Quote: barbara schuler

Well, we finished our first course of eye ointment on Tuesday PM, and I woke up this AM to a bit of to find some goop in Falcon's eyes. I had a long, long busy day ahead of me so asked my husband to call the vet. They prescribed drops this time which need to be given 4 x daily which fortuntely, Falcon is tolerating MUCH better than he did the ointment.

The vet also suggested we go ahead and take Falcon to the opthomologist... He said if the infection went away but then came back again there is something reintroducing the infection. I'm stumped - if this means "externally" I can't imagine what this could be. If he means something going on internally...

I am HOPING that because Falcon had a hard time allowing the application of the ointment which at times resulted in what I know was not a perfect dose, that perhaps this infection never really "went away." Please keep the paws crossed for my boy till we get this resolved.

The eye infection resulting from a laceration that we just went through in August, about halfway through, appeared not to be reacting to the topical antibiotic (drops), so the GP vet called the ophthalmologist vet to "phone consult," and we ended up adding a second different topical antibiotic. I was putting one or the other in his eye every HOUR.

I don't know whether your case is remotely like the one here, but maybe asking about a different antibiotic (to replace or add) might be a thought. Be sure never to skip one. In fact, the ophthalmologist said "if you're not sure, redo it rather than skipping it." I had a big chart on the coffee table with every hour marked out.

This is only my experience, of course -- just a thought to discuss with the vet.

We did this for weeks, the poor little bugger, but I'm still relieved that it cleared up.

The two were Oflaxacin, and to that we added (when progress seemed stalled) Gentamicin Sulfate.

Be sure to be very careful not to touch the dropper to the eye surface (and risk infecting the bottle contents).

Thank you Connie. This prescription is different than the first but I'll call the vet tomorrow and ask about the possibility/appropriatness of adding another to get broader coverage. They are setting up an appointment with the opthamologist as well.

When my husband told me it was needed 4 x per day my first thought was "at least it isn't every hour like Connie had to do!" The drops are being tolerated much better than the ointment was, which is making life for him a bit easier.

Edited by Barbara Schuler (09/19/2010 05:29 PM)
Edit reason: typo

 Quote: Linda West

Barbara,
we just got through an eye infection. Less then perfect dosage AND we forgot to put it in several times. When we took the dog off the medication he kept having white goop in his eyes for about two weeks after that and then it went away. Is the goop white? You might want to wait before you spend and arm and a leg for an ophthalmologist.

We never missed a dose but a few were not perfect. However, since all the goop had stopped and was completly absent, and has since re-surfaced, I'm not really comfortable just waiting. It was not white, more like a pale green. Not as green as it was before, but we feared heading in that direction.

 Quote: aimee pochron

Geez, poor Falcon. Just curious of the color of goop/eyes red and if both eyes are affected again? All else normal with the guy: attitude, appetite, no temp, sneezing, etc? If vet was thinking internal I would imagine they would have done some blood work, does he have allergies?
Paws all crossed....

So far his eyes are not red (they were last time) and the goop is a pale green. All else perfectly normal, eating, playing, happy, etc... The ONLY thing is that he has been scratching more than normal lately; sometimes his ears, sometimes his body. Not continuoulsy or to the point of driving him nuts, but to the point of having me re-thinking if we've introduced anything new, etc...

I don't think this is soley related to any possible allergy due to the protein the vet noted in his eyes, but - I have no idea if an allergy would cause that.

Thanks everyone for the good thoughts and I'll keep you posted.

If it's pale green then I would not wait either. I only waited because his was white.

Barbara,

I would not hesitate to consult a veterinary ophthamologist. When it comes to vision, it is worth the cost (and your peace of mind).
I have always found the one that I deal with to be worth every penny. And, since GSDs do have eye problems, you want to make sure it is treated properly, and the sooner the better.