Doubling upon surgery limits dog’s anesthesia

I have a 7-year-old Lhasa Apso that I recently took into an emergency veterinary referral hospital after his left eye swelled and turned blue. It developed, resolved and then came back after a few days. That’s when I took him in to be seen as a weekend emergency. The vet said he had developed glaucoma in the eye, was blind in that eye, but was otherwise healthy. I did not pursue more testing at the time due to the cost. My regular vet said that he could remove the eye and also suggested some badly needed dental extractions. The cost was far more reasonable than at the emergency center. Is removing the eye and a few teeth at the same time too much for my dog to handle? What will he look like after and how will he do with just one eye?

Glaucoma can be a dangerous problem and causes blindness in animals and people due to a buildup of intraocular pressure. This development can be either slow or sudden in onset. Various medications and procedures can be done to prevent it from getting to the point of blindness. It sounds as if your dog not only has gone blind but has swelling of the eye. As such, an enucleation was recommended. This procedure is likely necessary to prevent rupture of the eye and to relieve your dog of the probable discomfort associated with the condition. I would not hesitate to have both the eye removal and dentistry, including extractions of teeth that need removal, at the same time. While your dog is only 7, getting both situations cared for with one anesthetic procedure is safer and makes more sense. If there were other health concerns or risks, your veterinarian would have apprised you of those. General practice costs are usually somewhat less than emergency and referral centers due to their costs and specialized care, which explains what you experienced. After surgery, your dog will look cosmetically different, but the hair will grow over the area of the removed eye and will look fine. Most importantly, your dog will be more comfortable, at less risk, and will do well with one eye and a healthier oral cavity.