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Friday, February 25, 2011
Dog loses his vision suddenly
By Dr. Jeff Nichol
Of the Journal
Q: We discovered a few weeks ago that our Brittany dog, Val, is experiencing SARDS, sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome. I am devastated at how quickly he is losing his eyesight. He is only 8 years old and in good health otherwise.
It is difficult to watch how confused he is. His activity level has dropped dramatically. He used to love to hunt lizards, but now I'm afraid he'll scratch his eye since he can't see if something is going to poke him.
Dr. Nichol: I'm really sorry to hear about Val's blindness. Like anybody who loses his sight, your boy can become depressed and afraid. There is a lot you can do to help him adjust.
SARDS really is sudden; it can render a dog blind in several days to a few weeks. According to Dr. Gavin Kennard, of Eye Care for Animals in Albuquerque, it usually occurs in overweight middle-aged females. Any breed can be affected. While the cause is still unknown, many affected dogs drink and urinate excessively and gain weight. Onset may follow a stressful event. To make a specific diagnosis, a veterinary ophthalmologist will perform an electroretinogram. Sadly, there is no cure.
Val can relearn to navigate your house. Start by confining him to a smaller area so he can figure it out one room at a time. If you put lavender in one room and chamomile in another, he'll know where he is. Prevent his access to sharp objects and swimming pools.
Val's unsighted eyes need extra care. They'll be prone to drying because he'll keep them open more. There will also be the risk of corneal injuries. Dr. Kennard recommends artificial tears a few times daily and Doggles when hiking. You can find helpful advice from other dog owners facing similar challenges on Blinddogs.com.
Q: I recently adopted a 5-month-old tuxedo kitten. Lucy has started to suck and knead on the elbows and armpits of my shirt. It wouldn't be such a problem, but I'm becoming a human pin cushion from her sharp little claws. Help! I'm running out of skin to poke!
Dr. Nichol: You are Lucy's surrogate breast because she was weaned too early. She has arrested development; her time warp has her stuck in suckling.
The only effective defense will be to arm yourself with a can of compressed air so you can startle Lucy out of her infantile mindset as soon as she starts leering at you as though you were a human Binky. Remain quiet as you, the hunted turned hunter, stealthily blast this feline suckler into next week. This may be great fun but you can forget curing Lucy's aberrant behavior. You've been objectified. You will always need to be on guard.
Your plight could be worse. I was recently contacted by a colleague who described a cat, similarly assaulted by a feline housemate, whose nipples had become severely inflamed to the point of bleeding. Startling both the perpetrator and the victim would create other issues. Instead I recommended the anti-compulsive medication clomipramine to diminish the behavior and allow the feline pacifier to reclaim his nipples.
Dr. Jeff Nichol can be reached at 898-8874 and 505-792-5131. Contact Dr. Nichol on his website www.drjeffnichol.com (click Submit a Question?) or 6633 Caminito Coors NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120. Find me on Facebook.
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