A QUICK RECAP: My Moose dog was having some eye issues. He was pawing at his face all night, his poor little eye was all squinty, and there was a clear gooey discharge. Of course I freaked. Thank goodness the vet was willing to squeeze us in!
By the time we got to Beach Animal Hospital (our vet), Moosie was acting more like his usual self. He even had his squinty eye open. In his exploration of the waiting room, he hopped up on the scale… to my dismay, he’s GAINED weight.
Doc Moreau joined us in the exam room and I explained the situation: the constant pawing, the squinting, the discharge, and as far as I could tell, a little swelling. Moose was not in the mood to have his eye examined, so I helped hold him steady while the doctor took a look.
After comparing his left eye (the problem) and the right eye, Doc Moreau told me that the left eye was very inflamed and very irritated. Next, he checked Moose’s eye for scratches on the cornea. This part was actually kind of cool – he had a little tab that he touched to Moose’s eye. The tab released dye onto the surface of the eye (along with an anesthetic). Doc turned out the lights and used a black light to check the Moose’s cornea for scrapes or scratches.
Much to my relief… no damage to the cornea!
Doctor Moreau didn’t see any specific cause for the severe irritation – there was no debris in the eye. It may have been there… it may be an allergic reaction. Either way, we’re now on steroid eye drops four times a day. I say “we” because it’s a team effort. I lull Moosie into a false sense of security with petting and sweet talk… then hit him with the drops.