Thinking back over the months leading up to Reo's SARDS diagnosis, there were may signs that gave us clues about what was going on in Reo's body. Unfortunately, we didn't pick up on those clues until later when we could piece them all together.
early 12/10: I was gone on a trip for 10 days (me gone = doggie stress, even though Sean is home)
12/10: Reo's annual wellness exam with Dr. N. She got her leptospirosis vaccine, and was diagnosed with an ear infection. Culture revealed it was bacterial - Baytril was prescribed.
12/17/10: We added a new dog, Tula the Doberman, to our household (new dog = STRESS!)
late 12/10: Noticed some behavior we attributed to Reo "acting out" - inappropriate urination in the house, general disobedience, lethargy, reluctance to go on walks/dog park (this we attributed to Reo's hatred of cold weather).
01/25/11 - Ear recheck showed the bacteria was gone, but it was now a fungal infection (treated with oral Ketaconazole - I learned later that this medication can suppress hormone production!)
02/03/11 - Ear recheck showed the fungus was gone, now back to bacterial. Dr. N was a little puzzled at the ferocity of this ear infection
02/14/11 - Reo got her bordatella vaccination
late 02/11 - Reo fell out of bed twice (this has never happened previously!)
late 02/11 - noticed Reo was very restless at night; panting every night, wanted to get up for water (I attributed this to the fact that I'm a hot sleeper)
late 02/11 - Reo began getting into the cat food (naughty!), and seemed to bloat up with weight. She lost her waist.
early 03/11 - I was out of town, and Sean reported that Reo was bumping into things (very strange). I came home March 4th, and noticed this myself. Reo was indeed bumping into things, and was reluctant to climb stairs, etc. I made a vet appointment with Dr. N right away for the next day - we were very worried at this point!
What I believe to be the key stressors for Reo: change in schedule/routine, environmental stressors (new dog, maybe cold weather), two vaccinations close together.
Again in hindsight, Caroline Levin thinks that Reo's ear infection was her expression of the hormonal imbalances. Some dogs will have allergies, rashes, skin infections, etc. For Reo, it was a nasty ear infection.
Key symptoms: inappropriate urination, lethargy, panting/heat intolerance, excessive thirst (polydypsia - PD), excessive hunger (polyphagia - PP), restlessness
In March 2011, our Miniature Pinscher, Reo, suddenly went blind and was diagnosed with SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome). We were given no hope for vision recovery, but through research, perseverance, love, tears, and a lot of luck, we brought our dog back from a serious illness, and restored some functional vision in about 5 months! This is our story, our journey...and we hope that by sharing our story, we can help other dogs diagnosed with SARDS!
BLOG DISCLAIMER
**DISCLAIMER** Please note: I am not a veterinarian, and the purpose of this blog is solely to educate, provide resources, and share Reo's story. In this blog, I will present research and information on the theories of SARDS to which I subscribe, along with my own narrative. If you think your dog may have SARDS, or adrenal exhaustion/Plechner Syndrome, please seek veterinary care right away!
If you are just beginning your SARDS education, I suggest you start with the blog post from August 22, 2011 entitled "SARDS Resources". If you'd like to know our trials, tribulations, and joys from the beginning, start with "But first...Reo!" and click chronologically on from there.
If you would like to read my suggestions as to how I would approach treatment for a newly-diagnosed dog, check the November 16, 2011 post "If I had another SARDS dog" (and then read my blog more fully for appropriate context).
Though we have decided to suspend Reo's retinal protection supplements in September 2012 (see September 16, 2012 post "Decision for Reo") due to the fact that she had very little remaining vision, I am still strongly supportive of our treatment approach, and know that it changed Reo's health and longevity in a positive way. Feel free to comment and ask me any questions - I am happy to help if I can!
Update: Reo became an angel on October 21, 2014. She had a profound kidney infection, causing acute kidney failure, and she was unable to recover. The contributing factors to her decline are covered in my February 16, 2015 blog post "Farewell to Reo".
Though I do not regularly update this blog any longer, much of the information is still relevant (though some of the links may be out of date). Feel free to join the conversation at "SARDS Dogs United" on Facebook.
My Schnauzer, Rufus, was diagnosed with SARDS in early December and he displayed most of the symptoms that you listed above, in the months leading up to his diagnosis, including indoors urination, drinking more water than before, weight gain and some lethargy. But these symptoms were so vague, that I had no clue that they were related to, or signs of deteriorating vision. I also took him to the vet when I noticed that he was bumping into furniture and had difficulty coming down the stairs in my house.
ReplyDeleteYour website has been a great resource. Thank you for setting this up! I look forward to more posts in the future.