[Dailydrool] einstein, gotcha day, medical update

[Nancy Cohen]

today is Einstein's gotcha day!  In 2005 he came to me as a 5 mo. old 
rescue thru tristate.  The same day Annie, the same age  was adopted by 
my son and his new wife Michelle.  Annie and Einstein remain best 
buds..  Einstein went to the eye specialist today and the news was not 
good.  Although the pressure in his right eye is down to 35 it is still 
not a good number and the loss of vision in that eye is permanent.  He 
is still on meds, but thankfully not every 2 hours , and some of the 
meds are now being given to both eyes to help preserve the left eye 
vision.  Einstein did not miss a cookie crumb that other dogs left at 
the front desk.  The vet laughed and said he can see out of the left 
eye, but he has to "open"  it first.  Einstein is being Einstein and 
milking this for all the sympathy he can.  He stopped to say hello to 
every patient, all the kids , and every receptionist.  We see the doctor 
again in 2 weeks to see if the pressure is reduced more.  He gave me 2 
options: 1. do laser surgery and  keep him on meds for both eyes as a 
prophylactic for the left and to keep the pressure down in the right.  
This will preserve his right eye, but it will not function. This surgery 
may fail and have to be repeated.  2. remove the right eye and stitch it 
closed.  He does not do a "ball" replacement.  He said the surgery is 
very painful, and I will still continue with meds for the left eye as a 
preventative.  He said the tear production has increased, which is 
good.  The glaucoma had nothing at all to do with the cyst.  It is a 
coincidence.  He called the glaucoma primary.......in other words 
genetic.  Fast moving, hard to salvage, and pretty much inevitable.  Any 
thoughts.?  My thought is for removal.  Why use expensive meds to treat 
a non functioning eye?   I have a call out to my regular vet, who is not 
in today and doesn't even know this happened.  I trust his opinion 
because he is not an alarmist, nor is he radical in his thinking.  nancy