Davies Vets praised for saving beloved pet’s eye

A French bulldog is fully focused on a bright future once again after successful eye surgery at one of the UK’s leading small animal hospitals.

The much-loved family pet called Maya was referred for expert care at Davies Veterinary Specialists, near Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where she was found to have a chronic ulcer to the cornea of her left eye.

The ulcer was so severe, Davies’ resident in ophthalmology Eva Garcia Juarez and RCVS-recognised specialist in veterinary ophthalmology Rachel Lockhart agreed the best treatment option available to Maya and her owners was an intricate surgery to repair the painful damage.

Eva explained: “After a thorough, full ophthalmic examination, Maya was diagnosed with a chronic corneal ulcer and a focal area of perforation which was self-sealed at the time of assessment.

“Under general anaesthesia and surgical magnification, the perforated site was gently debrided and carefully grafted with Acell material (porcine bladder submucosa) and a conjunctival pedicle graft, which were both sutured with very thin absorbable sutures.

“The procedure took an hour-and-a-half in total as, in the case of a perforated eye, surgery is more challenging due to the loss of eye’s globe shape and pressure.

“Surgery went well despite this and Maya was discharged on the same day having been prescribed with a combination of topical and oral medication to aid her recovery.

“She returned for a scheduled re-examination a week after surgery at which point she was doing well and the left eye appearance and comfort had improved significantly.

“Tests showed Maya’s left eye had retained normal vision and was comfortable, so this was a very successful surgery.”

Delighted owner Agnieska was full of praise for vet Eva, saying: “Eva is absolutely amazing.

“She’s dedicated and professional and examined Maya’s eyes really thoroughly. A huge thank-you to her and the Davies team for saving my dog’s eye.”