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Dog lost it's eye


mick miller
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Well, last winter my little stunning cocker suffered an injury whilst beating, put a blackthorn through the pupil and eye. After a 4k bill the specialist (the best in Europe) managed to save the eye, although the pupil had to be removed.

 

Today, after many months of careful medication and care I had to rush her back to the specialist as it became clear that things had just started to deteriorate to a point where the little girl was in clear pain and any vision appeared to have long since gone. Another near 2k later the eye is out and she has recovered from the operation, I should pick up her tomorrow. I know the bills are high but I didn't want a local vet performing such an operation, she's gone to one of the best specialist vets in the EU to have the op done, daft I know but I want the best for her.

 

She's a lovely little bitch with a superb temperament, just wondering if anyone else has had to have the same done and what things should I look out for/ avoid also, whether it affected your dogs character in any way, will she still be able to work in the pigeon hide etc.?

Edited by mick miller
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And the animal rights people say we as shooters have no respect for animals!!!

Good on ya for getting her the best treatment you could find.

I hope it doesn't affect her too much and you both have many more happy days in the field. I've only had my dog about 18 month but the love and loyalty he gives has made me a dog lover for life now.

atb P.T

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That is sad news it is surprising that they do not have more problems with there eyes the way that they go through bushes etc but the most important thing is she still has one good eye so can get about ok it is to your credit that you was prepared to spend so much money on as some people would say just a dog but we dog lovers no that they are much more than that they are part of your family so why would you not do all that you can to help her.

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Well, she won't be working on the beating/ flushing line any longer. Maybe a bit of dogging in for the keeper, but mainly I'll just take her rabbit shooting with the rifle (she loves to go fetch the rabbits) and pigeon shooting in the hide, that way I know she'll be unlikely to do any further damage to the good eye.

 

Yes, I do think the world of my dogs, she is insured so some, but by no means all, of the cost was met by the insurers, not that that matters, even if she wasn't insured I'd still try and always find the best care possible. We had planned a big fly drive trip to the states last year, (for next year) pretty much that pot of money is gone. Three weeks in Skeggy just doesn't have the same ring to it somehow!

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I think the true cost of much of the surgery on the NHS is hidden to us, that's why we think 4k for an eye op is expensive for a dog, I wonder what the true cost of a similar op on the nhs would be if it had happened to me (not that I'm likely to go running hell for leather into a thicket of bramble and blackthorn to flush a couple of pheasants out).

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I think the true cost of much of the surgery on the NHS is hidden to us, that's why we think 4k for an eye op is expensive for a dog, I wonder what the true cost of a similar op on the nhs would be if it had happened to me (not that I'm likely to go running hell for leather into a thicket of bramble and blackthorn to flush a couple of pheasants out).

 

I'm guessing a heck of a lot!

 

Good to hear your dog is on the mend :good:

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Enucleation (removal of an eyeball) is actually really quite simple surgery. It's absolutely not a specialist procedure.

 

(all being well I would expect the dog off the table in ~half an hour with a bill of a few hundred).

 

Leave the technical stuff to the specialists, but practically every vet in the country can remove an eye, just about as well as any other.

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All is not lost. I was in a similar situation some years ago and It is so upsetting for you as well as hell for the dog. I was so anoyed at the trearment we received by the vets that I took legal advice ove the matter and it has left me with a great distrust of vets and the way that a lot work. Anyway the dog recovered minus an eye and soon was back into the action. I thought that it was the end of the dogs sporting life but none of it. The dog had many years of full active service out hunting and it didn'rt seem to affect it at all. Like you have said I didn't take it into the line again and she had a great life as a walked up /hide dog. Other injuries that my four dogs have had over the years are >> Groin ripped on barbed wire, ear ripped open on barbed wire. leg ripped open on old tin sheet that someone had dumped in the wood, 2 inch of blackthorn in side of rib skin that had to be pulled out with pliers as it was really in there, ( Dog didn't even seem to realise that it was in her.) various broken / ripped nails and a couple of random cuts. Dogs are really resiliant and soon mend with a bit of love and any injury are attended to as soon as the injury happens.

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All is not lost. I was in a similar situation some years ago and It is so upsetting for you as well as hell for the dog. I was so anoyed at the trearment we received by the vets that I took legal advice ove the matter and it has left me with a great distrust of vets and the way that a lot work. Anyway the dog recovered minus an eye and soon was back into the action. I thought that it was the end of the dogs sporting life but none of it. The dog had many years of full active service out hunting and it didn'rt seem to affect it at all. Like you have said I didn't take it into the line again and she had a great life as a walked up /hide dog. Other injuries that my four dogs have had over the years are >> Groin ripped on barbed wire, ear ripped open on barbed wire. leg ripped open on old tin sheet that someone had dumped in the wood, 2 inch of blackthorn in side of rib skin that had to be pulled out with pliers as it was really in there, ( Dog didn't even seem to realise that it was in her.) various broken / ripped nails and a couple of random cuts. Dogs are really resiliant and soon mend with a bit of love and any injury are attended to as soon as the injury happens.

This is what I wanted to hear (not how many injuries your dog had had, but that she made a full recovery to life everytime).

 

Thank you.

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I think the true cost of much of the surgery on the NHS is hidden to us, that's why we think 4k for an eye op is expensive for a dog, I wonder what the true cost of a similar op on the nhs would be if it had happened to me (not that I'm likely to go running hell for leather into a thicket of bramble and blackthorn to flush a couple of pheasants out).

You are right there. I pay for my own medical insurance and have used it qute a few times with my ability to trip over my own shadow, and they send the bill to me and I forward to insurance. Te anethatist alone on a quick keyhole op on knee was over £2,000...

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Very good, just got the girl back, it looks shocking and weird, don't tell her that though. I think the sight loss must have been a recent thing (last couple of weeks), we noticed her banging her head a little last week on things and she seems to be struggling to pinpoint objects at the moment. I think there will be a period of readjustment for both of us. Keeping the over friendly 5 month old cocker from seeing her playmate is also proving to be quite taxing. Might have to dig those baby gates out again!

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