Is microphthalmia painful? What care does a dog with one eye need?

It is hard to know without a full physical assessment - some cases may have problems with the position of eyelids and either inturned eyelashes or failure to blink fully, possibly requiring corrective surgery. A full vet report would be recommended prior to adoption

I think a full ocular exam would give you more information on whether one or both eyes need to come out. The small eye may be congenital or may have already ruptured and may not be painful any longer. The larger eye could be large just because it looks bigger as compared to the small eye or could have glaucoma. KCS can easily be diagnosed with a vet, but will likely need life-long medications to manage, and these can be expensive depending on the medication and formulation used. Many dogs with severe KCS have their eyes enucleated and become much more comfortable. My impression from reading her file is that she has very painful eyes, and that this is a chronic pain. Bilateral enucleation would easily resolve this pain and may improve her quality of life drastically. The cost for this surgery can vary depending on the vet clinic chosen, you may call around and ask for rough quotes for bilateral enucleation. It could range from $700 to $1500 or more. I would recommend that she have both eyes done at the same time (if the vet performing the ocular exam thinks they are both defective eyes) as this will decrease total time under anesthesia and make Lia only have to recover from a painful procedure once. If both eyes are removed, then she may not need significant medical care or follow-ups (cost-wise) after she is fully recovered. Her file tells me that she may be a great one to rescue if your group can cover the costs of surgery. I admire the work you do and appreciate your compassion more than you will ever know!

Cataracts are fairly common in dogs. There are some potential complications of cataracts, but if it is only in one eye, it may just be something that needs to be monitored. I have attached a handout below with a lot of information on cataracts including treatment and potential complications. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=659 I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Yes the eye could be painful. Most dogs do great after eye removal and he may become perkier afterwards. You are the one that sees him everyday and are the best one to evaluate his quality of life. Personally if he’s eating and getting around I’d do the surgery so he’s more comfortable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jingles.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Oliver! Did they diagnosis him with glaucoma? If yes that is very painful and usually results in permanent blindness. You can ask your Vet for eye drops to lower the pressure in his eyes (for comfort purposes until surgery) and oral pain medications. You can also have your Vet refer you to a Veterinary ophthalmologist for a second opinion. I wish you and Oliver the best!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Milo. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. Both of his third eyelids appear to be elevated and the squinting can indicate that his eyes are painful. He could have a scratch across the surface of his eye, inflammation within the eye itself or an infection. In other cases the eyes are not making adequate tears making them very dry and painful. Based on his exam findings, eye tests may be necessary to determine the best course of treatment. In the meantime, keep the eyes free of any discharge and do not allow him to paw at them. I hope this information helps!

Hello, and thank you for your question. Monty's eye looks very concerning for possible glaucoma, uveitis (eye inflammation), or endothelial disease. I would strongly recommend getting him seen by the vet as soon as possible, as there is a risk of perforation of the eye if this is due to glaucoma. The vet can check the pressures inside the eye, and prescribe medications to help reduce pressure or inflammation. In the meantime, ensure that Monty does not scratch or rub his eye as it is very sensitive and may be prone to being perforated. An e-collar (cone) may help with this purpose. I hope this helps, and that Monty gets the help he needs soon!