treatment for blindness

[SusiQ43]

My little Maltese has Cushings Disease.    He gained 6 pounds in a little over a month and drank and ate constantly.   The vet put him on Lysodren - - and very little!   He only gets 1/4 of a 500 mg pill twice a week and he has already dropped the weight and eats less and doesnt drink quite as much.

One morning he had green gunk in one of his eyes and it was stuck together.    I held him with a warm wet cloth over it and then it seemed OK.    But his eyes had a "greenish shine" to them, so I took him to the vet, afraid he had a sudden case of SARDS.      She said no, tested him for dry eye and gave me Cyclosporine drops.

I have an appointment with an opthmologist who comes to our town once a month on April 2, but now he seems totally blind.    Has anyone else dealt with this?    Is there any hope for his eyesight?   Surgery??

Thanks to anyone who can respond!

[Arnold L Goldman, D.V.M.]

Hi again,

Dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) does not get better, it simply is managed, and most dogs do fine with regular medication administration. In addition to his ointment or other eye meds, keep his face near the eyes free of dried mucus to avoid a dermatitis (skin inflammation) from occurring there. Long haired dogs benefit in this regard from maintenance of the fur near the eyes clipped so debris is less likely to accumulate and is easier to clean.

Best regards.

Dr G

[SusiQ43]

Thank you   The opthamologist is Friday.

My dog doesn't seem to be in pain or squint.   I put in artificial tears several times a day.   The vet says he doesn't have glaucoma.   If it's just dry eye, will he get better over time?   I've been treating his eyes about 2 1/2 weeks.   I'm also giving him an antibiotic by mouth daily.    He has very little gunk in his eyes now - - just occasionally a little bit.

[Arnold L Goldman, D.V.M.]

Hi,

Your dog may well have dry eye along with Cushings disease. It may be necessary to add a wetting agent between cyclosporine doses.Alternatively your dog may have developed a corneal ulcer from dryness. If the opthalmologist is many days out recheck sooner with your doctor. If the dog is squinting or otherwise uncomfortable, do the same.if he is blind he may have another condition like glaucoma or uveitis (increased pressure or inflammation or both).
Again see your doc!