My new addition, 2 year old German Shepherd (Duke) has this week a bulging eye like (cartoon eye). I thought his eye may resolve itself, however it is now a week on and no change. So a visit to the vet may be needed. Anyone with any experience of this or any thoughts would be gratefully accepted.

A vet visit is essential! Take him first thing tomorrow - eyes are very delicate, and it doesn't take much to lose them.

I'd get to the vets asap (in fact I'd have gone immediately) - not worth taking a risk with eyes.  When I googled it, all the causes were serious ones.

Do let us know how you get on and good luck.  I hope it's ok

> So a visit to the vet may be needed

Would definitely say get your dog to a vet quickly.

Agree with all the others a vets visit IS needed asap and not delayed.

A friend I know has a Boxer who had an eye ulcer, the ulcer got infected
despite being on antibiotic drops (and being under vet care) and the eye popped.
The dog was in a lot of pain and has now undergone an op.

If I think any of my dogs have problems with eyes they are straight down the vet
and no delay to wait and see.

Any news?

What did the vet say?

Hi dogs a babe

Thanks for the response, however i will be honest with you i haven't been to the vet yet. My last GS was really ill last year, finally dying at 6yrs of age with Lymphoma. It felt like i lived at the vets and i really dislike the place for obvious reasons, just because the news is never that good.

I know this is no excuse and i was going to give him till Monday and then take him in to be checked. He is just his normal fit healthy self, the eye hasn't even bothered him, no one has noticed it bulging, but to me it just appears alot bigger than usual and bigger than the other eye. It has the white of the eye showing most of the way round.

I suppose i need to start thinking of Dukes welfare and forget the past.

>I suppose i need to start thinking of Dukes welfare and forget the past.

That's what Duke needs you to do. His welfare is paramount now; to neglect it does both him and your previous dog who you lost so tragically early a disservice.

>> I suppose i need to start thinking of Dukes welfare and forget the past.

Going to the vets may put your mind at ease and could be the difference between a simple treatment and a long drawn out treatment.

>It felt like i lived at the vets and i really dislike the place for obvious reasons, just because the news is never that good

Thanks for the reply, and it's very honest of you to admit your fears.

The difficulty here is that it could be very serious, eyes are so sensitive.  It's also one of those things that you as an owner are much more likely to notice than anyone else.  Early intervention could make all the difference.  It could be anything from an infection to pressure change in the eye but the bulging is NOT normal.

Of course we all hope the news is good and that your vet can reassure you, but imagine how you'd feel if your delay was the difference between saving his eye and losing it.

Take courage and please get Duke to the vet before Monday.

.

You're not on your own.  All of us, at some time or another, have felt that we've lived at the vets.

I know, when I went through a bad patch, I almost felt that I would have been better off taking a sleeping bag with me.

But you have to ignore your own feelings here, and do what is right for your dog - who is the important one here.

We've probably all got stories we can share...

I lost my 11yo old matriarch Misty last year due to bloat she survived the op at the vet but died 12 hours later,
the day after we lost her I had her daughter Abby in the vet for an operation to remove grade 2 mast cell tumours.
The same day, when leaving Abby with the vet for her op I collected Misty's body to take her to the pet crem I use.

I can't begin to tell you how hard it was, but I had to put Abby first - her welfare was top priority.
If I hadn't been strong I could well have lost Abby to cancer, instead 9 months later I still have her.
Because I put her first above my emotions.

Now's the time to be strong for Duke.

Well that wasn't too bad, Thanks everyone.

We have just got back from the vets, and the vet concluded that Dukes other eye appears slightly sunken, this eye is on the same side as his droopy ear, so the resulting diagnosis was Horner's Syndome (Idiopathic) not serious hopefully. With Duke showing no signs of illness, the vet just suggested that i monitor Duke and see how he goes.

So we're of to the park with his new ball on a rope to celebrate.

Excellent news - now you can stop worrying! :-)

Thanks for letting us know - what a relief

...such an unusual condition too

Give Duke a hug from his Champdog support team :)

I thought i'd had all the GSD diseases in the past - Peri-anul fistulas, Stroke, Lymphoma, Pano, and now this. I could be a Vet in another few years........at this rate.

The disease list is endless.

      

Ooooh, I've got Horner's syndrome!!  I've never heard of anyone else, human or dog having it!!

*Sob* I thought I was special!

:-D

Apparently it's most common in Golden Retrievers rather than other breeds.

Had a thought after I'd posted.  I don't want to worry you and this may not be the case at all with dogs, but you might want to research it further.  After I was diagnosed I had to have a series of tests to make sure that it was not caused by anything serious, as it can be caused by problems in the lungs, pituitary gland or brain, so I had a neck and brain mri scan and chest xrays. This was because the nerve which affects the eyelid does not simply go from brain to eye, but a more circuitous route.

Luckily, in my case, it was nothing serious and hopefully, this is the case with your GSD.

The vet didn't push for more thorough tests like x rays etc ( i think maybe because it was a Sunday and they only open for an hour). However i might just go back, because after today i'm not totaly satisfied with the symptoms and the suggestion of Horner's, after doing more research yesterday afternoon.

I'm still convinced that it is the original eye that needs attention because today Duke is totaly looking to his right hand side with this eye.

I'll see how this eye looks tomorrow.

I was thinking about this thread again last night, and just in case anyone thinks I look like a mad woman with a 'cartoon eye'  I thought I'd mention that the only symptoms I have of this is that my left pupil stays small, my eyelid droops a bit and I don't sweat on that side of my face!!

It occurred to me that you must have all thought I looked like a Gorgon or something!!!!! :-D

I was picturing Marge Simpson myself, don't know about the hair though.

Not Popeye's sister, then?

Hopefully not :-o :-D

Blinkey Blimey Popeye's sister, you're giving your age away there Jeangenie.

I have taken Duke back to the vet's today as he is poorly, one of his eyes is hardly opening, the pupil is large, and there is as a slight discharge from it. The vet seemed to think a film was covering the eye causing discomfort.

He is booked in tomorrow for further tests etc. Hopefully there is nothing too serious found.

Sorry to hear this.  I have to say it sounds more serious than your vets description - thank goodness for the extra tests.  Do ask for a second opinion though if you get nothing conclusive from the tests as it seems to have been rumbling on for a while.  I'll be thinking of you xx

glaucoma, gutted.

I rather thought it sounded like that.  Will he be having the eye removed.

he will need to have the pressure measured in the other eye regularly and it is likely that he will need to have lifelong drugs to control this, to save the other eye.

For seven days i am to give him 1 eye drop, 3 times a day (Trusopt) to see if the pressure is relieved. I take him back next Thursday for reassessment and then he may need to be refered to an eye specialist in Manchester.

I don't think he is totaly blind in the eye at the moment, only early stages of glaucoma was diagnosed.

However i have researched this disease and know that it is a frustrating disease to deal with. Having to be on the alert for changes in his other eye to catch possible glaucoma early.

I had hoped he was too young to have glaucoma as he has only just turned 2 years old and glaucoma is not a specific/common GSD disease i thought.

There are two forms of glaucoma Primary and Secondary, see link below:

http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/Eye_Leaflet.pdf

The AHT have a new machine called an endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation piece of equipment which treats primary glaucoma, if your boy is insured, and as he is so young it may worth asking if this would be of help in his case, it may be that it would not help, but worth enquring, you never know.   I believe that it is a laser which burns away the fluid producing areas in the eye. 

Thank you dogsdinner for the link, i have looked at various sites for info, there is so much to take in.

What i have decided in my mind is to give the eye drops a few day's to see how the pressure responds, then revisit the vet to see if the eye is blind, if so i am thinking two options either Evisceration and Intrascleral Prosthesis or Intravitreal Gentamicin Injection.

Such a worry for you, but do look into the laser treatment if possible.   But I would add, ask to seek the advice of a BVA/ECVO recommended opthalmology specialist sooner than later, that is what they are there for, I think that the quicker treatment is started the better the outcome.

[url=]My new addition, 2 year old German Shepherd (Duke) has this week a bulging eye like (cartoon eye). I thought his eye may resolve itself, however it is now a week on and no change. So a visit to the vet may be needed. Anyone with any experience of this or any thoughts would be gratefully accepted[/url].

[url=]Glaucoma  gutted[/url]

my boy was diagnose with Glaucoma  18 mths ago, we  continued with the treatment, and  pressure checks , but although the pressure was  being  stabilised , something still was nto right, unfortunately the Glaucoma was disguising  a more serious  condition   , his eye was bulging  from the socket,  and on our last visit to vets after xmas, me vet raised his concern..(both our concerns)    with in the next two weks we had seen a eye specialist and  and a oncologist, and the diagnosis  of an orbital meningioma  was found, he lost his eye and they managed to take most of the tumor away, sadly they could not remove it all,  as it has spread to the nervous system round his nasal passage...  but for now he is fine,    he copes well without his eye, bumps into things now and again, but does nto miss any crumbs on the floor.

Sorry  dont mean to scare monger, but its always worth knowing  incase of other complications.

... 

On a good note  though Glaucoma can be  controlled!!