Monday morning I awoke with blood in the white part of my eye. Having already lost one eye to the genetic disease Golden Retriever Pigmentary Uveitis, I knew right away that I had to get to the Animal Hospital ER. Thankfully, I wasn’t in pain like the day I lost my left eye, and I could still easily track objects. However, this sudden change was very worrisome to all of us. This turned out to be a new issue, but related to old concerns, and through this ER visit I was fortunate to have a team of vets to finally come up with answers.
Dad called ahead to the ER, so when I arrived they were ready for me, and immediately took me out back to get the pressure taken in my eye. Although elevated, it was still within the realm of reason, so everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Also giving us relief, was the great team of doctors working that day. Although my primary ophthalmologist wasn’t in that day, another one who has seen me before was there, and was able to fit me into the very busy schedule. Also the ER vet in charge of my case was the same vet who took such very good care of me on that scary day in 2023, when I needed emergency surgery to remove my left eye. In fact, that’s how she introduced herself, because she remembered me from that day. Mom and Dad had never met her face to face because pandemic rules were still in place then. Mom thanked her profusely for the great care they gave me that day, and the ER vet assured her she’s a big fan of me and would do what she could that day too. Boy did she! She coordinated a team of doctors to take a look at me!
After a very long day, they explained that I had a scleral hemorrhage, which is fancy talk for bleeding that occurs in the white part of the eye. It could be caused by a variety of things, but what had them most concerned was while doing the intake exam they discovered I also have a new hemorrhage in the pupil of my eye. You may recall back in February my ophthalmologist detected a small one. Well now it has a friend. Although I’m all about the buddy system, when it comes to hemorrhages, that’s not good, and three is definitely a crowd when it came to the new type in the white of my eye.
Although the new hemorrhage could have been caused by anything from trauma, a cough, or a medication, the concern over having high blood pressure was brought up. Thankfully Mom and Dad were prepared and had all my medical paperwork from the past months when we were trying to determine if I have high blood pressure. She looked it all over, and agreed that based on that, there wasn’t a conclusive case. My blood pressure readings taken over the course of three visits were all over the map, ranging from normal to high, and my blood work was normal. Also all those scans they took last month, did not show anything of concern. But the ER vet had her suspicions that I do have high blood pressure, so suggested the one test I hadn’t done yet.
After a very awkward walk with my best friend the vet tech, to collect a urine sample, sure enough it came back that I had protein in it. As the ER Vet explained, the elevated level of protein in my urine, but not in my blood sample, was the missing piece we needed to confirm my blood pressure was probably elevated, and not just when I’m excited at the vet’s office. She called it a “leaky kidney.” Alright, to be honest I didn’t understand the technical talk, but Mom and Dad seemed to get it. She prescribed two medications for blood pressure, and I’m to visit with my primary vet in two weeks to get a recheck to make sure I’m on the correct dose. She also went over the signs of troubling side effects that would require I go back right away to get checked. However, if all goes well with this medicine, the new scleral hemorrhage and the previous subconjunctival hemorrhages in the pupil will all heal on their own, and hopefully new ones won’t develop.
During my exam something else worried them. Due to the prolonged use of a steroid in my eye, I’m starting to show damage in the form of a cataract. My primary ophthalmologist had explained to us long ago that this could happen, and that it was a delicate balancing act to keep the GRPU from advancing, but also keeping a cataract at bay. The ophthalmologist on duty contacted my primary eye doctor to discuss this obvious change since my last visit in February. They agreed that I should be weened off one of my current drops and put onto a different eye drop. Also as luck would have it, I see my primary ophthalmologist in exactly one month, so he can do a followup on this change in medication, and see if my eye hemorrhages are responding to the new course of blood pressure treatment. In the meantime I was able to get an appointment with my primary vet in two weeks to make sure the blood pressure medicine is working for the new issue with my kidney, as well as discuss further treatment.
