Eye care

[Yvonne Scott & Miss Ivy]

Thought I might start a discussion on eye care, and get some tips and advice and read Doodle owners experiences with problematic eyes.

[Libby Stinson]

Yeah! We are having a discussion I can learn from and help with. I have a doodle with lots of tear stains. It is difficult to deal with keeping her eyes and hair near her eyes from crusting. I have been told that Angel Eyes is a no-no as it contains antibiotics. The best way to get rid of those crusty things is to use a warm compress to loosen it up and then wipe it away. Easier said than done though. 

I am in the field of Ophthalmology. So if any of you have some questions about your doodles eyes. I just might be able to help.

[Yvonne Scott & Miss Ivy]

Hi Libby . Thank you for responding to this discussion topic. The reason I wanted to suggest this discussion is because of my little Miss Ivy. Just this past Monday, I noticed my little girl had one of her eyes almost closed shut with what I believe to be a yellowish green puss build up. I took her to the vet that afternoon , thinking that it was puppy conjunctivitis.
Our vet carefully examined her eyes in a dark room and looked in her eyes with a light. She stated emphatically that Miss Ivy does not have conjunctivitis. Our vet believes that Miss Ivy may possibly have blocked tease ducts.
Miss Ivy is only four months old, and yet to be spayed at 6 months old. At thentimemof her spqy, the vet will flush aMiss Ivy's teat ducts while she is under anesthetic.
Nothing was prescribed to Miss Ivy, but it was suggested that I start her on buttermilk powder once a day in her food,which I have done.
In the meantime, Miss Ivy has had this guck in her one eye for a few mornings now, and am carefully wand gently clear it away with warm cotton pads and try to keep her eyes relative dry throughout the day. Our vet suggested that I also pat on a bit of baby powder in the hair just under the eyes where they get wet with tears., which I have only done twice at bed time.
I am feeling a bit anxious though. To think that my little Miss Ivy has to go on like this until she is due to be spayed
has me feeling awful. Miss Ivy is going back to the vet next week for her third shot, and I'm feeling like I want her eye to be treated right away, rather than wait the two months to have her ducts flushed. Two months seems like a long time to continue to have that puss build up through out the night, when a prescription of antibiotics could have that cleared up by then.
I am aware of the con's on putting a puppy on antibiotics too, so that is my dilemma. I am not at all bothered that I need to keep her eyes clear, clean and dry. She is my baby and needs me to do that for her. I feel bad for Miss Ivy.
I just want to do the VERY BEST for my girl. I have never owned a little furkid withneye problems. This is all very new, and is pulling on my heart strings.
Any advice in the interim would be MOIST appreciated. Thanks SOOO much!

[Yvonne Scott & Miss Ivy]

Loops...I mean MOST appreciated.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My Ned had a blocked tear duct and the vet did a simple outpatient surgery to unblock it.  It was actually not a big deal.  I can say that now because it is done.  His developed quite quickly also.  I was told that the surgery might need to be repeated and go a bit deeper, but it has been 6 months.

[Yvonne Scott & Miss Ivy]

I think our vet is waiting for her spay date so she doesn't have to be put under twice between now and then. Our vet doesn't spay or neuter before six months old. Miss Ivy is only 4 months. it's gonna' be along wait for sure.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned's blocked duct was actually right in the middle of the lower lid and the bump created by the blockage  was inhibiting his vision and scratching his eye. We were on vacation - this is a place we go all the time - but we have a vet that they see for 'emergencies' there.  She said we could wait until we got home, but since its placement was inhibiting his vision, we didn't want to wait.  I am sure your vet's advice is right for Miss Ivy.

[catherine grose]

Thanks for the discussion!

Hector went through a phase of slightly pussy eyes at 4 months (rather than his usual sleepy dust) and the vet gave me "Fucithalmic  Vet" eye drops for a week. It cleared up in a few days but reoccurred a week later. As i had drops left i used them again.

I belive that Hectors very fine eye hair (Lashes and face hair) get caught in his eyes and cause infection. I am very vigilant about sweeping his hair from his eyes (he hates his mummy fussing like this, and ducks his head) and clearing sleepy dust and checking them. If i find a bad hair in eye situation i give him a single eye drop to flush it out as well as removing the problem hair.

At first i tried cutting his face hair shorter but it seemed to make the problem more frequent. I have decided to let his eye hair grow longer as then its own weight will sweep it to the sides or fully across the eye, rather than into it (inspired by a thread on DK last week by Christy&Riley  "Cutting hair over eyes" in the group Doodle Grooming  http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/doodlegrooming/forum/topic/show?i... ).

Will still keep the section between his eyes super short though.

interested to hear other thoughts.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We put saline eye drops into our Springer's eyes daily and it really seems to help keep his eye-moisture balanced.  He is ten and his big droopy eyes were drying out.

[Yvonne Scott & Miss Ivy]

Hi everyone...just wanted to share the new that Ivy's eye is clearing up beautifully. So happy about that. :-D

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

She looks terrific!

[Shelly & Lola]

My Lola's eyes always seem to be weeping...she is apricot in color so Im not noticing any staining yet ...but any suggestions on how to keep her from looking like she is always crying??? 

[Yvonne Scott & Miss Ivy]

Hi there Shelly and Lola. My little is Miss Ivy had the same problems with her eyes. Our vet recommended 1\4 tsp.. buttermilk powder sprinkled in her food daily. After about a week I noticed her weepy eyes clearing up. Miss Ivy is also a light aprocit and her weepy eyes were leaving very dark stains. I was. Very happy to see the weeping stop. Also, I keep the hair under her eyes and bridge ofher nose trimmed very short.