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Abby is at the vet awaiting surgery to do the ablasion on her other eye. (She had it done several months ago on her left eye). Yesterday her pressure in the eye was 95. They put a needle in it to draw out some liquid and relieve pressure and get her comfortable until the surgery today. The vet just called and said her pressure is at 10! And, she said she would like to give her 2 days to see if she would regain eyesight.

Here is my dilema (I don't want to be a bad mom):
My thoughts are if she has already lost the eyesight in that eye, and her chances of regaining it are slim, and eventually she will lose it completely, should I go ahead with the surgery? I just want her to be comfortable. I want her to be able to start to deal with this blindness and be as happy as she can be. She is already there, and that is stressful on her going back and forth to the vet.

Should I give it a chance to regain eyesight? Knowing she is going to lose it eventually anyway?

Ugh. I don't want to be mean and heartless. I just want the best for her.

Thoughts?

Well I am picking up my princess at 3 today. They are going to try to get her to eat something. I am going to try some meds for a couple days to see if she regains any sight.

Good luck! It's so hard no matter what decision you make. I think if faced with a similar choice, I'd probably just let the eyesight go and deal iwth it from there, but I haven't dealt with it. Kind of depends on the individual dog. Kita would cope- Taiko- maybe not so much.

Healing thoughts headed her way...
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles www.freewebs.com/performanceshibas

I wish I had some words of wisdom to help you through this difficult time, but I don't. Please know tht Beni, Kari , and I are hoping for the best for your Princess Abby.

Please keep us updated,

Beni, Kari, and me...Patty
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The answer lies with each individual. We can offer advice but it's still a decision each and every dog owner must make alone. If you can afford to go through the procedures to try and keep the pressure under control and keep Abby sighted then that is the course to take. If not then there is no reason to postpone the inevitable. If it were me and it has been.... I would do all I could do to save that sight. A pressure reading of 95 would probably preclude all of that though... that could produce some pretty significant damage to the optic nerve but I hope I'm wrong. Having said all this... I made a commitment to Beni and almost 4 years and $15,000 later it wasn't the glaucoma that that ultimately restricted his sight... that has been managed for 4 years... it's that damn cataract. I don't regret a minute any decision I have made to help my dog and keep him comfortable... we are the caretakers and it's a responsibility for me that I haven't taken lightly.

Good Luck with Abby and I will keep a good thought that some sight will be restored in that eye! Please keep us informed.
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Well she is back at the vet today. I picked her up yesterday and tried the drops. She looked miserable. So, I called and told them I was brining her back in today and wanted her to have surgery. I should have went with my gut and just did it yesterday so today she could be more comfortable. They are busy today and may not be able to get her in. So they want her to stay the night if they do not do the surgery today. Poor Abby! Thanks all for your responses. I am so happy for Beni. He is one lucky boy to have a dad like you! I wish there was an easy cure for glaucoma and cataracts.

I'm so very sorry that Abby, and you, are having to deal with this. I'll keep everyone in my prayers for a quick surgery and that she's home again soon!

Stay strong!

Anne
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Anne, Bill, and Murphy

I took Abby back in yesterday morning for surgery. Her pressure had gone back up to 75. I should have gone with my gut and had it done on Tuesday. But, she is home now and looking good. It is so heartbreaking to see her try to navigate around. I hate it. I am trying really hard to help her around. We have a 14 year old boy and a 11 year old girl. I am trying to tell everyone the commands I use so maybe we can all get on the same page with how we tell her to go certain places. My poor girl! She still has the most beautiful eyes! I pray they stay otherwise healthy so she can keep them. Thanks for the well wishes everyone! I love this site. It makes me feel good.

Okay the mistake you can make here is to "help" her navigate around. This will only serve to confuse her. Dogs have an amazing ability to remember and mentally map their surroundings. As hard as it can be to watch her bump into things this is will also be how she remembers and it won't be long before she navigates pretty well on her own. I've been through this with Beni though I had over 3 years with which to work with him and teach him simple commands. You will need to do this with Abby. I don't have any stairs except for the basement and that door remains closed at all times... I recommend that you do the same... we can't have Abby taking a tumble. I do have a couple of steps leading off of my front and back decks. I have taught Beni STEP UP and STEP DOWN. I also taught him HERE BENI when he can't find me and I also SNAP my thumb and forefinger to get him headed into the right direction and then I just call him to me. The leash will be now be a most useful tool and if possible keep it on her inside the house and attached to you or another family member until she "remembers" her surroundings. It will also be very important to not move furniture as this will only serve to disorient her. I have Shiba proofed my backyard to minimize Beni having any collisions that could damage his eyes. I have been contemplating getting a pair of doggles for him but it's amazing to watch him navigate the backyard as well as inside the house. He does sometimes still bump into things inside but he just keeps moving along. He does his own mini version of the Shiba 500 when Toshi and Keiko get going. He also does pretty well with me playing ball with an IQUBE ball. There are many things you can do to make her comfortable. The biggest thing is she may sometimes feel some anxiety at losing where you are so you could wear some perfume or tie a bell on your shoe or slipper so she knows you are close. Like I said... while I had time to work with Beni I have also resisted in feeling sorry for him and have continued to treat him as normally as possible and firmly believe it has helped quite a bit. You are definitely doing the right thing in getting everyone on the same page as far as commands go. Stress to everyone how important this can be! Good Luck and keep us informed on her progress.
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Thanks for your advice! It is SO hard not to help her navigate by being there every step of the way. Sometimes she does really well and other times she gets a little confused. I am going to look into one of those sound balls to see if she will play with us. I can't wait to see her run again. We do have stairs to our basement, but we have a door there and it is usually shut. She did follow me down them one day. She did really well. There are 2 steps to the outside door. She does pretty well with them too. I just help her when she gets close by saying step. It is so hard not to baby her. But, I know I have to get things back to normal so she can adjust. Thanks again!

The easiest thing if you do need to guide her is to place your hands on either side of her abdomen and gently apply pressure to the direction you want her to go in... this way you aren't "leading" her. That's great she did well on the steps but I would caution to only let her do it if you are there.
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

I know I'm getting to this a bit late, but if faced with a decision like this, the only thing I would be concerned with would be pain. If surgery will stop pain where it starts, then I would do it. I think most dogs can live with loss of sight but if the dog is in pain and is suffering, that I could not deal with. The vet is always stressful, not to mention going through surgery and recovery. As others have said, it's an individual decision. But personally I would rather spare the stress of surgery if my dog isn't in pain. Dogs are amazing the way they can cope with three legs, or even two. Remember they use sense of smell the most, and they get information about their surroundings from their ears and whiskers as well. Either way, the decision you make is the right one. Best of luck to Abby, and my heart goes out to you both.
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