The day started sweetly enough.  Although chilly, we finally had a clear blue sky and lots of sunshine.  I had only the morning booked with a doctor’s appointment and blood donation, with big plans to get out in the garden in the afternoon.

While enjoying my morning cup of coffee, I was playing with Hellan out on the deck.

Hellan - good dog!

I was rubbing her tummy while she gnawed on my arm, delighted with herself.  Suddenly I noticed something in her left eye.

“What’s that in your eye?” I asked her.

“Ri ron’t ro!” she replied.  (I don’t know).

“Seriously, Hellan, give me back my hand and let me look.”  I gently held her eye open and took a good look.

“What IS that?” I repeated.  “There are little white spots in there, and they aren’t moving.”

“Ruh roh!” she said.  (Uh oh.)

I immediately called the vet and made an appointment for that afternoon.  I could sense my day was starting to go sideways.

“I’m probably over-reacting,” I told them.  “I’ll cancel in plenty of time if it goes away or my vision clears.”

An hour later I checked and the problem was still plainly visible.  Not only that, but I could see it in her right eye, too.  Really big UH OH.

Another hour passed before I had to leave for my doctor’s appointment.  All the dogs milled around as I got in the car to leave, which is normal.  As I was backing the car around to get it turned around, I felt a thump and heard a noise.  What the heck?  There’s nothing behind my car.

Lucky - good dog!

I jumped out in time to see poor old Lucky come from behind the car and high-tail it for the front door, holding up one hind leg.  He never gets in the way of the car.  Well, he never did before.

I took him in the house, where he shook in fear (and probably pain) and made sure the door was closed securely behind him.  I apologized profusely to him and checked him over.  He was favoring the one leg, so I called the vet again to tell them I was bringing Lucky right in.  Next I moved my doctor’s appointment and cancelled my blood appointment.

Then I coaxed Lucky back outside.  He did not want to go.  The car, after all, was out there.  He plopped his butt down right at the front door and refused to go any further.  I had to leash him to get him to go to the car.  The poor dog learns quickly!  He finally acquiesced and got into the car for me.  Even 3-legged and 14 years old, he’s quite agile.  Good thing, too, because he’s a big boy at 90 pounds!

I left Lucky at the vet’s for an hour or so while I went to the doctor.  On my way back to the vet’s I pulled over to use my phone and happened to hear lots of barking and howling.  In the empty field next to me was an old truck with a camper shell parked in the sun.  I couldn’t see any people around, so I reported it to Animal Control and requested that they do a welfare check.  They dispatched someone while on the phone with me.

When I got back to the vet’s office, he met me with 4 x-ray films.

“His back legs are sore,” he told me, “but they look ok.  I was concerned about a possible fractured pelvis, but that’s ok, too.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and then he said, “But …”

Dang.  Why is there always a “but”?

“This,” he said, pointing to a round mass on the film, “is what concerns me.”

“You mean that thing that looks like a big tumor?” I asked.

“Exactly,” he said.  “I’m hoping it’s just a stomach shadow, but I need the radiologist to look at it.”

What did I do to deserve this?

“Fine,” I sighed.  “Just give me my dog and I’ll take him home.  I’ll be back later with Hellan.”

“There’s probably nothing wrong with her, so don’t worry,” were his parting words.

Fast forward a few hours and I’d had time to take Lucky home, grab a quick lunch, and put the horses out on the pasture to graze for a few hours.

pasture ornaments

They reside in the fat farm the rest of the time, so they don’t explode from the green grass.

Next it was Hellan’s turn at the vet’s.

He looked, and looked and looked.  He dilated her eyes and looked some more.  Then he sat back and said, “Well, she is a shepherd.  I believe it’s pannus, or chronic superficial keratitis (CSK) – also known as German Shepherd Dog Keratitis (seen mostly in shepherds).  It could also be episcleritis, but since they’re both treated the same way, I recommend starting treatment and checking her in a week.  We need to get this under control and it may require changing medications.  If pannus is left untreated, she can go blind.”

He went on to explain that pannus is believed to be an immune-mediated disease, where the animal’s immune system is derailed.  She already has an immune problem with her nose, so why should I be surprised with this news?

He took pictures of her eyes to have for comparison purposes and sent me on my way with oral prednisone and steroid drops for her eyes (4 times a day).  If it is pannus, I will be treating her for the rest of her life.

Once home, I of course consulted with Dr. Google.  I found this link that sums up everything I learned at the vet’s.

....zzzzzz....

We’re all dog-tired.