Dog's left eye is cloudy and getting worse

My dog Hannah was diagnosed with Pannus at about 1 1/2 years of age, and I proceeded to treat her with Prednisone eye drops off and on for the next ten years or so (what a bad, bad thing to do). Her liver enzymes were off the charts of course (so much that it looked like she had hepatitis) by the age of twelve, and her thyroid was low.

My sister, an acupuncturist, made Hannah a formula to offer kidney yin support (6 flavor formula), which she's been on for a couple of years, and I had her on kelp for a year to help address the crazy liver enzyme situation (I stopped the kelp about a year ago since Hannah seemed to be experiencing a slight loss of coordination). I had her on thyroid pills for just a few days, but they made her extremely hyper, so it seemed to be too much.

She looked like she had the normal eye clouding that happens with dogs in her age group, and then seemed to have allergies--scratching her eyes and rubbing her face on the ground. I don't know if she injured it with all the scratching, but her left eye has been bothering her for the last five days--she's not opening it all the way, and it seems to be getting cloudier and cloudier, while her right eye seems fine.

I've been bathing both eyes with a solution of Eyebright (Calm Eyes it's called), but the left eye seems to be getting worse by the day.

She's on Wellness Lamb and Rice (due to her chicken allergy) and has been for the last three months. Before that it was Blue Buffalo Fish and Sweet Potato. I think I almost killed her with putting her on Orijen a year or so ago with its high protein levels.

My sister has sent Hannah some Jue Ming Zi for her eye, but we're not sure if it's safe for dogs to take internally.

By the way, Hannah is a 14-year-old Golden Retriever/Border Collie/German Shepherd mix.

Please inform me on what to do next. Thank you so much!

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Dog's left eye is cloudy and getting worse

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My Online Vet Ressponse for: Dog's Left eye is cloudy and getting worse
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hi,
For Hannah, your 14 year old female Golden Retriever/Border Collie/German Shepherd mix dog, it does not appear that she has any cloudiness of her LENS. The cloudiness is on her CORNEA (You are referring to an age related cloudiness of the lens, that in some dogs can progress into a cataract).

Hannah's cornea is becoming opaque, and it may be due to a worsening of the pannus, or she has scratched it. Since she has had a chronic EYE condition for most of her life, she needs to have LIVER support.

In Chinese medicine, the 5 outlets of the head, correspond to specific internal organs that represent the 5 elements:

EYE=LIVER
EAR=KIDNEY
TONGUE=HEART
MOUTH=SPLEEN
NOSE=LUNG

Therefore, if there is an EYE problem, then the liver must have support.

Milk thistle is a good western herb to help the liver. Give her 8 mg per lb two times daily. (If she weighs 60 lbs, then she would need 480 mg two times daily.) Jue Ming Zi is ok for dogs. But what would be better is Haliotis Powder from Jing Tang Herbal at the Chi Institute.

It contains Jue Ming Zi as one ingredient. It is formulated to clear heat in the liver, detoxify and brighten eyes, and to treat chronic ophthalmic inflammation including uveitis, chronic conjunctivitis and keratitis/opacity of the cornea.

I suspect that the low thyroid is only secondary to the elevated liver enzymes. But to support the thyroid, give her Thytrophin from Standard Process. It does NOT contain any thyroid hormone, it is a glandular product to provide ingredients to support the thyroid. She needs ONE tablet two times daily.

For her diet, you will need to switch her back to the Blue Buffalo fish/sweet potato. Since Lamb (and also chicken for that matter) is considered a 'hot' food in Chinese medicine. Hannah needs to cool down to help her liver and her eye.

Therefore, fish, duck and turkey are considered 'cooling' foods. If the Blue Buffalo fish/sweet potato comes in a canned version, that would be even better to provide more moisture to her diet, instead of feeding only a DRY DOG FOOD. Any foods high in moisture, are considered cooling.

CONTINUED IN PART TWO

My Online Vet Response for: Dog's left eye is cloudy and getting worse PART TWO
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hi,
Here is the rest of my response.

Seek the help of a holistic veterinarian to have her cornea stained and examined for any scratches. A corneal injury can be very painful.

In the meantime, while you are searching for a holistic vet, you can continue with the Eyebright (Calm eye) solution, but I would also apply 2-3 drops of Cod Liver Oil into her left eye THREE times daily. It is very high in Vitamin A, and may help hasten healing of the cornea.

Click here to find a holistic veterinarian in your area. Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

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DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages:
- Dog Eye Problems,
- Ask a Vet Online Library - Dog Eye Problems Section

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