How I Felt When My Baby Lost His Eye!

I am writing this story to explain what I went through when our Taz lost his eye.  So that if you ever had to go through something like this it might help to prepare you.

Wrinkles and Taz have always had tiffs.  Arguments, as I like to call them.  Just like when kids get into arguments.  I’m not sure if it is jealousy, the alpha thing or what.  It usually happens when I give a treat. 

It was Friday, July 30th, about 4:30pm.  The argument broke as quickly as it started, it was a matter of two seconds.  I reached for the water bottle, but it was over!  I thought to myself, that’s weird, they stopped. 

Then I looked quickly at both of them, Taz was holding his head down, turning away with his eye closed.  I picked him up and his eye was watering, just like if I would have been poked in the eye.  Wrinkles had always puts her paw up so I figured that she had poked him in the eye with her nail.  I grabbed him up, I blotted the water away.  I had some eye drops left over from another time, so I put a drop in.  He seemed ok and even opened it. 

About two hours later I went into the bedroom for something, Taz followed me as usual, he laid in his bed, but when I left he stayed there.  I knew he was not feeling well so I gave him a half of baby aspirin.  Dr. Varela had told me in the past that was ok to give that for pain.  He seemed fine, ate his dinner, sat on our laps and gave kisses.  I just figured he would be better in the morning. 

The next morning when I woke up, he was under the bed, he was in pain.  I rushed him to see Dr. Varela at Camino Al Norte Animal Hospital.

Dr. Varela walked into the room looked down at Taz, he hadn’t even met my little Taz yet.  He looked at him and went directly to look at his eye… then he said “THIS IS BAD”! 

He was upset, I was upset, I started crying.  He drew me a picture so that I could understand.  I was so upset I couldn’t get it.  Then he said I am going to sedate him so that I can show you.  Moments later he brought Taz back, lifted the eye lid to show me that the poke was in the white part of the eye, there was some kind of mass coming out.  My baby boy was seriously injured.

I did not want to take Taz to a stranger and I could not afford an optometrist which would be at least $3000.00.  Dr. Varela said that he could try to repair the eye, but he could not guarantee that it would work, the last resort would be to remove the eye.  So Dr. Varela repaired the eye.

On Monday morning, August 2nd, he called and said that the eye was very swollen and full of infection, he had opened the eye and the repair did not hold.  He advised that if it were his dog he would remove the eye. 

I trust Dr. Varela, this why I love him, he will tell you the truth.  I have had vets tell me in the past that it wasn’t their decision and they could not advise me.  I respect him so much.

So as you know, I said yes remove the eye.  The good news was we could pick him up that afternoon.  He had stayed there Saturday and Sunday night.  I just wanted my little boy home.  I wanted him to know that we loved him and we just wanted him home.

This was the night we brought him home!  As you can see he is was very happy and doesn’t seem fazed at all.

Giving Daddy Kisses!

Taz learned to play scoop with his cone to grab toys and bones.  Got It!

Taz with his stitches, I wanted to show you what to expect, incase you ever have to go through this.  The stitches and the shaved eye lid were a little scary at first.

Taz got his stitches out on August 12, 2010, ten days after his eye was removed.  The hair on his eye lid is growing back and both eye brows and expressions move together.  He did have some seeping for a while which kind of bothered me.  The eye is healing nicely.  He just looks like he is winking at you.  His personality is still the same.  He and Wrinkles still have their tiffs, but they are further apart as I have let them know that I am not putting up with it!

 

For a while I admit that I cried when I looked at his old pictures with two eyes.  I cried so hard, I felt so horrible that I could have let this happen to him. 

I have met a lot of one eyed pugs.  I would adopted a one eyed pug in a heart beat with no problem.  Most of their stories are so devastating and you would never want anymore harm to come their way again.

I was upset, beyond words.  I was dealing with it and then I wasn’t.  I was so upset because I had rescued him from harm and this had happened, on my watch.  It took a while, but now I have come to terms with it.  It was an accident, it is a fact of life. 

My little Tazzy man is still a handsome little guy, just as wonderful as ever, and his face is just as beautiful.  I love him so much and I am so very glad to have him in my life forever!