She has made a remarkable recovery, the vet made an excellent job of stitching her eye closed and it has healed beautifully. It just looks as though she has it shut. Bit surprised just how much it has sunk in though - we had been warned that it does sink in an awful lot as they have such a big eye socket, hence paying about £130 extra for a prosthetic to avoid that! God knows what it would be like without.
To ride, she is a different horse, much more forward going, getting a contact much easier and she is flying over jumps. She must have been so miserable with constant irritation and she now seems to have a new lease of life. (But just think how painful a speck of dust in your eye can be...) She really isnt any spookier than she was 12 months ago, just turns her head now and then presumably to get a better view of the leprechaun family that lives in the budliah up the corner and the horse-eating dragons that hide out under the chairs! Also have to remember to talk to her more if we are doing anything on her blind side.
All in all a satisfactory outcome in the circumstances. (Though we do miss her beautiful eyes gazing at us!)
It was a hard decision to make, we wanted to give her every chance of keeping it. It was the risk with the anaesthetic which was, quite frankly freaking me out. But one day - we thought perhaps as the vet had tried just about every potion known with no significant improvement, it was time to do something about it. Also, without wishing to sound mercenary, the insurance only covered the condition for 1 year, which would be up in April. If we had just left it indefinitely hoping for the best, it would have been just our luck for a major flare up in May! (As the final total came in just a few £ short of the £5,000 limit.............................!!)
Funny isn't it how often you wonder if you did the right think when you know in your heart you did. What if there was a chance of her regaining her sight? Er no, she had a detached retina and although it is possible to reattach dogs and cats, sadly no one has done it with horses. Was the same when I had our first Greyhound pts. Should I have given her a chance? After all Rolf always makes things alright on animal hospital doesnt he? Again, no. Recovery time from heart surgery is approx 3 months......... to give her 3 months. Unfortunately this weekend has brought all that back to the fore, with the pain of agreeing and holding them in your arms. But at least more optimistic now for fat lab!
.gif ":)")
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