How Batman Lost His Eye

All healed up and grumpy as usual.

So, Batman only has one eye.

Because of his black fur and the lack of light in this picture, you can barely tell he’s missing it. It almost looks like it’s just closed. Sometimes I think I catch a glimmer of it only to realize it’s some white hair. Like a damaged teddy bear that’s been repaired, all that remains is a solid piece of fur and a slight indention in his face.

How did this happen? Well, before we get to that, I think you need to meet Cupcake.

Don’t let her cuteness fool you.

We got Cupcake the Christmas before last.

Batman had lost all three of his siblings in the course of a few years and he was going through some doggy depression. We figured getting him a sister would help him but we also got a new dog because we just couldn’t imagine our house being dog-less at some point in the future. Batman is almost 12, so obviously he’s on the Back 9 and we figured having another pooch would help soften the inevitable emotional blow.

Batman and Cupcake became fast friends and our old man had his youthful energy restored overnight. Before we knew it, they were chasing each other around the house and wrestling with each other.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. Cupcake was a menace.

Batman was an easy puppy. He’s the best dog I’ve ever owned. Smart, loyal, obedient. We house trained him in days.

Cupcake on the other hand? Pooped on the couch. Pooped behind the couch. Pooped on beds. Pooped in our bathroom. Pooped in the kids’ bathroom. Peed everywhere. Ate her poop. Ate the kids’ toys. Nipped at the kids’ heels.

All usual puppy stuff but it really demonstrated what a cakewalk Batman was as a puppy.

Buddies.

Besides Cupcake just being a puppy, things were great.

Then she turned one.

Now, Batman has always had a bit of a grumpy disposition. He fought with all of our other dogs. It was always a fight about the same thing, too.

Food.

Batman and Cupcake started scrapping under the dinner table so we decided to make a rule. If we were eating, the dogs had to go outside.

On one fateful night, Cupcake was being…. Well, Cupcake. I tried to put her outside but she kept running from me. It had been a long day so I gave up and sat down to eat dinner with Kelsea and the kids.

Of course, that’s when all hell broke loose.

If you’ve ever seen a French Bulldog brawl, you know it’s more comedic than anything else. Maybe one of the dogs gets a scratch or two but that’s the extent it of it. This time was different.

As I went to pull them apart, Batman began shrieking. I’d never heard a sound like that come out of him.

Once they separated, we noticed a good bit of blood above his eye. We figured it was a nasty scratch and at worst, he might need stitches. A couple of minutes passed and we realized it was much, much worse. His eye started to swell like a boxer that had gone ten rounds. It was an ugly sight and he was clearly in a lot of pain.

Ruff day.

The vet confirmed what I suspected. Cupcake’s tiny little puppy tooth hadn’t clipped his eyebrow, it had gone into the eye itself.

The doctor informed me they’d have to remove the eye.

That wasn’t the scary part, though.

Batman isn’t a spring chicken by any means and when old dogs go under anesthesia, sometimes they don’t come out. Not to mention the arteries behind the eye are very sensitive so there was a chance he could bleed out during surgery, too.

Needless to say we had a very restless night while waiting for the doctor to call and tell us the results of his surgery.

Thankfully, everything went according to plan and my best friend made it, albeit down one eye ball.

He made it!

I think we can learn a lot from dogs.

Batman went through a brutal injury and a traumatic surgery over the course of 24 hours but when I picked him up, he hadn’t missed a beat!

I mean, he had a disgusting, shaved crater on his face that was sutured together but other than that, he was the same dog!

Dogs don’t feel sorry for themselves. They don’t complain. They’re just happy to be alive.

When Batman came home, he and Cupcake immediately tried to play together. That’s another thing about dogs that we should pay attention to. They don’t hold grudges.

Fixed it!

It wasn’t a fun experience by any means but we learned a valuable lesson. The dogs go outside no matter what.

I’m just happy that the best boy is still with us. He’s just like his Dad - Too tough to quit.

It’s going to take more than a puppy tooth to take him out.

-Eric