My dog shakes, pants, hides, won't eat after eye ulcer. Is he in pain?

Unfortunately eye pain can be difficult to treat - oral medications sometimes don’t seem to make much difference. There is some evidence that tramadol is not metabolized well in dogs so I think gabapentin might be a reasonable alternative. Ultimately healing the ulcer will be most important - if it does not seem to be healing well you may need to see a specialist to have a burr procedure or keratotomy in order for it to heal. Topical pain medication might be another option but can sometimes slow the healing process.

I would recommend taking Sadie back in for a recheck. If the eye is very painful it may need more aggressive therapy. Many times all stars require medication every two hours around the clock. And or in some cases surgical debridement or repair is necessary. If you feel her I was not improving discuss referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist to have her Eye evaluated. Also discuss pain medication options with your veterinarian, as ulcers can be very painful. Do not give anything over the counter or that was knots prescribe for Sadie has the wrong medications can make it significantly worse. Good luck and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It looks like Dylan may have a melting ulcer or a descemetocoele, which is a serious problem that can result in loss of the eye. I would take him to your veterinarian right away as this would constitute an ocular emergency.

Poor Ozzie! That's so hard to know something's not right and not be able to pinpoint it. If Ozzie seems to be perking up after pain relief, then it sounds like he may have a sneaky source of pain. I would relay his response to meds back to your vet and see what they think, but in cases like this I usually keep the dog as rested as possible (don't let him do any activities that could worsen an injury) and continue the pain meds. Sometimes we can't localize the pain, but if meds help then I'd keep giving them. Hope he feels better soon.

Unfortunately, there are no safe OTC pain medications for dogs. Many are toxic to them, and can be fatal if given. In order for Winnie to have pain medications, she will have to see the vet to get a prescription for them. As for eye drops, sterile saline eye drops are safe for her (make sure they don't contain any medication in them), but I would check with your vet first before using anything. You can ask your vet to clarify what eye drops they want you to give her, as they can see Winnie in person and will know best what things are safe to use in her eyes. The eye is such a delicate and important structure, and because treating it wrong can lead to vision loss, it's best to get that information from the vet who is treating Winnie's severe eye ulcer.

No, it's not common to see any appetite changes with a corneal ulcer. If Mylie is on any oral medications for her eye problem, it's possible that they may be upsetting her stomach. If not, I would be concerned that she may have a separate problem causing her to not eat or drink. Either way, I would recommend calling your veterinarian or taking her back in for a recheck. She may need lab work or other testing to help determine why she isn't eating or drinking, so she can get started on appropriate treatment.

Hello, thank you for your question about Brownie. Based on the symptoms that you are describing I would be very suspicious that Brownie could have an ulcer on his eye. Ulcers require treatment with topical antibiotics and pain medications. I would recommend consulting with your veterinarian so that they can stain the eye and confirm the presence of the ulcer and prescribe the needed medications. Additionally, an important aspect of treatment is preventing Brownie from rubbing/scratching at his eye. If possible please use an e-collar to prevent him from causing further damage. Hope this helps, good luck!