My dog's right eye is dislodged from the socket, do I need a second opinion?

Question

My dog (he is a mix of a chihuahua and a Shih Tzu) just had an accident a few hours ago. His right eye appears to have popped out of his socket (but it's still attached), he has patches of scraped skin on his head, his left eye is closed and tired-looking, he is shaking and is very dormant, and he was salivating when I fist saw him with the injury.

He was brought to the vet, but I did not come along. When he was brought back to us along with an eye medication called Optha Cure Eye Drop (and some other medications for pain and his shaking), I had hope they would have done a surgery to the eye in which the vet would have re-positioned the eye back to its place. Instead, the eye drops were supposed to eventually cure the damage to his eyes.

I am skeptical of this and I would like to go to the vet the next time. I am concerned whether his eye will really return back to its socket and the damage that may occur to his eye while it is still exposed. I would like to ask if this is indeed the proper medication for his injury.

WARNING: graphic image
WARNING: graphic image
WARNING: graphic image

Answer 1

Take your dog to a different veterinarian, urgently. If you're unhappy or skeptical, always seek a second opinion. Coming here and asking for that reassurance is fine. We agree - get a second opinion, but do so urgently.

Your dog needs emergency veterinary care. Apart from being painful, every moment you wait reduces the chance of it being remedied.

Please let us know how you get along and feel free to ask questions about her treatment once the vet has treated her and given you take home medication and care instructions.

Answer 2

I would second Yvette's advice for you to get a second opinion.

You should also be able to call your vet and ask for clarification, if the treatment plan they gave does not make sense.

Obviously we only know what we can see in the photos and what you have told, so your veterinarian likely had good reason for trying to treat this medically.

However, with proptosis of an eye, which usually occurs secondary to some trauma, it is often best to promptly reduce the eye back to its normal position. If there is still vision present then returning the eye to position may reduce the risk of further vision loss or damage to other structures in the eye (for example, a proptosed eye is very susceptible to corneal ulceration). This procedure does require general anesthesia to do so, which could come with its own risks depending on the systemic health of the dog.

Answer 3

Adding to the already good answers here, I'd say whether vet or physician, they should give sufficient, if not comprehensive, explanation of what they see in a patients state and about the treatment, and how to expect the healing process to go (if you are inclined to get that).

I don't know about your vet and about the person who took your dog there, maybe the explanation just got stuck in the process and being shaken up and everything, but I think that's something (and if necessary, someone) to look for. Even if explaining to you may not directly change the health of your dog, it sure can help you be a little calmer in the situation as at least you get to know where you're at.

And as proper treatment, and proper assurance of it, is secured, if possible get some rest with your dog along so he can copy that off you and feel safe again.