Kansas' eye was just fine this morning, but I made an appointment for 3:30 today, anyway, after DH (who claims he never even noticed the thing until two weeks ago and has been panicking over the fact that it's gotten bigger since then...) looked at it last night and agreed I should.
Yesterday I put warm compresses (in the form of the so-far miracle "coat spray" that's helped everything from flaky, itchy skin to mange mites) on it twice. I don't know if that helped or not, though the links I'm reading suggest warm compresses as part of the procedure.
http://www.furrycritter.com/health/dogs/Meibomian_cyst.htm
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=189&A=2463&S=0
Dr. Cheryl checked out Kansas (who had to wear a muzzle and still growled/barked at the vet tech in the room with all of us. She either isn't comfortable trying to keep an eye on two strangers in a room with her and her family at once, or she just doesn't like vet techs. I guess maybe she senses they are less experienced and less confident than the vet?) and said it was just like the one her older dog had, only smaller. She said (which I already knew) that as it was flesh-toned (black, in Kansas' case though some are pale), small, even, compact, etc... it was benign. I figured, but DH worries a lot about how it will affect me if something bad happens to Kansas- that's always his real reason for taking her to a vet.
Dr. Cheryl also said that, in her dog's case, the cyst actually gets inflamed and swollen and ("though her veterinary ophthalmologist would slap her hands if he caught her") she occasionally squeezes out the pus. That wasn't necessary in our case, and the growth isn't bothering Kansas' eye or scratching the cornea. If it ever gets big enough to cause those two problems, they can remove it, but she doesn't recommend that for now.
She sent us home with a $20 tube of prescription neomycin + topical steroid- to be used daily (or twice-daily) for 7-10 days and then as needed, refilling it as needed.
I'll probably continue to experiment with my holistic compresses, as well. I'm still waiting for it to fall off, like Leo's did, and like the website says can happen.
Kansas also got weighed while she was there and weighs the same as she did last year when she went in because of her hips. That's a good thing, though it means the vet's scales are 5lbs lighter than than mine. They say she's only 46 lbs- which means she's barely 5lbs lighter than Airlie.
I should start weighing myself at the vet.
And it only cost $66.
2 comments:
I am so glad it wasn't anything serious. We are having our own battle with Portia who still is itching her nose all the time and ripping up her nostrils. I am hoping to find an at-home remedy to fix the problem because we can't afford to bring her to the vet. I did call them and they suggested we give her have a 5mg Zyrtec for allergies, however, I am hesitant to give her any drugs right now. Any suggestions? I clip her nails every other day and she still manages to cut herself.
The Zyrtec is a good idea. I can't remember if cats can have Benadryl or not, but there's a topical Benadryl cream or spray (also generic versions) that fellow dog owners swear by.
There's also keeping the floors clean. Maybe daily vacuuming and cleaning of the tile floors (get a microfiber cloth and affix it to a Swiffer- you simply wash and re-use it rather than throwing money away by buying the actual Swiffer cloths.) will help. It was pointed out on a recent pet show that long-haired pets are basically dust mops and dust magnets. If your pet has allergies, regular brushing or wiping them down with a microfiber cloth, damp rag or "bath wipe" can remove any pollen or other allergens that might be clinging to their fur.
I'd also try a Feliway plug-in. It might calm her down enough that she isn't inclined to scratch. Particularly if it's become more of a habit or something she does out of boredom.
Aloe vera is a cheap and simple topical treatment, as well.
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