Hello everyone, I have just joined your forum in the desperate hope of some advice and information. We have a 7 month old yellow male labrador. On 12th Dec we noticed that his right ear had a big lump behind it causing it to stick out. He was taken to the vets the following day and diagnosed with an aural haematoma which they assured us was quite common in labs. He was booked in for it to be drained under GA on 18th Dec. However on 14th Dec my husband noticed him having some sort of “episode” - his left eye was closed whilst his right eye appeared to be rolling and looked very strange. He immediately took him back to the vets but his eyes had returned to normal and they prescribed eye drops and kept his op date as the following week saying they couldn’t see how there could be a correlation between the two things. On 16th Dec the eye episodes occured 4 times in an hour and I rushed him back to vets in a panic. Each time it came on suddenly and righted itself just as quickly. We decided to admit him the following night ready for his op Monday morning. He had the haematoma operated on and came home Monday evening. From that point on he has never had another episode with his eyes thank goodness. However I thought they looked strange somehow. The right eye looked more yellow when light reflected on it and the left had barely no reflection. With all the upset I wondered if I was being paranoid. On a separate occasion around 2 months ago he began walking with a limp and holding his right leg up. He couldn’t put any weight on it. We took him to vets who prescribed ibrufen and advised he would require a X-ray if it didn’t improve. It did improve until New Year’s Day when he suddenly began limping again. He went to vets last Wednesday for his stitches to be removed and as they were struggling he was given a GA on Thursday to do this. Whilst under they checked his eyes and xrayed his hip. We have been told he has cataracts and slipped epiphysis which we’re told is similar to aseptic necrosis of the femoral head in terriers?? We are totally devastated and unable to understand how our 7 month old pup has these problems. Vets have said the cataracts are likely congenital but I have read that juvenile cataracts can be caused by inflammation. I am so confused and don’t know what to believe. It breaks my heart to think that his cataracts have been caused by the aural haematoma and I think should have been operated on sooner. They think that the hip problem could have been caused by trauma or damage. To our knowledge he hasn’t injured his leg or hip whilst we’ve had him since 8 weeks old. They advise a total hip replacement and cataract surgery on both eyes. Our insurance limit is £4000 and will nowhere near cover both of the ops. He’s our baby and we want to get him better but we’re in an impossible situation. I am sorry for the extremely long-winded post but would be so grateful for any further information or advice. We are new dog owners and didn’t dream that we’d face such problems so early on. Thanks, Sian
Hello and welcome , I`m sorry that you are joining us under such circumstances . You must be out of your mind with worry , your poor pup too , with all these issues . Whilst I cant offer any veterinary advice , I would say that if you have any doubts , ask another Vet for their opinion , to put your mind at ease as to what you have to face , a second opinion is always helpful with these complex issues . I am really sorry that I cant help further , you will always find support here .
@Sian B, I don’t have any advice or info that will help you but I wanted to say how very sorry I am for you and your puppy. It is a horrible situation to be in and I really hope for the best possible outcome.
hi new dog owners dear sion,so very sorry for you all,but, if anyone can helpthis forum will.thinking of you ruth and peanutxx
Hi Sian, welcome to the forum, sorry that it has been troubles and worries that has brought you here. Seems like lots of seemingly coincidental things have been noticed at the same time an aural haematoma 12th Dec "episodes" of eye rolling 14th-16th Dec A limp initially ?Oct/Nov returned 1st Jan and diagnosed as SCFE New "juvenile" cataract diagnosed last week Is there any chance your boy could have had a knock or bang on the head, either in your care or whilst home alone in someone else's care just prior to you noticing the haematoma? Wondering if the eye rolling could be related to some concussion you see. He sounds like he might be quite "bouncy" if he had to be sedated to get his stitches out. With regards to the SCFE, I had a quick google, and whereas they can happen out the blue in dogs, they seem more often related to trauma too in dogs, whereas in humans, they are way more common to happen for no reason (in adolescent boys in fact). I can understand for sure how overwhelmed you must be feeling right now. I guess first thing to say, is I would recommend seeking an orthopaedic vet opinion - ask your own vet for a referral. I guess if the SCFE has been there for a couple of months or more, a hip replacement might be on the cards, but my understanding is that they are normally pinned. You need the opportunity to talk to an expert abut your management options. As regards the cataract, unless it is obviously and significantly affecting his sight, I wouldn't worry about this right now. It can easily be dealt with some time in the future when it IS starting to cause problems. The hip should be your priority right now. I really hope you get to see an expert promptly to talk this over. You need solid veterinary advice (I'm not a vet, so don't know the ins and outs, like the rest of us on the forum we can only chip in what we think we know) Keep us updated. Jac x
So sorry about your poor pup. I hope your vet can sort him out or refer you to another vet who can. I hope he is soon back to his healthy self
Gosh how awful. What a lot of stuff to deal with! It might not be a bad idea to get another vet’s opinion just to set your mind at ease. Also agree with getting a specialist to look at the hip, they can give more detailed and expert advice as to what is going on.
@Sian B just wanted to say I’m deeply sorry.I think getting a second opinion is vital, also your post got me thinking about my girl. She was diagnosed with Elbow dysplasia at about 20 weeks. I saw two different vets the second one referred me to a specialist who completed contradicted the vet. He turned out to offer the best advice and the most positive outcome. Hang in on there, you have so much to cope with, wishing you and your boy the best of luck.
I agree with the second opinion, I did something similar to @Pilatelover (and funnily enough both of our second opinions turned out to be the same vet! Who we agree was very thorough and one of the best for orthopaedics) You mentioned insurance, and an annual limit - are you with petplan?(the 4k limit sounds familiar) I rang them up and said I wanted a 2nd opinion, and they paid out for both consultations without issue.
An aural haematoma usually arises from the dog shaking his head a lot, often due to an ear infection. So I am wondering if your dog did have a bang to the head as @drjs@5 wondered? I do feel for you, such a shock.
So sorry to hear of your worries. I too would recommend a referral to a specialist for a second opinion.
Thank you so much Jac. Yes thinking back we went out sledging 2 days prior to noticing the haematoma and he was having so much fun running around chasing the sledges it is possible he could have had a knock . He isn’t usually too bouncy though and is always in a crate when he’s alone and is only in our care. His fur had grown over the stitches so the vet couldn’t get them out without distressing him so had to remove under another GA unfortunately. We have an appointment later on with the vet so will ask for a specialist referral. Thank you for your help. Sian x
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and advice. Will get a specialist opinion and keep you posted. Now he’s been given painkillers for his hip Stitch is actually like a new puppy! He’s full of energy and as you know it’s really difficult trying to stop him from running around x
Just wanted to say hi and welcome to the forum. I’m very sorry you’re going through so much with your pup. I hope a visit with the specialist will help. Good luck, and please keep us posted.
So sorry to read all your puppy woes. So worrying. While it’s wonderful that your pup appears painfree, sometimes they can then do more damage. I’d speak to your vet about weighing up between using pain killers and making sure your pup self-modulates his activity while he recovers. I think many of us found the forum when our pups had issues - in my case medical issues (seizures, allergies, slipped disc, and later a cornea injury), and happily 4 years on (he’s 6 yo now) he’s in great health. I hope you have a similar experience. It’s so painfully worrying in the moment however. I hope a specialist vet can give you a plan of action and set your pup on the road to recovery. Best of luck.
Our first Lab became diabetic at 12 years old, and we did a lot of research on the disease and it's consequences. Most diabetic dogs develop Cataracts and lose almost all vision, however they get around remarkably well using their other senses, so cataract surgery is not an absolute requirement for a reasonable quality of life. Our Lab never developed cataracts, but one of our neighbors Samoyeds did and you would not have known that he was blind just watching him in the house or yard.
Thank you. We saw the vet last night who is referring him for a consultation at Liverpool University hospital for his hips and a place in Frodsham for an expert opinion on his eyes. Has anyone had any experience of any of these places please? X
Liverpool University Hospital is an excellent facility. I have not had to use them myself, but know several who have. (we used to live near by). I have a friend who is a vet nurse there too.
Hi Sian So sorry and sad to hear of poor Stitch's ailments love him, I can see you love him so much and how upset this is making you feel. I'd be beside myself with worry too. The good thing to date is that you are booked in to see a different kind of specialist, so that's good, positive news. I have no experience of these specialists, but this could be the route to recovery. Stitch us a young pup, so let's what these specialists say. Try not to worry now and have faith. Stitch seems healthy enough in himself and it's good that if he is in pain, the medication seems to be working. Keep us informed x
