Yes, Things are Looking Better Around Here

If you've been reading my posts lately, you may think things seemed pretty bleak around our abode.  Woe was us.  The Winter of our Discontent.  Well, now with some lovely warm temperatures and Carolina Blue skies, I can misquote the Bard by saying it has been made glorious Spring by this sun of High Point.  I ask you, how can things be bad when it's 65 degrees, the sun is shining, and the daffodils are starting to bloom?  That's the first one (left) in our yard...a King Alfred...the first of many, I hope.

Yesterday brought some resolution to Elmo's struggles with primary glaucoma, which is a breed-related defect in the fluid drainage system in the eye(s).  After a particularly trying weekend where he barely raised his sweet head off the sofa...not eating at all on Sunday...he went in early for his appointment with the wonderful Dr. Nasisse, Veterinary Ophthalmologist at Carolina Veterinary Specialists.  We reviewed the options for treatment that he had outlined at our last appointment and decided the Intravitreal injection of gentocin was the best choice, as Elmo could no longer see from his right eye.  With this procedure, he will no longer have pain from the pressure, and he will keep his own eyeball which will eventually become smaller than normal since the fluid-produing cells will stop working permanently.  The procedure was quick and only required a short sedation; the complication rate is very low, we were told.  Although one of the other choices (evisceration) may have provided a more cosmetically-pleasing result, we were concerned about the discomfort and swelling following that type of surgery (synthetic intrascleral prosthesis...a silicone implant)

Good news!  He sailed through the procedure with flying colors, and we were able to pick him up later in the afternoon.  He continued to be a little sleepy from the anesthesia, but was up-and-at-'em by 6:00 p.m...devouring his supper (and some of Duchess').  We continue to use two kinds of drops in his left eye, twice a day...as a temporary measure.  Dr. Nasisse says Elmo can still see out of the left eye, but it will eventually be affected (6 months to 3 years)...we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  We also are using an antibiotic eye drop in the right eye 3 times a day for the next 10 days, along with administering a liquid Meloxicam solution...or, trying our best to...to help relieve any pain or inflammation from the procedure.  Elmo just won't take pills...and yes, we've tried to hide them in cheese...in peanut butter...wrap them in ham or turkey or chicken or roast beef...coat them in bacon grease (yuck!)...no luck.  He's too wise to our ways.  So, they gave us this med in liquid form...with this squirty-syringe to aid in getting the medicine in his mouth.  Imagine trying to penetrate a stone with a straw.  It took two of us to get about 1/4 of a dose down last night.  I'm less-than-eagerly looking forward to doing that again tonight...by myself...as my DH has deserted me gone out of town on business.  Ah well...it's all worth it.

Here are the Boyz (Gus on the left in the photo, Elmo on the right) enjoying our new storm door.  I took this shot today, so you can see that Elmo is doing really well; although there is still some swelling of his right eye, it is much less-noticeable after his procedure. You can also see a reflection of our other enclosure to prevent wandering Bassets:  a wire closet shelf, turned on its side, slipped into (and easily removed from...) anchors that are screwed into the porch posts.  It's a perfect solution to the problem.  You may not realize it, but Basset Hounds are fast when they want to be...that is, when an unguarded door is left open.  Free Bird!

Speaking of Bassets making a mad dash for freedom, Duchess (AKA Queen Houdini)...who is doing very well these days, recovering nicely from her ordeal with the cyst...was lounging on the sofa at the time.  Usually, she is the one in the window...watching the world go down her street...waiting for just the right moment...