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Ack, Bella has a STY (I think?)

Chelle

Well-known member
Oh dear, we went out for a bit tonight and came home to find Bella had something she didn't have earlier. It looks like a sty in the corner of her eye! It's fairly big and puffy and red. My first impulse was to rush her to the vet, but it's 11pm right now. I don't know what to do :(

She doesn't seem at all bothered by it, she's running around, chasing the cats, doing her usual thing... but it's so ugly.

Is this common with Cavs? Should I bring her to the after-hours clinic? I don't want her to lose her eyesight. My poor baby :(

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
Went from her eye to her butt

Hi, sorry I'm just updating now. Thanks Caraline for the links, they were very helpful.

Well it seems the eye was the least of our problems this weekend! By the time we had gone to bed, the sty was almost gone, and when we woke up the next morning there was no trace of it. Weird! But then a couple hours later, her rear end suddenly became the center of her universe. She was licking and biting at it, her whole hind end was wet from her chewing. When I realized what she was doing I had a look and it was really swollen (you know where this is going, don't you). Well, I had no idea. Called the vet in a panic, and they were just getting ready to close, but they booked me in for the next morning and gave me the number of the 24 hour clinic in case we needed to go in through the night. They told me it sounded like an inflamed anal glad and to watch it didn't rupture.

About 15 minutes later, I looked again, and sure enough, there was a little hole that wasn't there before. She was obviously uncomfortable, and we whisked her off to the emergency clinic.

5 hours and several hundred dollars later, we brought her back home. They had to anaesthetize her to express the glands. We tried to hold her while the vet did it but she was yelping so loud, and then I started crying, lol. They were impacted and inflamed. What should have come out like liquid came out the consistency of toothpaste. She's now on pain meds for 3 days, and an antibiotic for 10 days. Poor girl *sigh*

Now, you're probably thinking.. what an unattentive mommy to not have noticed. But honestly, she gave no indication her rear end was uncomfortable until it had gotten that bad. I groom her myself every sunday and pay special attention to the rear, and it never looked swollen, was not sensitive, etc.

Anyway, we kept our appt the next day with our own vet so I took her in for a followup. We're going to get on a regular 6 week schedule to bring her in and check the glands, and have them expressed if need be.

Bella is 10 months old, our vet said if she's having this kind of trouble now, she'll likely be prone to it.

I feel horrible she had to go through that, but at least now we'll know to have her checked regularly.

Whew.
 
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Oh poor girl and poor you as well!!

One thing I would suggest is adding a tea-spoon of bran to her feed as Cavaliers are particularly prone to this kind of problem. My Ma-in-Law's old boy many years ago had to undergo surgery to remove his anal glands poor lad! I give mine a tea-spoon of bran (available form most pet shops) in their feed and, touch wood, no problems as yet!!

Am sure Bella will be just fine now, but keep an eye on that eye as well, as the gland that gets swollen with cherry eye can go down only to come back up again a few days later (been there, done that!)

Anyway a HUGE gentle :hug: for Bella and a kiss too!!

Thinking of you!
 
Oh poor girl and poor you :hug: It's mega stressful and upsetting. I don't blame you one bit for crying. keep us posted on her progress.
 
Ohhh, poor girl!!

I hope Bella is well by now! I can imagine how stressful is all this for you!
Have a quick recovery, Bella
 
Don't blame yourself for not noticing - one minute its fine, next its not. I only knew Merlin had his glands full because he stopped eating because he obviously didn't want to poo!

Glad the baby is okay now:rah:
 
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