Well, I started GB on one of the new meds this morning. It is the one that I start with one drop on her food twice daily and I was supposed to watch for loose stool, diahhrea, salivation or vomiting. Within 20 minutes of ingesting the first drop on her food, she vomited. So I put a call in to the vet. Waiting for a return call. I didn't expect one drop to upset her and so quickly.

I got the ointment Cyclosporine/Tacrolimus in her eyes just now, and she will get the Pilocarpine drops at bedtime tonight. Since it is after 5 in Boise, I probably won't hear from the vet until morning. If I don't hear from them, I guess I will try the food drops again in the morning.

Nothing else is going here. Mowed last night. Watching a lot of TV these days. If I stay home I don't spend money as a general rule. As long as I stay off of Amazon haha!

Anyway, Sure do hope you are doing ok up there.

^^ Clearly I am losing my mind LOL Was thinking I was writing to another member. My apologies!

Well, now I have some bad news...Gypsy is not doing well on the Pilocarpine eye drops. After getting the drops, she won't open her eyes for one to two hours, which makes me think they sting pretty significantly.

I have been in touch with the vet, and am discontinuing the Pilocarpine eye drops. And because Gypsy is not cooperative enough, we are also discontinuing the Tacrolimus/Cyclosporine ointment.

We are going back to the original Tacrolimus drops, continuing the artificial tears and continuing the Pilocarpine drops on her food (remember there were 2 P drops- one for her eyes and one for her food).

The stress caused by giving her the ointment and Pilocarpine eye drops is too much. I can't clean her eyes when she won't open them, and having dry eyes is uncomfortable enough without giving her something that stings when administered. She has kept her eyes closed and tried to manuever about the house and bumped into furniture. She rubs her face against me and/or the couch or other surfaces indicating further that she is very uncomfortable at the very least.

Going back to our normal routine prior to these new eye drops sounds heavenly to me. Gypsy takes eye drops just fine when they don't cause her more pain and discomfort. And before trying the new stuff I was able to see white in her eyes...not much, but some. Now they are red and irritated all the time again. It's simply not fair to her to be miserable trying something new.

Ah Ms. GB I am so sorry the new meds hurt. That's no fun especially after you put up with that long car ride and all those new folks. Darn it.

Ah that's tough, really tough. All I can say is that it's got to be the right thing to have an ophthalmologist in on Gypsy's care. You have made your position absolutely clear on this: Gypsy has a chronic condition that demands the right treatment-one she can tolerate for the long-term. I just wish it was easier.

Thank you middle and Mary Jane! Gypsy and I both appreciate the kind words.

Last night was wonderful~we did the original Tacrolimus drops and she slept so deep that she snored for the first time in quite a while. It felt like a dark cloud was lifted from our world, and the sound of her snoring was like music to my ears

My hopes are slowly rising

Last night I clearly saw the white in GB's right eye. Can't get a good look at the left eye, other than to say the red inflammation doesn't look quite so red hot. Being able to see white in her eye indicates inflammation is decreasing, which is excellent news.

This morning there is very little if any gunk in either eye. We start out every morning with artificial tears, which generally flushes out any gunk build up from over night. Right now, there just isn't any gunk visable.

With the inflammation decreasing and the gunk not there, I am able to be hopeful that something is finally starting to work.

This sounds so good. I'm sorry the long drive didn't give you the answer but at least this is working and you'd have wondered if the other would have if you hadn't given it a try.
Your journey with this dog has been rewarding to "watch." You've both earned a lot of credit for your work on this. I'm pleased with both of you and delighted that she likes her goggles.

Thanks Middle!

Now the ophthalmologist wants me to stop the Tacrolimus for 2 weeks, and give only artificial drops as we wait to see if the oral Pilocarpine (on her food) kicks in. Then in 2 weeks, we will start Cyclosporine/Tacrolimus eye drops. (I have that combo in ointment form but can't get it her eyes correctly). I am waiting for an email from the vet to clarify this, because they asked this morning about the strength of our current Tacrolimus. They thought it was 1% but it is 0.1% which is much weaker. Hoping to hear by end of day from them.

Ah ha! We continue the current Tacrolimus drops for the next two weeks, then we are switching to the cyclosporine/Tacrolimus drops on 10/3. Revisit is still scheduled for Nov 9th providing the weather cooperates. I dread that drive again, but for my baby....

My heart goes out to you Bev. My good friend Anne has a pup with what sounds like the same condition. I know the Hell she went through trying to find something that worked. I'll have to ask her what she's using now. I know she does eye drops pretty much on the hour.

I'll keep you both in my thoughts and hope this last change is the one that works. Please keep us updated.

I'm glad to hear that the new treatment is working. Based on my experience with Ciara, it's a gradual improvement. It takes some time for things to clear up to get to a maintenance situation.

I am sorry for your friend dealing with this condition. I hate to say it, but it feels like this has robbed us of life as we knew it. It is getting a little better, and feels like it might be rounding the corner to maintenance, but I am scared to get my hopes too high. I also have done drops nearly hourly. We aree looking at drops 5-6 times a day now.

Does your friend have goggles for her pup? Interestingly enough, my vet has never said anything about protecting her eyes from the sun. I do that thanks to advice I have gotten here.

Someone said to me once that Dry Eye instead of Pannus might not be a good things, and they are right. I think Pannus may be easier to treat. Dry Eye seems to vary in treatment for each pup, depending on the severity. In Gypsy's case, it is chronic.

I pray for your friend and her pup that they can find that perfect treatment and get to a maintanence point soon!

Johanna,

I have heard it takes some time to get to a point of maintenance. I feel like too much has changed in treatment too fast. The ophthalmologist told me yesterday that our current Tacrolimus is stronger than what they prescribe, but to keep using it till 10/3 and then start the Cyclosporine/Tacrolimus combo drop. I just pray that it doesn't sting her eyes like the Pilocarpine eye drops did. Those drops will never go in G's eyes again, they were so horrible.

I don't recall panus being painful for the dog. I think the dry eye itself is. I remember being told that the drops for panus would sting but that was tolerated well (the dog got the distraction of being let outside immediately afterward) and maybe far less of a sting, too.

I'd bet that the eyedrops that are the moisturizing ones are likely welcome by GB.

Here, I'm pulling for the new treatment to be successful AND comfortable for GB even if still a PIA for Bev. But let's put in for easier for Bev, too,.

Middle, thanks for pulling for me too! This has been a bit of a whirlwind. Overall I just want to be at the maintenance point for both of us, so I have to hope the new meds will do the trick. Even better would be if the oral medication makes her tear duct glands work again. Dry eye is painful for the dog. I can tell when her eyes are irritated/painful because she blinks and squints. She has gotten so used to everything that she is quite cooperative, thank goodness. Leave it to GB to get the complicated problem! And I vote for meds that are easier on the pocketbook too!