Wednesday, July 21, 2010

George Needs Surgery


I know I have written recently about George's problem with his eyesight. It has been going on for a while now. His favorite occupation is chasing his tennis ball, and we started noticing a while ago that he was having difficulty locating it. If it was thrown even a little bit beyond his immediate vicinity, he would stop in mid-charge and turn around and look at us, bewildered. It got to be so bad that he could only chase the ball if we threw it directly over his nose as he was running away, so that he could track it--whether by smell or movement, I don't know. And he started bumping into things. Well, not exactly bumping, but coming so close that he'd see an obstacle only when it was right in front of his nose, and startle away in alarm.

So we took him to the dog doctor, who gave us a hefty bill and the advice to visit a dog eye doctor. Which we did yesterday. After examination by an army of technicians and doggie ophthalmologists, we were delivered the verdict. George has cataracts in both eyes, and needs surgery if his eyesight is to be saved. Here he is, looking understandably plaintive...


... in a photo taken by Amy Inouye of Future Studio Gallery last week.

I will spare you details of the punch-in-the-stomach cost of eye surgery for a pooch. But to let the poor old boy go slowly blind for the rest of his years does not seem like a conscionable choice. We will simply have to go without dinner for the next sixteen years. He goes in for surgery tomorrow.

8 comments:

Taradharma said...

oh, good luck to George!! You are sweet and kind and obviously have humans who love you dearly.

Nancy Youdelman said...

Good morning,
I wish the best for George with his surgery. My human friends say it is a miracle how well they can see after the cataracts are removed. It is wonderful that it can be corrected and that George has loving, caring owners who will do it for him.

My sweet dog, Romy is 13 and is almost completely blind from a retinal problem that there isn't surgery for. He is blind in one eye and losing sight in the other but does surprisingly well. He has been in the same house since he was 8 weeks old and relies more on his hearing and sense of smell. It is hard to tell that he can barely see.
Nancy

kfsartist said...

You are absoulutely doing the right thing. It is a real test to your humanity when you have to go through costly care for your pet.Sorry to hear that George is going to undergo something he won't understand. Post op will be another test for you and Ellie.Hope his recovery is quick and easy. kfsartist

Anonymous said...

Sending good wishes to your beautiful George. Hope the surgery goes well and he is seeing clearly again very soon.

Anonymous said...

hoping all went well with George's surgery.
Give little George a kiss from Scarlettt, the Dude, Amy and I

Anonymous said...

hoping all went well with George's surgery.
Give little George a kiss from Scarlettt, the Dude, Amy and I

Peter Clothier said...

I'm really touched by all of these responses. Thank you! George thanks you, and his friends in the canine world. And I will of course keep you up to date with George's progress.

Anne STONE said...

I am sending good, healing thoughts George's way ... as well as the wish that you will all be at peace during this healing period.
Anne