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Eye Ulcer

H

hudsonthehusky

Hello, my dog has been diagnosed with an eye ulcer.  He is being treated by a regular vet and it does not seem to be healing.  They said the usual treatment is 3-4 days and it is usually gone but it has been over a week and it doesn't seem better.  We are going back again tomorrow and if it isn't better they are most likely going to have us visit a specialist.  Is there anything I could do to help?  Thanks.
 

Dr. Christina

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Eye problems can be very scary, so this is a great reminder to have a healing team and remember to check with them for any ailment, especially if you have a homeopathic veterinarian.

Before I can give more than a general suggestion, could you post some more information, please. How bad was the ulcer (some can be close to perforating the cornea, others barely take up any of the stain.) Do you know the cause of the ulcer? Though the medicines did not help the eye, have there been any other changes in BEAM or Early Warning Signs before and after starting the medications?

Using the HMDM is important since the goal of conventional veterinarians is to stop the symptoms, and if the drugs do not work, they have few other choices. Some eye ulcers, especially chronic or non-responding ones, can be auto-immune. If your goal in step one of HMDM is to build health so the current problem resolves along with improved general health, then working with a veterinary homeopath is definitely needed for almost any serious problem.

Before seeing a conventional specialist, it may be more healthful to consult your veterinary homeopath (Dr. Jeff?) before going to the eye specialist, depending, of course on the severity of the ulcer. If the ulcer is ready to perforate the cornea, some surgery may be needed along with homeopathy.

Most eye ulcers do respond quite quickly (especially the pain of an ulcer) to the proper homeopathic medicine.

Reiki can be very helpful. Hot or cold compresses (hot is probably more useful, but whatever your dog prefers) every few hours, along with a general eye lubricant (not antibiotic or steroid) can be useful until we have a bit more information from you.

You can definitely talk more about this on tonight's empower hour if you will be joining us.
 

Dr. Jeff

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Thanks for your great thoughts Dr. Christina!

Yes, I agree that some more details would be wonderful.

Such as, was this a traumatic injury to the eye? If not, was there a bath or other known trigger? What exactly are the symptoms of the ulcer (redness, discharge, discomfort, etc.)?

How about changes in BEAM symptoms or other symptoms (before you started using the eye medications)?

And exactly which eye meds are you using? For example, steroids (such as dexamethasone) can slow ulcer healing.

In general, the eye support that helps most pets heal is frequent (4-6x a day) hot compressing of the eye followed by a lubricating eyedrop. My favorite is the Remend Corneal repair or drop but you can also but Genteal or Systane readily OTC.

All that being said, a visit to the eye specialist is still a great idea in order to rule out other structural eye problems which can slow healing like abnormal eyelids.

Please let us know what's going on.

Dr. Jeff
 
H

hudsonthehusky

Thank you both for your replies.  There was no dramatic injury to his eye that I am aware of but now that I think about it he was boarded at a house with a few other dogs while my family was away for a funeral so there is a chance something happened there.  The local vet (not homeopathic) said it was not a very bad ulcer at first and thought it would be easy to treat.  He prescribed Neomycin & Polymyxin B Sulfates & Bacitracin Zinc.  We returned four days later because it did't look better.  The vet then said it had gotten just slightly bigger so instead of only treating it 3 times a day we are treating it 4 times a day and he needed to wear a cone.  We will return today and if it is not better he will send us to a specialist.

Before I took him to the vet his eye was having more discharge than usual from the left eye but he always has some discharge.  Since being on the probiotic, prebiotic and Hepato that Dr. Jeff prescribed there is no longer a red stain and the discharge is a light green color.  He has been holding his left eye closed as much as possible and paws at it or rubs it in the grass.  Sometimes it even looks like his lower eyelid is sagging a bit.  His energy seems pretty good but he is not a fan of the cone so he pouts most of the time it is on.  His appetite is a little less than usual but it has been in the 90s here during the day and it is typical for him to eat less in the summer months.

I will search for the corneal healing drops.  Hopefully I can find them locally.

We appreciate your help!

Crystal and Hudson the Husky
 
H

hudsonthehusky

I forgot to mention he was prescribed Optixcare twice a day.  Is that similar to the Genteal or Systane?
 

Dr. Jeff

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Yup (Optixcare is similar).

Ideally though his eye would get treated (hot compressed then lubricated) at least 4x a day.

Also, are you also using an Atropine drop or ointment (to dilate the pupil and promote healing)?

Dr. Jeff
 
H

hudsonthehusky

Okay, I will start the hot compress.  No, I am not.  Is that something I can get over the counter?  Right now I am only using the one prescription (mentioned above) and the Optixcare.
 

Dr. Jeff

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Regarding Atropine to dilate his pupil and aid healing, ask your vet about getting some today (s/he should have some there).

Although you can order atropine online, it's best to use it under your vet's direction and monitoring.

In addition, homeopathic Symphytum (orally) can be very useful for helping Hudson's body heal the ulcer.

This remedy is commonly available at health food stores (or it is in the emergency homeopathic medicine kit).

Add 1 pellet to 1 cup of water and give him 1 tsp. Save the cup you make.

Dr. Jeff
 
H

hudsonthehusky

Hello,

My dog, Hudson, is having issues with eye ulcers again.  He had one in his left eye a couple weeks ago and we went to an veterinary ophthalmologist to have it checked out.  He did a procedure on it and it was healed in a few days.  We went back for his 2 week checkup and he had one in his other eye so now we are working on healing that one.  Is there a way to help prevent these ulcers from occurring?  They cannot find any reason that they are happening, no eyelid or lash issues, no trauma or an event to link it back to either.  Any help would be appreciated!
 

Dr. Jeff

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Great to see you here again Crystal.

I'm sorry to hear about Hudson's recurring eye ulcers.

There are lots of ways that you can help prevent them!

Eye ulcers are frequently related to inadequate tear production or coverage of the cornea.

An important thing you can do is to proactively use eye lubrication.

Especially a drop or gel that contains hyaluronic acid like Remend Corneal Repair.

At this time, the gel is best to use, but can be alternated with the drops.

And a topical antioxidant such as the ones in Ocluvet (click/tap here to read more or buy).

The bottom line though is that this symptoms is just one of the signs of internal imbalance and sub-optimal vitality.

What have you been feeding Hudson?

Has he had any problems since we last spoke?
 
H

hudsonthehusky

Thank you for your recommendations.  I have been using a lubricating drop but I am almost out so I will try the Remend and also get some Ocluvet.

He is still eating Freshpet, the refrigerated dog food from Whole Foods plus the blueberry kale mixture and one raw egg a day.  We've considered going back to raw or trying a organic dog food meal subscription but aren't sure what is best.

He has been doing pretty good besides the eyes.  Although, his skin has been a little dry and itchy lately but his energy and mood have been good.  Both the eye and the skin issue started happening after we stopped giving him the pro and probiotics.  There are other variables too but maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to put him back on them.
 

Dr. Christina

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As Dr. Jeff said, the main cause for any problem recurring and being slow to heal is an internal imbalance. Because the basic steps we have suggested have not helped prevent them from happening again, I would suggest it is now time to begin to work with a veterinary homeopath. As a member that could be with Dr. Jeff.

The focus would be on any problems Hudson has ever had, the skin and of course, the eyes. The search would be for the one homeopathic medicine that would resolve all these problems. To find the best match, the veterinary homeopath will need the clues Hudson gives you with his symptoms. Your timeline of all his problems, treatments and especially response to treatments will really help in the remedy selection. For instance, the second ulcer treated by the specialist healed more quickly - what was different about that treatment? Does he squint more in sunlight or indoors? When does he paw more at the eye?

There is no one best diet for any one individual dog (cat or person!). We all need different foods at different times, so it is good to have at least 3 or 4 brands that you feed so he can get different ingredients. You may notice he likes one more than another at certain times. Even the blueberry kale mixture can be varied. Have you tried sharing your meals with him? For example, if you are eating chicken, he gets the back and neck (raw) and a puree of the fresh and cooked vegetables you are eating.

Especially since he is on drugs, the pre and probiotics are very important.
Dr. Chambreau
 

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