Certain breeds of dog are sadly more prone to eye damage than others.
We have been seeing a number of pugs and other short-nosed breeds with damaged cornea recently. One, little blackie, even lost an eye after the damage was just too severe for us to save it. It makes my eyes water now, even just writing about it.
So, as a whole team, we have committed to doing our very best to try to reduce the risk of others’ losing theirs.
We received extra training and designed a protocol we could all adopt at the first sign of eye damage. This included the concept of using the serum from their own bloodstream as a healing ‘bandage’ to be applied, together with other eye medications.
But this led to a new problem. A dog with a painful eye finds it difficult to be beautifully behaved at the vets. Giving blood is an extra challenge, especially after already letting the vet get a good look at the sore eye. And many of them are smaller people, with only small amounts of blood to spare.
The nurses were despairing. They needed eye-saving serum, but one particular patient, Sandy, just could not sit still quietly to give it, even to save their own eye. Then someone noticed the pet in the next kennel.
Young Hank, the german shepherd belonging to our practice manager, Nikki, was in for a routine appointment. A deal was struck, and in exchange for a few biscuits, Hank gave a nice large donation of the good red stuff. There was enough to help save Sandy’s eye, but there was also spare to put in the freezer for future use.
Since then Sarah’s Tarka and my own Jazz have both given donations too. Tarka’s other claim to fame was winning the fastest biscuit eater competition at one of our Haywards Heath Town Day dog shows! They are both gentle Labradors, who will do nearly anything for an extra biscuit!
If your pets are special too, why not enter them into our Pet Supermodel competition? Photos entered may win a prize, and the accolade of being in our 2020 calendar, to be sold in aid of the British Chihuahua Club Rescue Association. Just email your favourite shots to mewescompetition@gmail.com or go to themewesvets.co.uk/events for more information.
