Anyone have any experience with eye removal?

vicki267 · May 7, 2009

Stevie is my 2nd bunny with only one eye and I know they can lead happy lives without it.

Took Stevie to the vets today and vet isn't happy with how his eye was removed before I adopted him. He poked his eye out beginning of March.

Basically, the tissue in the socket (not entirely sure what was meant by this) was never removed and the wound left open.

His eye is not crusty and is started to close up (apparently not swelling though).

My vet has now told me that the socket is getting clammy, has nothing to heal over and regardless of the lids closing up there will remain a cavity behind the lids. He is worried this could cause abcess or infection.

He also noticed when he opened the eye, a little puss. It's not the usual type of puss associated with an infection etc, but obviously could turn into one or prevent the healing...

He estimated me £330 for GA op to removed the tissue and stitch up the wound, although he cant gaurantee that the wound wont get ripped open :?

I just want to do what's best for Stevie, maybe a course of Baytril?

What is the best thing for me to clean his eye with and is there anything else I can do?

He is happy in himself and doesn't seem bothered either in pain or sight.

Any advise would be much appreciated.

Vicki

The Duchess · May 7, 2009

HI Vicki.

I have a bun who has had both eyes removed but at different times. In both instances the wound was sewn up so that he looks like his eyes are permanently closed. He's a very happy boy and has had no problems with infection or swelling etc since.

I think that if you can afford it, I would go for the tidy up. Maybe this is how is should have been in the first place (unless the wound was supposed to be a marsupialisation).

Good luck.

vicki267 · May 7, 2009

The Duchess said:
HI Vicki.

I have a bun who has had both eyes removed but at different times. In both instances the wound was sewn up so that he looks like his eyes are permanently closed. He's a very happy boy and has had no problems with infection or swelling etc since.

I think that if you can afford it, I would go for the tidy up. Maybe this is how is should have been in the first place (unless the wound was supposed to be a marsupialisation).

Good luck.

That was my concern when he arrived and what with vet saying so today too.

I just think it's very expensive compared to neuter and overnight stay (which is included and contains same meds). He told me that the op should only take 25 mins. They are charging for day admission too which again is included in neuter and the neuter cost is £60. Obviously I expect it to me more that £100 but £330 seems a little steep, especially when they cant gaurantee I wont be back again!!!

Hugo's There · May 7, 2009

I have no specific experience but think I would definately go for the op if there is a chance of abscesse forming without it. Once you have abscess....

I think it sounds a fairly reasonable price given the lenght of the op, 25 minutes is quite lengthy compared with other procedures

The Duchess · May 7, 2009

It does sound pricey, although the bill for my enucliation/eye removal was £240 and that was fairly straight forward.

Do you like your vets? Are they good bunny folk? If not I would be very happy to recommend our man (I work there, but he's an exotics man and an eye man so he's triplely brilliant in my eyes). He's in Wokingham, Berks.

I think that to undo someone elses work might actually be more involved than a straight forward removal but I think I paid for at least half an hours worth of GA/sedation. so maybe that is expensive.

Still, if it means you don't have to worry about infection, which could be horrible for both you and the bun, then maybe it would be worth doing.

vicki267 · May 7, 2009

I love my vets, it is just the fact that I always appreciate a second opinion and wouldn't have wanted to put him through an op if it's not needed. It does sound like the first vets got it wrong.

The estimate includes about £120 for the operation cost itself (based on 25 mins)

The GA is down at £98, however this is for 60 minutes, would 60 minutes actually be needed?

Just want to be armed with questions for them.

Vet said it's not urgent and as he had his VHD today wouldn't want to do op for 2 weeks anyway, so other than bathing with warm water anything else I can do?

I haven't actually been cleaning inside the wound as didn't want to irritate it, should I be trying to clean out any puss that is inside... :mrgreen:

VikkiVet · May 7, 2009

hi, i dont have any specific experience but here are some thoughts from what i know from college:

1. regarding the bill - do you have an itemised bill? do you know exactly what is being done and what each expense is? i would have a chat with your vet and check it as its fairly common, when giving an estimate, just to add up all the parts and not check if things like "day admission" are charged twice (i.e. once in the neuter bill and again separately for the eye op). having said that, anaesthesia and monitoring etc will be more complicated for the eye op than a neuter so that might be where the extra charge is.

2. am i right in thinking Stevie was Sugar, that ripped his eye out on a toy? in which case, as this was a traumatic injury rather than eye removal for disease reasons, the method of removal and outcome may have been different to other eye removal ops. Its likely there was a lot of tissue damage, haemorrhage, swelling, etc so perhaps the original vet was unable to successfully remove all of the tissue (probably muscles and optic nerve). In many cases this may not have made any difference and the wound would have healed ok, but in this case there may have been infection or other issues so that the remaining socket hasnt healed well.

if your vet thinks he needs the op (sounds like debridement and restitch to me) and he's bunny savvy then he probably does need it, though a course of antibiotics beforehand wouldnt do any harm. You probably wouldnt see any signs of pain or discomfort anyway, unless Stevie scratched at it. Hope that helps.
Vikki

vicki267 · May 7, 2009

VikkiVet said:
hi, i dont have any specific experience but here are some thoughts from what i know from college:

1. regarding the bill - do you have an itemised bill? do you know exactly what is being done and what each expense is? i would have a chat with your vet and check it as its fairly common, when giving an estimate, just to add up all the parts and not check if things like "day admission" are charged twice (i.e. once in the neuter bill and again separately for the eye op). having said that, anaesthesia and monitoring etc will be more complicated for the eye op than a neuter so that might be where the extra charge is.

2. am i right in thinking Stevie was Sugar, that ripped his eye out on a toy? in which case, as this was a traumatic injury rather than eye removal for disease reasons, the method of removal and outcome may have been different to other eye removal ops. Its likely there was a lot of tissue damage, haemorrhage, swelling, etc so perhaps the original vet was unable to successfully remove all of the tissue (probably muscles and optic nerve). In many cases this may not have made any difference and the wound would have healed ok, but in this case there may have been infection or other issues so that the remaining socket hasnt healed well.

if your vet thinks he needs the op (sounds like debridement and restitch to me) and he's bunny savvy then he probably does need it, though a course of antibiotics beforehand wouldnt do any harm. You probably wouldnt see any signs of pain or discomfort anyway, unless Stevie scratched at it. Hope that helps.
Vikki

Yes he used to be Sugar

So as it was an accident and his eye removed in such a way, the vet wasn't doing anything wrong and still assumed it would heal?

Yes it is itemised (stuff in green I am happy with, stuff in red I am a little confused):

metacam oral £7.91
Baytril oral £9.34
Metaclopromide injection £8.27
Baytril injection £7.71
Sterile surgey 10 minutes £66.80
Surgery per additional minute (£4.18) £62.71 for extra 15 mins
GA for 60 minutes £96.89 - Would he need 60 mins if op only 25?
GA induction £45.93 - Is this to bring out of GA? Why cost almost as much as neuter?
Day patient admit £18.50 - Surely if he has an op this cant be avoided and should be included in surgery fee?
Suture Monocryl £6.09

Anyone have any experience with eye removal?

vicki267

Mama Doe

The Duchess

Wise Old Thumper

vicki267

Mama Doe

Hugo's There

Wise Old Thumper

The Duchess

Wise Old Thumper

vicki267

Mama Doe

VikkiVet

Mama Doe

vicki267

Mama Doe

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