My Brussels gets conjunctivitis about once or twice a year. Sometimes she gets poked, sometimes hair and sometimes it just seems to be allergies.

Rhodesian Ridgeback....likewise but almost surely allergies. He is a wrestler and we learned to put the goop on a finger and then work it into his eye that way. He is way more cooperative when we show him we put the tube down and it is only our hand.

Border Collies get it running in tall weeds and getting smacked in the face with foxtails.

Wow, like a Michael Ellis technique… concept is simple but much harder to actually apply properly. Being the inexperienced eye applicators we are I think there was a certain amount of tension on our part as well. We waited for him to calm down but the minute we got near his face the writhing started again. We wanted it over with so Bob just held his head and nose down with a gentle knee on the shoulder and then we flipped him over. Was not good but it worked.

He was rewarded greatly and we went out for a game of tug. I’m sure he still loves me but his enthusiasm is not there just now.

Connie, you are so intuitive. I had to go to the fridge to get the treats…. and I do know better.

What a great strategy!! I’m going to start this evening when he’s settled down from this episode. Touching the eye lids… brilliant… and going from there. Treat within vicinity for hypnotizing… again, brilliant. Thank you for this wonderful plan!!

Sonya… you may have nailed it. We have this stuff we call spear grass (might be the foxtails you’re talking about) that gets in their coats… brushing after our hikes removes it but it may be rubbing into their eyes too. The husky never strays from the beaten path so this might explain his non-reaction. It’s a nasty year for weeds.

 Quote: cj barrett

... you are so intuitive. ...

I wish!

That method is the result of many months' (maybe years') worth of stumbling, tweaking, and refining.

eta
Worth the trouble, IMHO. Now that it is "perfected," it seems to work on any less-than-pleasant procedure.



Edited by Connie Sutherland (06/27/2010 03:37 PM)
Edit reason: eta

You know, I did a head slap when I came back and read your post, thinking this woman either has ESP or she's got a camera set up on our hydro post or something. You've always got the critical information that seems to go by the way side when inexperience/tension is involved.

You can sleep easy tonight knowing that your words will lessen the trauma for this little boy and mom is so relieved that she now has a plan to get through this.

Again, thank you so much for all you've been through and sharing it.

 Quote: cj barrett

... this woman either has ESP or she's got a camera set up on our hydro post or something.

Or Door #3, which is "she is old and has had these experiences many times."

 Quote: connie sutherland

I murmured "then a TREAT!... a TREAT!" during the procedure as it got longer.

Well, I don't need to type all the steps, but it ended up that I can get the treat out (special "procedure" treat), plunk it down, get the dog, and they all come to watch. The "patient" sits quietly, if a tad stiffly and obviously exercising a goodly amount of self-restraint (VERY HIGH-VALUE TREAT! ), and the others sit quietly and watch the treat so it doesn't escape. Then the patient gets his first, the second the procedure is done, and everyone else else gets a bit too.

I think that this calls for a webcam video on your part. Everyone agree?

 Quote: lynne barrows

... I think that this calls for a webcam video on your part. Everyone agree?

But then everyone will find out that I actually say "treatie."

Plus someone will have to come over and do the video. I do finally have a digital camera (a Canon "Powershot," which is nice and easy!), but so far all I know how to do is take a still photo and get it onto the computer. ("Get it onto the computer" was my gigantic accomplishment!)

 Quote: cj barrett

(this wasn’t my regular vet – she was young and said they don’t tell us the causes in veterinary school)

Wow, so she doesn't even know WHY she is prescribing what she is? Scary. That comment would have sent me running for the door as common as conjunctivitis is. If the antibiotics don't start working within 2 days I would go back and ask for a different vet. Assuming it's bacterial that would be more than enough time for the meds to start working. I'm not sure what they do for viral but irritation is mostly just lubricating eye drops and time. Colored discharge mostly indicates bacteria though. I won't ever look down on a new vet who still lugs around and refers to veterinary manuals for answers but saying "they didn't tell us the causes in vet school" is ridiculous. It's right there in black and white in the manuals.

 Quote: Cathy Goessman

That comment would have sent me running for the door as common as conjunctivitis is.

Yes, I totally agree. This answer is what had me posting in the first place. You know, my husky has myleopathy and Cushing’s. Thanks to knowledgeable vets I fully understand that neurological things he’s experiencing and have become familiar with the pituitary and adrenal glands.

When my baby’s eyes started this discharge I was at loss. “They don’t tell us the causes in veterinary school” left me staring at her in disbelief not to mention a feeling of helplessness. The vet tech, who is a regular, eased my mind a little stating they see lots of dogs with this and assured me the antibiotic ointment should clear it up.

Melissa and Natalya totally put me at ease (almost like a second experienced opinion). If I hadn’t heard this I may have made another appointment with a more experience vet (mine is apparently on holidays).

His eyes are looking better today; however, the gunk was pretty thick this morning. Not much throughout today though. If I have to take him back in 5 days, I’ll make sure the appointment is with a more experience vet.

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

I think that this calls for a webcam video on your part. Everyone agree?

I think this is a great idea. Mr. Frawley is a pro in the video department. I’m sure there are many dogs that are traumatized by the medications and treatments they must go through to regain health. Like the ME of “dog treatment training”. I can see it now… Medication techniques made easy with Connie Sutherland. I’ll bet it would be a best seller too. I could learn to say “Treatie” for the medical procedures.

Your thoughts on this eye thing are brilliant. I’ve already marked my fingers on his eyes, which he is accepting, just fine – he’s even sticking his face towards my finger. The next session will be with the tube.

Because this kind of simple conjunctivitis is pretty common and uneventful, there are a couple of things you might keep on hand in the dogs' first aid kit: a bottle of ordinary sterile saline solution used to wash contact lenses--this is a good eye wash and the tiny stream of water it makes when you sqeeze the bottle helps flush crude out of the eye. Plus it's dirt cheap--for a dog that's prone to eye issues you could give an eye bath after every outing in the weeds. You can also make a good eyewash with boric acid powder--just a pinch dissolved in a pan of boiling water. Let it cool then use a washcloth for a compress and to clean the funky corners. Last item I keep on hand is a tube of Terramycin opthalmic ointment which can be purchased without a prescription. (google it for an online seller.). It's a broad spectrum antibiotic cream. Same stuff the vet is selling you for ten times as much.

First aid is never a substitute for a vet visit when it's needed. But there are lots of things we as pet owners can do on our own and save the vet for the big issues.

Hope you dog is all better soon!