Cow Mau: Seeing the world with BOTH eyes again!

Today is the big day for Cow and for all of us, folks, and it's good news!!

The vet started by snipping off the two stitches and then he put some local anaesthetic into the eye.

As Cow opened his eyes, the third eyelid fell back into place. Good, at least it's not stuck. In some cases, it gets stuck and it needs to be snipped under mild sedation. First hurdle passed, though this doesn't indicate anything at all about his ulcer.

The vet said we have to wait for the eye to open up fully before doing the fluorocein test, which is the acid test, to check if there is anymore ulcer. He wants to be able to see the entire eye clearly.

So we waited...with heart throbbing.

The eye looked clear to me....it just looked a little red, but it's clear.

Oh, how I've miss Cow's beautiful green eyes!

Then it was time for the acid test...

The vet dropped the fluorocein into Cow's eye and turned off all the lights. Then he used the special light to shine into the eye through a filter and checked. Then, he told us to take a look....

The ulcer.....is GONE!!!

YES, it's gone!!

Cow!!! We did it, we did it! Thank you so much, Dr!!

The vet said Cow would still have to be on the e-collar for another 3 days. This is to prevent him from scratching due to the itch from the stitches or just in case there is anything else there which may cause irritation. We are to continue with the eyedrops for 3 more days and that's that. Everything ought to be okay.

We brought Cow home and I don't remember feeling this relieved ever since Cow's big fight with Indy which started everything.

Seeing the world with both eyes again!

The three weeks have been such a trying time for Cow and us.

Cow, you're okay! Your eye is okay!!

Another 3 more days on the e-collar and it will be, as the vet says, "Independence Day"!

Cow also seemed much happier, even though he is still on the collar. I am sure it has not been easy for him, to have one eye stitched closed for 3 weeks. Cow is one tough guy, isn't he?

For those who are reading this for the first time, Cow and Indy got into a fight in December which resulted in Cow's eye injury (most likely due to a scratch). Eyedrops were applied but the cornea became ulcerated after 2 weeks and the ulcer did not heal with antibiotic eyedrops and plasma drops. So, the last resort was this third eyelid flap surgery in which the third eyelid was pulled over and stitched up to cover the entire eye. Cow's eye was also stitched shut and remained so for three whole weeks. The purpose of letting the third eyelid cover the cornea is to allow the blood vessels on the third eyelid to nourish and heal the corneal ulcer. During this time, the e-collar had to be worn 24/7. No one could tell if any healing occurred during this period as there is no visual on what was going on inside the eye. Today, the stitches were removed and the surgery was a success!

A celebration with his friends.

Look at my eye!

Yes, no more playing Pirates of the Caribbean, Cow!

Taking a well-deserved nap.

Cow and all of us want to thank all of you so, so much for being with us for the past few weeks. We are extremely grateful for your thoughtful wishes and kind prayers, which I am very sure contributed to his recovery.

We also wish to thank Cow's vet, Dr Prem Anand, of Gasing Veterinary Hospital, for performing the surgery and saving Cow's eye.

Thank you so much, everyone!