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January 15, 2005; Valley Center, CA -- After going through two intense eye surgeries in her left eye last summer during promotion of her new movie, Benji Off the Leash, a cataract appeared in the canine superstar's right eye in late October and, like the sudden appearance in her left eye, within a week had grown so rapidly that emergency surgery had to be scheduled and the cataract removed.
This time the intensely fast growth was caught before any damage was done from inflammation. A new lens was put in, and now after two months of carefully monitored recovery, the floppy-eared mutt has been declared "good-to-go" by renowned ophthalmology surgeon Dr. Antony Basher at his clinic in Rancho Santa Fe, Ca.
Joe Camp, Benji's creator and writer-director of the film, said, "Benji's attitude has been terrific through it all. She appears to see with the right eye as well as ever, and she's her normal happy self. You'd never know she'd had any surgeries at all." Benji and her co-star Lizard Tongue both live with Camp's family in San Diego County, California.
The two surgeries on Benji's left eye last summer resulted in her seeing little more than lights and darks with that eye. A cataract appeared and grew faster than any doctor expected, causing a horrid inflammation before surgery could be scheduled. "From the first time it was diagnosed, it took less than a week to consume her entire lens," said Camp, "and before she could be scheduled into surgery, the cataract apparently cracked the lens capsule. That resulted in an inflammation that caused her retina to detach after the cataract was removed. We flew immediately to Chicago to meet Dr. Sam Vainisi, one of the few surgeons in the country specializing in retina reattachment surgery. The surgery itself appeared to be successful, but the continuing inflammation caused a film to coat the internal side of the lens capsule. Because of the fragile condition of her eye, Dr. Vainisi recommended that no further surgery be done. At best, in the left eye, it's like looking through a dense fog. So obviously we were very concerned when the cataract appeared in her right eye."
Benji, whose big brown eyes have been the trademark of one of the most cherished characters in movie history, is estimated to be only four-years old. Camp is certain that she has some spaniel in her mutt mix because she lies with her back legs splayed out like a bear rug, a very spaniel-esque trait. And spaniels are known to have more early eye problems than most breeds.
Benji was adopted from an animal shelter in Gulfport, Mississippi after a three-month search in shelters all across the nation. The American Humane reports that because the original Benji was adopted from a shelter more tha
n one million pets have been adopted across the country, and Joe Camp wanted to recreate that senario with the current Benji. Benji's co-star in the new movie, Lizard Tongue, was adopted from Chicago’s Animal Care and Control.
Benji Off The Leash, the character's fifth theatrical motion picture, was released on DVD and VHS on December 28 and is now available everywhere.
For more information, see also:
The Search for the New Benji
Meet the New Benji
About Joe Camp
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