Eye diseases - New to board

1884 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by mandolinda, Oct 27, 2008

mandolinda

Discussion Starter · Oct 27, 2008

I'm hoping someone will have some insight to share with me. I have a 7 yo neutered male mini that the vet just told me has an eye disease and that he will probably eventually go blind. I intended to go directly home and research it, but I find that I'm suffering from "bad memory disorder" (happens more and more, I tell ya), and I'm not recollecting the name of the disease with as much confidence as I'd like.

I know that when I bought him at 8 weeks, the breeder had his aunts and mother all there in her house; one of his aunts was blind from PRA. However, the breeder assured me that both his parents, as well he and all 6 of his litter mates had been tested and were free from the disease. I didn't really know what it was and was more interested in taking home my puppy than in finding fault with him. Anyway, when the vet showed me where his pupil was ragged on the edges and said "He probably will go blind eventually," I just made the jump in my mind and decided it was PRA.

Now that I've done a little research I'm confused -- the timing and symptoms don't seem to fit what I'm finding out about PRA. According to what I've read, PRA usually onsets between 3 and 5 years -- and Baxter is 7; and I haven't been able to find any symptomology that matches what the vet showed me in Bax's left eye: The edge of the pupil, where it should have been a sharp delineation between the iris and the pupil, was instead a bit raggedy -- like torn paper. I have noticed a bit of blueish coloring in that eye, but he's had "issues" with his vision as long as I've known him, which is basically his whole life. (As a puppy I had to carry him across thresholds and parking lots, because he simply wouldn't cross any straight lines. He's terrified of drains and any kind of grid-like object.) He doesn't seem to be having any night-vision issues, and for the most part stripes are not bothering him anymore -- as long as I give drains a wide berth on our walks, he seems ok.

I don't know whether or not I want to put him through any tests -- esp. since it seems that PRA isn't treatable. But if he doesn't have PRA and instead has something else... :sad:

Sorry for the long-winded intro, just hoping someone has some insight they'd like to share...

thanks for reading -- Linda (and Baxter)

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Gigit

· #2 · Oct 27, 2008

Sorry to hear you are facing this, it must be difficult to find out your puppy is going to go blind.

Here is some research I found and how Progressive retinal atrophy affects the Poodle breed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_retinal_atrophy

Progressive rod-cone degeneration (PRCD)

This is a disease with normal rod and cone cell development but late onset degeneration of the rod cells that progresses to the cone cells. It is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait and has been linked to the ninth canine chromosome.[2]

* Poodle - Night blindness by three to five years old, blind by five to seven years old.

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SECRETO

· #3 · Oct 27, 2008

Gigit said:
Sorry to hear you are facing this, it must be difficult to find out your puppy is going to go blind.

Here is some research I found and how Progressive retinal atrophy affects the Poodle breed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_retinal_atrophy

I wouldn't rule out PRA due to his age. Some diseases in dogs don't progress by the book like they say. I do think you should possibly get a second opinion and of course research the condition more.

Im sorry to hear that about your Baxter though. I hope you guys figure out what is going on and your questions get answered. I would certainly try to get one more opinion if your able too. Good luck to you and Baxter.

out:

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Purple Poodle

· #4 · Oct 27, 2008

I know that when I bought him at 8 weeks, the breeder had his aunts and mother all there in her house; one of his aunts was blind from PRA. However, the breeder assured me that both his parents, as well he and all 6 of his litter mates had been tested and were free from the disease.

Did you get to see Vet records saying they were clear?

I have a Mini who is now almost blind in both eyes at 4 years old and I have a feeling its from PRA. He was a rescue and is neutered.

Anyway if he were my dog I would have him tested for PRA just be sure.

What kind of guarantee did the breeder give you for genetic defects?

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mandolinda

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 27, 2008

Purple Poodle said:
Did you get to see Vet records saying they were clear?

I have a Mini who is now almost blind in both eyes at 4 years old and I have a feeling its from PRA. He was a rescue and is neutered.

Anyway if he were my dog I would have him tested for PRA just be sure.

What kind of guarantee did the breeder give you for genetic defects?

No, I didn't see the vet records... although she may have shown them to me or even given me copies and I lost them. I didn't plan to breed him, and in fact had him neutered as soon as the vet gave the ok. Since I figured he was healthy, I probably didn't allot enough space in my brain for the info.

She did give me an unconditional guarantee for the first year -- she would take him back and return my money, no questions asked, on my say-so. In fact, I had her groom him for over a year, and then she retired and moved away. One time I moaned about not being able teach him to come as well as I thought I should and she offered to take him back right then! Like, nooooooooo!!! It's ME wot's got the problem, not my baby boy! She was a great breeder, too bad she moved.

Anyway, thanks for your advice, Purple, I think I probably will end up having him tested for PRA, if just to verify that that's what I'm dealing with.

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mandolinda

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 27, 2008

Gigit said:
Sorry to hear you are facing this, it must be difficult to find out your puppy is going to go blind.

SECRETO said:
I wouldn't rule out PRA due to his age. Some diseases in dogs don't progress by the book like they say. I do think you should possibly get a second opinion and of course research the condition more.

Im sorry to hear that about your Baxter though. I hope you guys figure out what is going on and your questions get answered. I would certainly try to get one more opinion if your able too. Good luck to you and Baxter. out:

Thanks for the research! I hadn't thought about getting a second opinion yet. I'll do that.

Thanks for your good wishes too -- I'm not really worried about Bax if he should loose his sight; I think he will acclimate well, he's so smart and has a nose as long as Pinocchio's -- that should stop him from bumping in to anything :rainbow:! I was very relieved to find out that PRA is completely painless (for the dog), and I found a reference to a book called "Living with a Blind Dog" that was recommended for helping the dog's guardian (me!) go through the process as painlessly as possible too.

I'm not happy that he's losing his sight, but I'm so glad it's not something horrid like pancreatitis, which is the evil that claimed my first poodle.

Does anyone recognize the symptom that the vet showed to me?

Thanks, everyone, this is a great forum!

Linda, Baxter, Phoebe and Jay

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