Eyelid and eye issues

To Whom It May Concern-

Our 2 year old chihuahua has had past eye and eyelid issues. Last year she had a nasty bout of eyelid swelling and squinting of her eyes. At that time she had some findings on her optic nerves with mild swelling. After a round of steroid eyedrops, prednisone and benadryl she returned to normal.

This year, a few months later than last year at this time, she has returning eye issues but this time only effecting her upper and lower lids with no eye problems (complete check with stains, etc.). She went on the same medication bout as described above and did better. It is now returning again approximately two weeks later. She is squinting, has noticeable swelling/irritation of her inner lids and they are watering.

A vet suggested an autoimmune disorder potentially or sending our dog to an opthamologist? The vet also suggested allergy testing. All of this is very expensive and we are trying to narrow down potential causes before approaching these routes.

What might be some causes of this issue and what would your recommendations be in regards to this matter?

Thank you for your time, it is much appreciated.

[Jaybay]

Hi and welcome!  Unfortunately, this board is not moderated by a veterinarian so we can't really give you any diagnosis clues.  I do think your vet gave you good advice though.  It's time to take your dog to a specialist, and an opthamologist is a good start.  Have you looked into a university with a veterinary program?  They have vet hospitals and take patients - might be a little cheaper than a private practice.  Also, you might check out carecredit.com for a line of credit that is good for only medical vendors for humans or pets.  Some private practices accept it or offer their own financing if the problem is very expensive.  

There are expert forums here at Med Help moderated by veterinarians, so see what they advise.  The name of the forum is "Animal Health - General".  Best of luck to you both.  I know how difficult it is to try to balance the budget when a bad vet problem crops up.