Lelo Has His Eye On You!

This adorable little face is our friend Lelo F.  He is as sweet as pie, but felt the need to pick a fight with a much bigger dog last fall.  Lelo really felt that the size of the fight in the dog was more important than the size of the dog in the fight.  However, his resulting injury made Dr. Jana and Lori feel otherwise.

Lelo’s owner rushed him in on emergency in the middle of the night.  Dr. Jana and Lori both met them here at the clinic.  Lelo was in stable condition, but was suffering from a condition common in canine trauma victims.  He was diagnosed with eye proptosis.  This condition happens when the eyeball is dislocated from the socket.  It is most common in the “bug-eyed” breeds like Pugs, Shih-tzus, Yorkshire Terriers, and Boston Terriers. Prognosis for this condition varies.  Some dogs fully recover, some dogs recover with a minimally functional eye, and some dogs require removal of the eye due to pain or chronic problems that can be associated with the injuries to the eye. Dr. Jana and Lori administered anesthetic and pain medications and returned Lelo’s eye ball back to where it belonged.  Lelo went home the next day on pain medications and antibiotics.  

Lelo returned a few days later for a recheck.  His eye was not improving as well as it should have been.  Dr. Jana recommended removal of his injured eye.  Surgery was scheduled for the next day.  Lelo had a few more days of pain medications and antibiotics to take post-surgery.  He also had to wear the Cone of Shame so he wouldn’t rub/itch his incision.

We are thrilled to announce that Lelo made a full recovery!  He is doing well at home.  His Mom says he occasionally gets in a hurry, forgets that he can’t see out of that side of his face, and runs into things.  However, he gets around great if he doesn’t get in a rush.  We are so thankful he made such a splendid recovery!  This little fellow puts a smile on our faces and we hope he puts one on yours, too!  No more fighting, Lelo!

Eye concerns should always be evaluated by a veterinarian ASAP!  Persistent rubbing of the eye, redness of the eye, or eye discharge are symptoms that should be quickly addressed.  Eye problems can spiral downhill very rapidly and can be extremely painful to the patient.  Please call Best Friends Animal Health Center if you are concerned about your pet’s eyes.