[MyaStitch]

It all started with one eye being scratch raw and not healing. We took Stitch to the vet and he told us it was due to a tooth infection. His teeth were cleaned, a few teeth removed and he was given an antibiotic shot. Within 3 days the eye was healed!

Then it came back. This time including a big scratch on the side of his nose. We took him back to the vets again and the vet said his nasal canal is blocked. The suggested option was to put him under anesthesia (again) and have it cleared with the high possibility of it just getting blocked again.

To me this is just treating the symptoms and not the cause. Any ideas on what could be causing Stitch to continue rubbing his eyes (it has spread to both now) and nose? My thought was allergies, but we've tried benadryl and I don't really want to constantly be giving it to him. He is 8 years old and eats Blue Buffalo Senior food. Other than scratching his face, his behavior and appetite is normal.

Thank you for your help and suggestions! Just looking to see if anyone has experienced something similar with their dog.

 

[Tess]

Oh my gosh! He looks a mess! He really needs to go back to the vet, or to a new vet to get this diagnosed.

Right now, he needs a cone collar on his head asap to keep him from scratching up his eyes. You have big problems here that could get a lot worse!

Vet, vet, vet!

 

[LuvMyFluff]

Oh my yes! That poor kid needs to see a vet! And a E collar!!!!!

 

[MyaStitch]

Thanks for the response Tess! The cone is going on and I'm taking him to the vets first thing Monday morning. I'm hoping to have some educated questions to ask the vet or suggestions for tests when I go.

 

[AllieD]

I've never seen anything quite like that. I totally agree with Tess and luvmyfluff get her to the vet as soon as possible. I hope he gets better soon

 

[Tess]

Thanks for the response Tess! The cone is going on and I'm taking him to the vets first thing Monday morning. I'm hoping to have some educated questions to ask the vet or suggestions for tests when I go.

OK good!

Things to ask... hm...
simple bacterial infection?
viral infection?
fungal infection?
food allergies?
environmental allergies?
some sort of an odd auto-immune issue?

There is such a thing as a veterinary opthamologist... you might seek one out if you primary vet is stumped.

 

[Rain]

Could he have something in his eye, or have something like a corneal scratch?

 

[CadenceDiscordia]

Awww, poor Stitch. That does not look fun at all!
I hope you find out the cause soon. =/

 

[MyaStitch]

Thank you for the suggestions! The vet checked for scratches the first time we took him and said there weren't any.

One thing I did think of was we switched him from regular Blue Buffalo to Senior around the same time this whole thing started. Maybe he's having an allergy to the added grain? He was having constipation issues after being on the same food for a few years which is why we switched him.

 

[Tess]

At this point, its quite likely he has scratched his eyes with his front feet. Its also likely he has infections in both eyes from all the trauma. He needs to see the vet again, get re-tested for scratches and go back on eye drops.

The skin around his eyes is in terrible condition and needs to be protected so it can heal.

So what I'm saying is you have to treat the immediate issues here, as well as find the root cause of the irritation in the first place. But right now you have run away problems due to all the scratching he has been able to do. Keep that cone on him ALL the time. Just one self-pawing to the eye gets you back to square one.

Don't take the cone off, even if you are there with him. He will sneak a scratch for sure.

 

[Roy]

Its very important to treat problems around the eyes carefully and promptly or they can result in permananent damage as the dog tries to scratch itself or if infections set in.

 

[Tess]

Any updates on this pup?

 

[MyaStitch]

Any updates on this pup?

After a couple days with the cone his eyes are starting to look better. Our vet gave us Neomycin & Polymyxin B Sulfates & Dexamethasone Ophthalmic Ointment to rub in both eyes twice a day. He also had us pick up saline contact solution to drop in his eyes throughout the day to help dry them out since his nasal canal is blocked and causing excess moisture.

Still no answers on a cause. I'm buying new dog food tomorrow from some people we met at the local Farmer's Market with hopes it's an allergy to the Blue Buffalo Senior Food. Here's a link to the food I'm going to try: Canine Caviar

About how long do you suggest waiting for improvement before I go back to the vets or take him to a different one?

 

[Tess]

That's great news he is improving.

That food appears to be pretty good, but its not really for treating allergies. (also, I don't see a nutritional breakdown or actual ingredients list... leaving those out of the description is a bit suspect?)

If I were concerned about food allergies as a source of this, I'd go straight for an Rx hypoallergenic food from the vet and do the food trial test. That means give no other food besides the hypoallergenic food for 8 weeks (no treats, no human food) If that took care of it, and I did not like keeping him on the Rx food forever, I'd look into Limited Ingredient foods that might not have allergens in them for him.

All that said, the eyes being the primary place he's having trouble may be more likely to be environmental factors (mold, dust mites, grass, etc.) Does your vet have an opinion on this?

It is also possible he does not have a serious allergy of any kind, but just got a minor irritation that has become a major issue because he kept scratching his eyes, which of course CAUSES further irritation, infections, inflammation, which makes for more itching, more scratching etc.

So, the first thing to do, is exactly what you are now doing, which is not to take that cone off for even a minute, for the next several weeks! He needs to be completely absolutely healed before you take it off. Then start with taking it off while you can watch him to see if he still itches.

To answer your last question, it takes 8 weeks on a food to know if it is helping allergies.

I would take your dog back sooner than that to keep track of the progress in his eyes healing.... probably in a week or two. They should not charge you much for a "re-check", particularly if you are following the directions and keeping the cone on, so he is healing and its not like they have to start over again with him.

Good luck, and do let us know how he does!
Would love to see some updated pics some time!

 

[MyaStitch]

Thank you so much for all of the information Tess! I will post an update picture in a week so you can see his progress. If I don't post, feel free to remind me.

 

[MyaStitch]

*Update*
Stitch's eyes haven't improved with the eye medicine from our vet and the change in food. He developed an ear infection a couple days ago as well. We took him to a different veterinarian office yesterday. They did some blood work and everything came back fine. All 3 vets in the office had never seen his issue before, but said his eyes and other mucus membrane areas looked healthy. We've been given a 1 month supply of antibiotics and told if it doesn't clear up to take him to a dermatologist.

 

[CadenceDiscordia]

Poor guy! I hope the antibiotics help...