Tuesday, September 28, 2010

What do you want first, the bad news or the good news?


Sometimes Border Collie “parents” just never know how their weeks are going to go, and this one so far is no different. After noticing Casey’s unusually bloodshot eyes last Wednesday, coming off of weeks of abnormal eye discharge – usually in the morning and grayish in color – I called Fairhaven Veterinary Hospital to have our boy checked out. 

At the time I was thinking maybe allergy issues and expecting a change of diet to preempt visual issues later, you know, something simple. 

Surprise – the diagnosis was anything but. Casey’s veterinarian, Dan Hall, indicated that the symptoms and appearances of both eyes, after closer examination, lead him to believe that Casey was suffering from Chronic Superficial Keratitis, or pannus, an immune disorder most common in German Shepherds.

So Dan referred us to a Bellingham pet ophthalmologist, Terri McCalla, for a more detailed exam and specialized treatment.

So much for Friday. Saturday, lab work was conducted, a blood test with a lipid profile, to provide as a diagnostic tool for our ophthalmologist visit today. This appointment now seemed weeks away, knowing what we knew then, and the long term adverse effects that another tough diagnosis might mean. We were hoping for the best, and while maybe not expecting, ready for the worst.

Four long days and a constant stream of dire, imaginary scenarios later, we met Dr. Terri McCalla and the staff of Animal Eye Care LLC, and as usual, Casey Mac was the perfect patient, Mr. Docile, or better yet, Mr. Resignation.













After an hour of probing and scoping, one Rose Bengal dye test, one slit lamp biomicroscopy and indirect ophthalmoscopy test, and initial comprehensive ophthalmic examination later, Dr. McCalla gave us the bad news - and the good news.

Dr Terri McCalla and her perfect patient



Terri McCalla had found that Dr. Hall had been right – pannus – but with complications. Dan Hall and Terri McCalla also thought his blood profile pointed to hypothyroidism and a higher than normal cholesterol level, with particles of cholesterol even showing up on both of Casey’s corneas during Dr. McCalla’s exam. So this was the bad news and long term therapy would be needed to save Casey’s sight, now at 60% of normal. It seems our guy has been quite the accommodator with a Frisbee, snatching that disc at any distance and at all hours of the day or night.


The good news – long term therapy will restore all or most of Casey’s sight, an aggressive treatment with both a topical anti-inflammatory eye drop and Tacrolimus, an ointment that will help decrease corneal scarring and vascularization. Also thyroid medication will control the cholesterol levels and a vitamin and an anti-oxidant supplement recommended by Dr. McCalla, Ocu-GLO Rx, will beef up the boy’s immune system.

Techs Joanne and Melissa


There you have it. Our heads still hurt, and Casey really had a stressful day, but you know what, we feel very fortunate to have gotten him help when we did. He deserves it, he brings us great joy. And anyway, we’re never going to have to put him through college.

So he’s still a lot cheaper than a kid.

4 comments:

  1. Glad to hear he's going to be ok! It's tough being owned by a dog sometimes!

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  2. Bon Courage Casey!!! WE love you!!!!

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  3. Isn't Terri McCalla the BEST? She's the reason we moved to Bellingham (see Skipper and Sheila under OcuGLO's testamonial page). We can attest to not only Dr. McCalla's skill as a diagnostician and surgeon, but also to her research and development of OcuGLO. Casey is in GREAT hands - and lucky to have such caring parents!! I wish all dogs were so loved. Vanessa Hamilton-Highfield

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  4. WELL AFTER RESCUING A FEW DOGS, MY LAST 1 PUG, NAMED TOBY I HAD TAKEN HIM INTO SEE DR. McCALLA ON OCTOBER 28TH 2010 AND WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED HOW DEDICATED DR. McCALLA IS TO ANIMALS NOT ONLY DID SHE NOT CHASE ME OUT THE DOOR LIKE SO MANY VETS DO BECAUSE THEY TRY TO SQUEEZE AS MANY CLEINTS INTO SEE THEM THROUGHOUT THE DAY, SHE TOOK THE TIME TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING TO BE LYING AHEAD FOR TOBY AS HE IS ONLY ONE YEARS OLD AND I AM TRYING TO SAVE HIS EYE-SIGHT.

    I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND DR. McCALLA IF YOUR DOG AS ANY EYE ISSUES AS I AM TRAVELLING FROM CANADA INTO THE USA JUST TO SEE HER, SO THAT MUST MEAN SOMETHING.

    THANK-YOU DR. McCALLA AS I WILL BE SEEING YOU SOON WITH ANOTHER ONE OF MY 4 PUGS.

    KAREN HENNESSY
    SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

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