Xander's Eye

[Orlaith]

I had Xander at the vet on Friday. He has an ulcerated cornea (i.e. a big scrape on his eyeball). I don't know if it was another pig (doubtful, they all get along), or, more likely, a hay poke, but it's waaaaay worse than any eye injury I've ever had with one of my pigs.

Here's a pic: click me. It's a little gross so don't look if you're squeamish.

He's been getting two ointments three times a day (fucithalmic first to clear any infection, and vidisic lubricant because his eye is dry), but it doesn't seem to be improving.

I'm starting to panic that he'll lose his eye. Every time I look at him I feel like crying, it looks so sore.

He doesn't seem to be in any pain, though, and he's eating away and still nice and inquisitive, but I'm so worried for him.

Fingers crossed for my little Xander

[Kayleigh]

Is he able to see in the eye? If not then removal may be his best option.

How long has it been imflammed?


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[jakodi]

Wow I hope he is okay and doesn't need to lose it or end up blind or anything! You are obviously doing everything you can, you will just have to wait and see. Ill keep my fingers crossed.

[Orlaith]

It's been like that since Friday. He seems to have retained some vision in it; he reacts to movement on that side. But at the same time, if it's a choice between saving the eye and saving him, it's a no brainer.

If there's no improvement by tomorrow I'm going to bring him back to the vet.

Thankfully he's still in great form, eating and playful.

[lisa21264]

Im sending good thoughts for xander hope he pulls through with the eye intact.

[Orlaith]

I've an appointment in an hour. My gut feeling isn't good. I'm confident that Xander will be okay but I think he's going to need surgery.

Fingers crossed I'm totally wrong about the surgery, but his eye looks awful and he can't close it anymore so it's getting really dry. I'm putting lubricant in the whole time to try to stop it getting so dried out. That can't be a good sign.

[turtlesmommy]

good luck hun. i hope everything goes well.

[Orlaith]

I'm just back.

There's good news and bad news. The good news is that he's in much less pain than he was on Friday and he's still in great form and eating and pooping, etc.

The bad news is that the sight in that eye is now totally gone and there's a good chance he'll lose it as he has developed glaucoma in it.

The vet said he'd remove it if I wanted, but given Xander's age he's reluctant if it's not 100% necessary. Ideally he'd like to see him having a stable vision-less but otherwise normal eye.

He's on baytril for 5 days, back on metacam, continuing the fucithalmic ointment and instead of the lubricant he's getting difene drops 4 times a day (which is an anti-inflammatory and painkiller). I'm hoping the anti-inflammatory will reduce the swelling and pressure in the eye so that the eye surface itself just needs to heal.

I've been warned by the vet that there is a good chance that the eye will burst (which is really freaking me out), but if it does it'll be a faster and easier recovery than putting him through surgery.

If I'm honest, I'm feeling a little sick at the idea of him losing the eye at home, and I'm so upset because he's my most special little man. He's the first pig I ever got and he's so handsome. I love him so much. But if it's less traumatic for him than surgery I'll go with it. I'm still hoping the eye will stop swelling and return to somewhat normal. I'm not religious, but I'm praying for my little Xander.

[lisa21264]

Is it ok if I pray for him.? If not Im sending good thoughts his way. poor guy the eye looks like it hurts.Ill pray the swelling goes down and the eye remains intact if its ok.

[turtlesmommy]

i really hope it clears up

[Orlaith]

The more prayers the better! He can use all the help he can get.

I'll keep you updated on how he's doing.

[lisa21264]

Ive been praying for xander. I hope he pulls through ok. Please keep us posted.

Lisa

[Orlaith]

Thanks

Last night he wasn't in great form. He got a LOT of poking and prodding at the vet, plus an injection, so he wasn't feeling the best. He was a bit off his food and not very social.

This morning, though he was back to his chipper little self, mooching around the cage, eating his pellets and hay, drinking, snuggling with the girls, so yay!

As for the eye, it doesn't look any different to me. My partner thinks it looks a little less swollen, but I'm not convinced. I'm glad he's feeling better, though. So long as he's happy that's all that matters. As my OH pointed out to me, he doesn't have the capacity to feel sorry for himself, he's just dealing with things as they come, like a piggy should, and thinking of it that way has helped me a lot.

[Orlaith]

Xan is getting a bit annoyed at being taken out of his cage seven times a day for medicine, but he'll just have to get over that!

The muscle around the eye definitely isn't as red as it was, though the eye is still protruding a lot. The eye itself is really dry because he can't close it, and starting to scab a bit (which is normal). If the swelling comes down so that he can close his eye then chances are the scab will fall off and his eye will be fine (though he'll still be blind on that side). It's still gross but not freaking me out as much.

Fingers crossed for Xander!

[turtlesmommy]

its great to hear theres some improvement and that its not freaking you out as much lol

[Orlaith]

I spoke to the vet yesterday to let him know how Xander was. I've to start giving extra lubrication as often as I can and just keep going as I'm going.

Xan still can't close his eye, but since the eye is scabbing that might be a blessing in disguise because I imagine that would be agony, closing your eyelid over that. Ouch!

Under his eye is a little wet, and I can't tell if that's just the run off from all the drops and ointments or if the eye has finally ruptured and is starting to leak. I mentioned it to the vet and he said that if the eye was leaking it wasn't the worst thing in the world as at least we'd know it was going in one direction or the other.

So, unless there are any changes, I've to ring with another update next week.

Xanxan has been in good form the past few days but he's a little quiet today so I've given him some oral painkillers to help him.

Fingers crossed we see some improvement this week.

[Orlaith]

I've been keeping under Xander's eye as dry as possible but it just keeps leaking. There was a little blood there this morning so I brought him back to the vet.

The vet thinks he might have developed a little abscess behind the eye because it's not going back into position at all, and if that's the case and it keeps growing then it could put pressure on his brain, so he's going in for surgery this afternoon.

I'm so worried. I hope he comes through it okay. He's four and a half, so not too old bit old enough. Fingers crossed for him.

[Kayleigh]

Oh i hope he pulls through. Let us know.

Kayleigh

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[Orlaith]

He's just out of surgery and starting to wake up.

They've removed the eye and said there was a big enough abscess behind it, so they've cleared all that as well. They found a little piece if debris that looks like a hay seed or something, so that's what started the whole thing, I guess and he probably scraped his eye trying to get at it.

So fingers crossed his recovery is good. I'm collecting him this evening when he'll be more awake, so I'll update ye then

[lisa21264]

I hope and pray xander comes through this ok. Keep ues posted on how hes doing.

[Orlaith]

I'm just home with him now.

The eye socket is all stitched up apart from one bit at the end to let the wound drain. I've to keep him clean and not let the hole close so that anything in there comes out.

The operation was pretty tough and they thought at first that they were going to just have to put him to sleep, but they managed to get the area cleaned out pretty well.

There is a chance there's some infection left where they couldn't reach, or that the infection has travelled up the optic nerve into his brain, so I've to monitor him really closely.

His remaining eye is twitching on and off as a result of the optic nerve being stimulated, but chances are that'll settle down.

There's also a slight chance of brain damage, so I'll be watching him like a hawk.

So far he's turning around in his carrier trying to get comfy, but he's not accepting any veg just yet.

I'll keep him in his carrier for another while as we're doing the full clean tonight, so he can go back into a nice clean cage.

Fingers crossed his recovery goes well. You can do it, Xander!

[Kayleigh]

Ohh fingers crossed!! Im glad things have gone well so well. Id be inclined to keep him in the carrier overnight, just to let him get some sleep. He must be feeling pretty weird just now.

Hopefully he will perk up a little.

Kayleigh

[shewolfsilver]

Awww poor little thing had to go through so much! I hope he feels better. As for being with out an eye he will adapt splendidly I'm sure. My cat Booger only has one eye. When I took him in he had an URI that was so severe it took one of his eyes. It took many many months of antibiotics to get him over it. But he has lived 10 wonderful healthy years without his eye!

[thefourpigs]

Loving healthy thoughts going out to the little guy! Here's hoping all goes well and speedily with his recovery!

[Orlaith]

I ended up putting him back in with his ladies last night as it was real cold here last night. I figured that the hot water bottle would only last so long but piggy heat lasts forever

At first he just slept under the little blanket we gave him, beside the hot water bottle but not on it. Then the girls all came down to see him (except Styx, who freaked out and started chirping), and they left him alone once they were satisfied he was home.

He started walking around the cage then (staggering, more like) until he found his favourite house. He settled in there and Snoop cuddled up beside him and groomed him. He came out for a drink at one point and then went back to sleep.

This morning he's still a little wobbly on his feet, but he milled into his veg, which is good. I cleaned around the wound and it seems okay so far. Touch wood!

I don't think he's fully awake yet, but this is his 3rd general anaesthetic and he was very slow to recover from the other ones as well. It took him a good 36-48 hours to get back to himself on those previous occasions, so I'd say it'll be tomorrow before he's back to being Xander.

Fingers crossed he'll be okay.

[Orlaith]

An update on Xander.

He's doing much better without the eye than with it. His wound is healing up nicely. We've been trying to keep it open to allow it to drain, but yesterday it was closed up and we couldn't pull it apart. I spoke to the vet who said it wasn't ideal but if the body really wants to close there's very little can do. He could put in a drain but with the wound being on the face he'd just paw it off. We've to keep an eye to make sure there's no swelling or heat in the area.

He still isn't coming running for his veg but he is eating when I give it to him. He seems to be a bit slow to eat but he's getting food in there and pooping it out

He's also bunny hopping rather than walking, which was worrying me a lot, but I asked the vet about that too and he said that he got some injections into the back legs while he was knocked out, so he might be a little sore. It should pass with time.

I've to ring the vet again on Monday with an update and arrange to bring him back for his checkup.

[lisa21264]

Im glad hes eating for you. I hope he is going to come through this ok sending good thoughts and prayers his way. Keep us posted on how he is doing.

[Orlaith]

Xander is like a whole new pig for the last 24 hours. He's back pushing his way through the herd to get his veg, out pottering around the cage, eating pellets and hay and drinking much more than he has since this whole eye drama started. His little cheeky look is back too

The only thing is that someone has pulled on his stitches and ripped off the scab (ouch!). I'd say one of the girls was grooming him and got a bit carried away. The wound has scabbed over again and seems okay, but it's hurts him if we try to get the old scab off the stitches that are remaining, so we're just leaving it there. I called the vet this morning, which I was due to do anyway, and he said that so long as the wound is closed up and he's not in distress then it's okay, and to just monitor him and make sure he keeps eating and pooping and isn't crying or anything. I've to call again on Wednesday with an update, or before if I feel Xan is going downhill again.

[Kayleigh]

Thats awesome news! Its always wondeful to hear of haply ending.

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[Orlaith]

Xander was back for his two-week check up today. The vet is thrilled with his progress and how well his eye is healing. There's just a tiny hole now which will sort itself in time. The nurses couldn't get over how lively and friendly he was compared to the last day he was in. Yay!

There's still a chance that an abscess might recur in the next few months, but so far so good.