A puppy who was born blind can see for the first time following an operation labeled ‘the nearest thing to a miracle’.
Golden retriever Gladys, owned by Bill Hamilton and his family from Trafford, was confirmed blind at just seven weeks old.
But four months later the adorable dog can see after undergoing an intricate surgery on her eyes, Manchester Evening News reports.
Bill said: “Gladys was born on January 23 and at just six weeks old we had some concerns about her eyes and by seven weeks she was basically 100 per cent blind.
“Despite this, she was still very active and could navigate around our house and every bit of our garden. She was sociable, playful and seemed happy.
The Hamiltons turned to their local veterinarian, who referred them to the expert care of Eye Vet.
Initial tests offered a glimmer of hope that her eyesight could be restored. Gladys was able to follow a penlight being shone on the vet’s table when her pupils were dilated with specialist drops.
Bill added: “The vet, Iona Mathieson, carefully explained to us the complexity of the operation to remove her cataracts from both eyes and we decided there and then to go ahead.
“Gladys was just 13 weeks old when Iona and her expert team operated and the result is the nearest thing to a miracle I have ever seen. Our blind little pup could see! We are so happy and so grateful.”
Iona Mathieson, an advanced practitioner in veterinary ophthalmology, called it a “challenging case” because of Gladys’ young age.
However, she believed surgery would be beneficial and, with the family agreeing, went ahead with it.
She said: “The outcome was so rewarding with Gladys now enjoying good vision and the opportunity to go on and live a normal life.”
