Eye Update

If it's true that things happen in three's, then I think we've got eye problems covered. Both Carmen and Makin have been having eye problems and Iris is also joining the club.

I've been trying to work out Iris' allergy issues for a couple months now. I'm fairly certain that household cleaners are the biggest trigger for Iris and floor cleaners (carpet, kitchen floor, etc) are the worst. I've made some changes since moving into the apartment, and I think we're on the right track. The safest cleaner I've come up with is vinegar diluted with water (you can add baking soda to the mix for tough stains or strong odors). The water/vinegar mix is good for the kitchen and bathroom and a steam cleaner with just water in it works well for the carpets. I've been using non-toxic citrus based cleaners for surfaces that Iris doesn't come in contact with (counters, bathroom, etc). I have tried the citrus cleaner for the kitchen floor too, and I don't think she's had a problem with it. As a side note, just because a cleaner is marketed "for pet odors" doesn't mean it's safe for pets. About a year ago, we tried a "pet odor" cleaner on the carpets at the house and all three dogs started scratching themselves raw.

I've also been trying to encourage her to sleep anywhere other than on the carpet. She has a "new" dog bed in my bedroom. It's actually the old cushion off of a pappazon chair, but Iris thinks it's awesome. You can see in the previous post, she's pretty happy with the blankets on the couch too.

Iris finished up the course of eye drops over the weekend. While I did see a significant improvement, her eyes didn't clear up completely. I'd say they were about 90% improved in terms of how runny they were although I didn't see any change in the gray spots. I talked to the vet on Mon, and we decided to try her off the drops to see if she gets worse or stays the same. Some of the discharge I'm still seeing could just be the drops making her eyes water a little. So far, the only day her eyes seemed worse was when we visited my dad yesterday. Today, her eyes have been clear all day. Since she looks so good today, I'm going to let it go over the weekend.

The bad news is that the gray spots haven't cleared up at all. But they haven't gotten worse either. When I brought Iris to the vet, Dr K did a fluorescein stain, and the spots didn't look like corneal ulcers. I honestly didn't get a good look at the stain (now I wish I had) because I was more concerned with keeping Iris still and quiet. Dr K thinks the spots are probably scarring and are going to be slow to heal if they heal at all. Basically, we just wait and see if they get worse? Right now he says they look pretty translucent. As far as I can tell it hasn't affected her vision. She's never giving any indication that her eyes bother her (no rubbing or squinting). Henry's eyes have been runny since the day we got him and he's never had any scarring. I hate waiting.

In the meantime, I started giving Iris vitamin E (antioxidant to help her allergies) and increased the amount of fish oil she's getting as well.