KP - The Canine Pirate
In July 2000 I noticed a wavy disfiguration in KP's iris (if you look real close in this picture you can see it).    I figured it was nothing because he had a banner year...2 rabbits and a squirrel.  Lets just say he likes rabbit meat and prefers to give away squirrel.  In November 2000 I saw something inside his eye ball when his pupil was big.  I scheduled an appointment with my vet, Dr. Michele Hendricks of the Allison Veterinary Hospital, who referred me to the local eye specialist, Dr. Kerry Ketring of the All Animal Eye Clinic.  After dilating KP's eye and taking many pictures Dr. Ketring said he was 99.99% sure it was a benign tumor (biopsy diagnosis was Iridociliary Adenocarcinoma).

Before Dilating:    After Dilating: 

He said he did not  have equipment to treat it in a manner to save the eye and doubt there was a treatment, but, that he would call his colleagues at The Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital and see if they were doing anything that was promising.  A week later the news was as expected, there was no way to save the eye.  Dr. Ketring said even though it was a slow growing tumor it would eventually bleed or cause glaucoma so removing it sooner rather than later was wise before it became an emergency.  So I waited until after the holiday's and scheduled the surgery for January 11, 2001.  What an emotional day.  I finally got the call about 2:30 that he was recovering well. And that I could pick him up the next day.  When my vet told me that she was going to keep him overnight I feared things didn't go well.  My vet rarely keeps a dog overnight and I understood that he would come home the same night.  I'm glad he stayed.  The next day he was ready to come home so I picked him up a 9:30 AM.  Same sweet dog but....WOW...what a shiner.

Day #1  

Day #2  

Day #3   

A few days before stitches removed   

After stitches removed    

Looking good KP       

THIS PAGE LAST UPDATED ON 11/28/2004 at 11:32:09 AM