Glaucoma? Oh NO!

Sweet little Colby was in a LOT of pain yesterday morning. It came on so quickly. She seemed fine for breakfast, then about an hour later came looking for me shaking and looking all cramped. At first, I thought it was a belly ache, but then I noticed her eyes were nearly closed. It was obviously her right eye. That is her worst eye as far a the retinal atrophy AND it's the eye that was hit by the chuck-it ball a couple weeks ago. :( That photo was taken in 08 and you can see her right eye's pupil is more open. That's part of the retinal atrophy.

I rushed her to my vet and she tested her pressure. Right eye was 68 and left eye was 18. Oh dear. Glaucoma is when pressure builds up in the eye itself and it is very painful. I had already given her metacam for the pain before heading to the vet. My vet consulted with the ophthalmologist in Portsmouth and he said we really need to get her to him ASAP, or if the pressure continues to rise we could lose the eye. WHAT???? I couldn't clear my dog walks and get there until around 3:00. My vet looked at me and it was clear this was really an emergency. I called Rich, but he had meetings scheduled. I started calling my clients and then Rich called back and he said he could take her. I am very proud that he would drop everything for little Colby!!!! She is his favorite, for sure.
I kept my phone with me all day and got regular updates. Thankfully, and a little strangely, the pressure was down by the time she was seen by the eye doc. He said that's unusual, but not unheard of and he suspects it has something to do with the trauma from the ball. Of course, there is no knowing if that was the cause or if glaucoma was going to happen anyway. In a way, I hope it was from the trauma because then there is a possibility it will heal and repair whatever it is that caused this pressure build up. We are treating aggressively for the inflammation and to control the pressure.

The eye drops are INCREDIBLY expensive! I can't imagine if she needed them daily for the rest of her life! :O I am off to research Canadian pharmacy prices. OI!!!!

She is our princess, our most wonderful first MinPin. She is the best girl!!! As a MinPin should be, she is friendly and sweet and social and uncomplicated. She and I were a lovely agility team. She was my Invitational dog in 07 and flew with me to CA to compete at that event. I love this dog with all my heart, she is my special girl and worth every penny. She has been our most expensive pet! It seems like she is fragile and gets so many health issues. She seems so tough and rugged and a big time hunter, but she is SO fragile.

She hates her eye drops, they might sting a little, so poor thing has to endure torture now four time/day for a while. She was SO good at the vet's, they even noted on the sheet "Colby was an excellent girl for her exam today!".......and Rich said she was perfect. But, she already had eye anesthetic applied from my vet and was resigned to her eye being tested and looked at. At home, she isn't resigned, she is ready to fight, but we get it done and hopefully, she will get better about it.

We go back for a recheck in two weeks.