Dog ate chocolate?

ask a vet

Spot on eye.

Species: Dog
Breed: Boxer
Age: 2-5 years
My boxer scratched his eye. Went to Vet and confirmed and they put him on Neomycin cream that I put in his eye for a week. Went back for re-check and was told to keep doing Neomycin for another week and then went back again. Scratch is gone, but he still has a white cloudy area in the center of the eye. They then put him on Ofloxacin drops every 4 hours for 5 days. They said the next step would be Eye Debridement at a cost of $500.00 if it didn't clear. Were to day 5 and the cloudy area is still in the center of his eye. He doesn't seem bothered by it except when he first gets up in the morning he rubs it. My wife just had foot surgery which we had to pay $2700.00 insurance deductible, so $500.00 is hard to come by right now. Do I have any other less expensive alternatives or will this heal on its own or is eye debridement our only option at this point? I want him to get better, and if eye debridement is the only next step, so be it. Just getting a second opinion.
Thanks


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Bo is having these problems.

Neomycin is a common drug to use for a scratched eye in a dog. I will commonly use a combo called BNP which is bacitracin, neomycin and polymyxin.

This is a tough question to answer without seeing Bo's eye. Sometimes, after having an ulcer (scratch) on the eye we can get some scarring which appears as a white, non-raised area. However, a scar would not cause any discomfort at all, so if he is irritated with it then it sounds like there is still more that needs to be done.

It sounds like your vets are concerned that it has not healed properly. When an scratch heals on an eye, the cells heal from the outside in. Sometimes, there can be a "lip" of dead cells in the middle that just won't heal. When this happens then we usually do some type of debridement.

If we don't clear up the dead cells then there may always be a problem, or even worse, he can get a more serious lesion on the eye that could either require more surgery or possibly cause the eye to rupture.

I understand the issues with finances. The hardest part of my job is that I have to charge for the services that pets need. If it helps at all, here is a list of organizations that can help with paying for vet bills.

You can also ask your vet if they would feel comfortable about waiting for another week or two to do the surgery, or if they really feel it needs to be done right away.

I hope everything works out ok!

Dr. Marie.
Related question: Possible stye on dog's eye



Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Swollen lab. Hi, my name is Ron Lamoureux. One month ago I noticed that my 2 yr old Lab... (11057 views)

Is Frontline working for fleas? I live in Iowa and rescued a black Pug from a family in July. The previous owner... (20480 views)

Rat lost his brother. My rat has lost his brother will he be ok i am not getting another... (13484 views)

Bump on tail tip. I noticed a small bump near the very end of my dog's tail, about 1/2 inch wide. She... (45351 views)

Dachshund not feeling well. Dr, We have a new baby girl and Primo has slept in our bed since he was a puppy,... (11514 views)

Heartworm and MDR1 I rrecently had both dogs genotyped for MDR1 mutation and both are positive. Bella... (9304 views)

Dog has wound under arm. I was wondering how I would go about dressing an area on my dog under her arm? It... (11137 views)

Blood pressure for a bird. What is a normal Blood pressure for an AFrican Grey Parrot her wing pressure was... (9810 views)

Vomiting and elevated liver enzymes. Hi Dr. Marie, I don't know the appropriate name for my dog's breed, but I have... (30279 views)

bloat in boerboels Hello. I'm currently looking at information about the boerboel. I'm thinking about... (12439 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.