This was our little dog Xena - you'll see her mentioned in some of our references. Xena was 14 - that's 98 in human years! Her full name was Xena, Louise, Marie, Christobel, Snowflake, Angel Dog Fellows - and another dog person on our walk in Melbourne added Fluffy Ears to her list of names.
We kept trying out names with her, as she never seemed much like a Xena the warrior princess to us - we wondered what her name would have been if we had owned her since a puppy. Gradually the list grew.
We had Xena for about 10 years. Around 2004 we were doing some volunteer work with the local oncology unit, and we met the most wonderful young man who was suffering with an end stage brain tumour.
We got to talking about dogs and he told us that he had a little dog that he was very sad to leave, and wanted to find a home for her.
Well it turned out to be our home. She has been such a lovely little doggie and she has travelled widely with us. As she aged the vet said she couldn't walk as far anymore, so as she liked to go on our walks too, we took her most of the way in her stroller, and then she also had walkies along the way. The stroller certainly caused a comment or two, along with a few smiles of all types.
As she aged there were lots more trips to the vet needed to keep a watch on her health and we've learned that she had canine glaucoma. If you have a look in the pictures at the very top of the page, you will see her right eye is somewhat larger than her left, and that is one of the signs of glaucoma - the pressure causes the eye to pop out a little. z,pz.She was given drops to hopefully drop the pressure in the eye. The drops are the same as a person uses, and have to be bought from the pharmacy. Sadly after some treatment the eye didn't respond and got worse, and with other health issues that she had, the vet recommended euthanasia.
Thank you little sweetie for all the love you gave us your little presence has left a huge space in our house and our hearts.
The information on canine glaucoma in the following two paragraphs is from www.petfinder.com: 'Symptoms of glaucoma include a dilated eye that doesn’t respond to bright light; a red or swollen eye; a bluish tint or haze to the eye; and pawing or rubbing at the eye. If you notice any of these signs in your dog, seek immediate veterinary care'.
Glaucoma or Cataracts? It’s easy to confuse the two because they both give the appearance of a bluish eye. The difference is that a cataract is a syndrome of many types of lens disorders, and its onset is usually gradual and rarely painful. It’s still important to see a veterinarian if your pet displays symptoms because cataracts can be treated with prompt care..
