For The Love Of Bella #dogblindness

I was trying to take a picture of Bella sleeping on our couch when Allie got in the picture. Bella is one of those special dogs who is kind to other dogs, mothers little Aggie our Fox Terrier, and never, ever poops in the house.

Bella is a rescue. She was found high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, scared to death, and eating a chicken she'd killed out of desperation. She is mortally scared of thunder which, if you've spent a summer in the Sierras you'd understand.

My friend adopted her because she loves labs. Bella was just adjusting to normal life when my friend passed away. Unbenownst to me she left me her dogs.

When Bella and Aggie arrived both dogs were scared to death. Aggie had just been rescued from a Fox Terrier breeder so she too had attachment issues. We were number three pet parents to Aggie and fourth to Bella. It took months to get them to accept us as their new forever pet parents but eventually we got there.

To make a long story short, my friend who passed was quite wealthy so the dogs came with free food and medical care for life, but what they really needed was lots of love and time to get over their abandonment issues. As you can see Bella has claimed the couch and Aggie the space between my feet. They have also claimed our hearts.

On Sunday Bella's eye was red. On Monday it looked much better. On Tuesday the redness was back so Dennis took her into the vet's. A few hours later she was at a dog opthamomogist's office an hour away from home where they gave her an MRI and took a bunch of bloodwork. They are thinking it might be a fungal infection. They gave us eye drops, a fungal med, antibiotics, and prednisone.

By the time Wednesday rolled around Bella's eye was bloody and yes I mean bloody. Today the whites of her eyes are somewhat better, but she has no vision. The vet called a little while ago and they still don't know what it is.

A year ago Bella tested positive for Lyme disease and was put on antibiotics. When the doc retested her on Tuesday she was weakly positive for Lyme, but they don't think that is the cause of her sudden infection and blindness.

So, I am putting her story out there to see if anyone else has had this experience. The vets are perplexed and while we wait for more tests to return I can't help but think it has to be Lyme disease even though she gets her flea and tick meds every month.

What else could it be?

As my kids will attest to we take pet parenting seriously. Dogs have a personality, they know their place in the pack, and we guide them gently. They give as much love back as we give them. If you know anyone who might have an idea as to what caused this, send them over my way.