We went through the exact same thing with our beagle a couple years ago and he is so much happier without the eye pain. Best of luck to Billy!
Posted by: John | March 01, 2012 at 07:55 PM
I'm sure it will be an adjustment but I'm confident he will be so much happier. Bless his heart. I admire you all for what you do.
Posted by: Jennifer McCormack | March 01, 2012 at 07:54 PM
What a relief it will be for dear little Billy to be pain free! I can't imagine that amount of pain for such a long time. It has always amazed me how animals persevere through pain and agony! And still remain sweet and kind. Thank you for giving these animals a second chance at life.
Posted by: Becky F. | March 01, 2012 at 07:53 PM
Yay for Billy! Thank you for helping him live pain-free! He deserves the best!
Posted by: Michele | March 01, 2012 at 07:42 PM