Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and bassets as baby bear cub lovers.  Our Emma seems so sleepy. She seems like a hibernating baby bear cub!  Here she is this morning.  I just had to capture it!

I was just wondering about something.  Since she went blind Emma seems to sleep more.  Do you think that it is because when she dreams she sees Chaps and I?  I know this may seem a funny question but I was just wondering???

More wondering later….Cat, Chaps and Emma

Ever since our Emma went blind I noticed that she like to sleep a bit more.

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and remembering what it was like to look out the window lovers!

Close you eyes for a few moments. No, a few more moments.  Walk around with your eyes closed.  I can not do it for more than a few seconds…..I know, most people say it’s different for a dog.  But I wonder how much?  I see Chaps laying by the window every day looking out.  It’s actually a big part of what he loves to do.

Emma still goes to the window when she hears a sound because she remembers how she could see…..

Times like these are a bit hard, but I get over it.  She is my child and I have every right to feel a bit sorry for her as she stumbles toward the window.

More closing my eyes and trying to see what she sees later…Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and needing a great search tools like this lovers:  OK – I was just reading some backed up e-mails and I am so happy I took the time to review all of the links because I found this about searching for an ophthalmologist in your area.  I am going to add this link to several sections of my website so we can keep it handy.

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It’s critical that you make sure you get a definitive diagnosis. You need to know what the animal is going blind from so you can decide on the proper course of treatment and so you can know what to expect in the future. If your vet can’t give you a definitive diagnosis, please insist on a referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist. (You can find one near you on this Web site.) – Same link as right below.

SEARCH FOR AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST IN YOUR AREA

{ LOCATE AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST }

{ SEARCH FOR OPHTHALMOLOGISTS }

This list contains ONLY those board certified veterinary ophthalmologists who have agreed to have their contact information posted on this web site. You will receive the best results if you search by state, since there are typically only a couple ophthalmologists per state. Some rural states do not have resident ophthalmologists. If your search by state returns nothing, then you may wish to search a border state.

Search for an ophthalmologist

(Note: Search by location or doctor’s name…species information is also provided when available.)

Search for an ophthalmologist by species

(Note: all ophthalmologists treat dogs and cats.)

{ SEARCH FOR PROFESSIONAL OPHTHALMOLOGIST SPEAKERS }

If you would like to invite a board certified ophthalmologist to speak at your next conference, the following database search will provide you with basic contact and topic information. Please contact the speakers directly to receive a copy of their CV, expanded topics and speaking schedules/fees.

Locate a presenter

The sad truth is that some vets simply aren’t very good at diagnosing eye diseases. They often don’t have the diagnostic equipment required to make definitive diagnoses, like slit-lamps and Tono-Pens. The eye is complex, the symptoms are often confusing and/or hard to identify, and many vet schools offer little in ophthalmology training to vet students. One important point to make: Many people think blindness is the end result of the disease process, and that once an animal is blind, nothing more will happen to the eye. Not true! Blindness is only a symptom of disease. The eye disease may often continue to run its course, causing pain and discomfort, long after the animal is blind. Glaucoma, for example, can be terribly painful, and humans with the disease say it’s like living with a constant, throbbing headache at best and with a head-splitting migraine headache at worst. So eye diseases require the best possible veterinary care. And the earlier you can treat it, the better your chances of preserving vision. Also: Old age is not a cause of blindness! You wouldn’t believe how often we hear that an animal is going blind “because he’s old.” The best resource we can recommend is a fabulous book called “Living with Blind Dogs” by Caroline Levin. You can order this book directly from Amazon here. MORE LATER….LOVE, CAT, CHAPS AND EMMA

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Howllo Fellow Basset hound and Eye brow whisker lovers:  Is that what they are called?  Eye brow whiskers?  This morning I was laying in bed with Emmers and the sun was hitting her in just the perfect manner that I could see every eye brow whisker she had.  It reminded me of when she had her eyes removed and I was frantic with the doctor about making sure she kept her eye brow whiskers.  I knew she was going to need them more than ever.

You have to click the picture to see them clearly.  The whiskers are right above her scar.  I was so afraid that the doctor would need that skin to seal her shut.  I kind of forgot all about that until this morning. I waited until Emma when down for her morning nap and snapped this picture.

Something so small as eye brow whiskers can really make a Tuesday special.  I love that about Tuesdays.

More chapters in the talking book of  life later…..Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and Chaps being fine lovers:  I swear, if it’s not one thing it’s another.  I had a huge scare this morning with the Mayor.  We woke up and I looked over at him and his eye was sealed shut with gunk.  I gently wiped a few of the harder pieces away and he was able to open his eye.  I then went to get a warm compress and worked until the area was clean and free of gunk.  I then flushed out his eyes with his eye wash which is just saline solution that I keep handy.

When we got to the kitchen, under the bright lights, I looked closer and I saw a cloudiness forming.  My stomach sank and I became faint.  This was exactly how Emma’s glaucoma started.  (Remember, he is fine).

As you might recall, Chaps breeder, BoBac Basssets has recently come forward with an announcement that they have glaucoma in their line.  (Something I told them in 2007)

I had been meaning to get the pressures checked in Chaps eyes for a few weeks now.

I had his pressures checked right after Emma came down with the inherited disease.  Chaps has very close connections to Emma.  Chaps Mother is Emma’s Mother’s Grandma???  It all gets very, huh????  I asked BoBac how they were related and they could not even figure it out.

I called the vet in tears and they said to bring Chaps right down.

Here is the vet pressure checking his eyes.  The one that was gunked up had a low pressure but Chaps does not have glaucoma.  Glaucoma will make the eyes have high pressures.

The doctor puts numbing drops in the eyes so this does not hurt at all.  This picture of Chaps is how he sat for about 3 minutes and he did not move.  I was right next to him.

Chaps does have some inflammation in the gunk eye and he is on eye ointment.  I cannot tell you how close my nerves are to the edge with everything we have been through.

Let’s get the heck out of here and go to McDonalds.

French fries for my big boy – to heck with the diet.

More thanking our lucky stars later…….Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

P.S. Confession…..I ordered a 6 piece chicken McNugget box.  Chaps got 2 and I had the rest.  Emma was none the wiser.  Poor allergic to protein girl!

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Howllo Fellow Hound And Knowing They Grow Up So Fast Lovers:  This is a picture I took of our Emma the day after I brought her home.  What a young pup she was, only 3 months old.

She was a wild pup.  Flying through the air.  I remember I called her my flying white tiger with razor blade teeth!

Grandma had about 5 band aides on each arm from Emma’s loving ways!

I had a kennel for her in the living room where Chaps and I slept.  I remember telling Grandma, “This kennel is worth a thousand dollars to me!”  Emma would leap over your head and grab your glasses and any hair thing right off of our head.  She was (and still is) wild!

OMG, Emma wore me plum out!  Chaps was one happy guy when Mommy tucked her in for the night.  She is so smart that the kennel only lasted about 2 weeks.

I transported her from BoBac Bassets in TX to KY in this kennel.  Can you believe how cute she was?

She tripped over her ears and just turned our world up side down.  Our Emma was the definition of puppy!

More real moments later……..Love, Cat, Chaps and they grow up so fast lovers, Emma!

P.S. When I picked Grandpa up from the Hospital yesterday, I heard him bragging about Emma to the nurse.  He was telling the nurse how Emma is blind.  He said that she is the smartest hound ever.  The nurse was so interested and kept talking about Emma.  It really made the check out easier.  (((((((Emma)))))))))

P.P.S. on a sad note………..Mommy misses those eyes. It’s only natural.

I know my dear readers know what I mean.  I feel it every time I look into Chaps’s eyes. My goodness.  Who would not want their hound to see?

Who is the pretty girl? Emmers!

More seeing with your nose later.  Sniff, sniff!  Is that Chappers?  LOL

Our Emma!

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Howllo Fellow Hound and recess lovers:  I call it recess because it is a huge relief to get the opitivisor off and air a girl out! My Mom and I are doing this every day now until it comes off for good.  My Mom cleans the opitvisor and I wash her neck and paws with warm water.  She loves all of the extra attention.

Here is a litter closer picture of her eye.  It it healing nicely.

That drainage is not current.  My vet told me NOT to clean it.  He wants absolutely no pulling in that area.

Here is Emma with a clean optivisor!  Grandma thought she did such a good job (by not trying to scratch the eye area) that she got a smiley face sticker.  How cute is that?

When life throws you frowns, try to smile.

More smiley face stickers later……Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Howllo Fellow Hound and keeping track of Emma lovers:  We are so excited to be half way through the healing process.  It seems like a life time to me, and I am trying to stay positive looking ahead to another week of this.  As Emma heals she get more itchy.

Today, for the first time, she laid in one of her favorite spots outside.  Our Emma is a serious sun bather.

Here she is a bit closer up:

We will be around all weekend doing some steady healing!  Hey, is that light I see at the end of the tunnel?

Keep in touch……..

More healing news later….Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Hollow Fellow Hound and swelling down lovers!  LOL!  Wow, that took a long time.  She is healing well and the surgery site looks great. You can’t really tell from this picture, but she looks good.

She is outside walking around with her Grandma right now.  It’s a beautiful day and she can enjoy some fresh air.

More updates later.  Count down to stitch removal in full swing.

Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Howllo Fellow Hound and day six lovers:  We are almost 1/2 way home to getting Emma’s stitches out and the optivisor off.  I think Emma is feeling a bit depressed today.  You have to wonder if she thinks she is never getting that thing off.  She has no way of knowing.

It will all be over soon and we can get back to normal.

More updates later….Cat, Chaps and Emma

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