05/11/11 - Reo got her second injection today. Per Dr. P, we skipped the Vetalog (triamcinolone) and just injected 25 mg DepoMedrol.
05/12/11 - Reo has been quite restless in the early morning, usually between 12 am and 4 am. Doesn't seem to need to go potty or drink, but she just wanders around in the bed like she can't get comfortable. I'm sure her hormone levels are adjusting.
She's gaining some weight, finally, after losing a couple of pounds due to her inappetance. Even 2 lbs. is quite a lot for such a small dog! Her mood seems to be pretty good lately. She seems to have more confidence on walks.
I've noticed that Reo's pupilary light reflex (PLRs - when the pupils constrict in response to light) are quite good when she is outside. Sometimes in fluorescent lighting, her pupils stay very large. It is a bit confusing, but I've read that SARDS dogs can still have good PLRs even though they are totally blind. Hmmm...
05/13/11 - Reo only woke up once last night - that is some progress, and sleep is wonderful!! :)
Still giving Reo 4 meals per day of mostly rice and Wellness canned food. I've been sticking to the "stew" formulations, as they seem to have the least amount of ingredients with phytoestrogens. However, she still has fairly loose stools these days.
05/16/11 - Reo is sleeping a bit better, but still wakes up once or twice in the night. She usually has to have a bowel movement, which is typically runny. She is straining quite a lot, with not much stool coming out, which makes me wonder if she has colitis or IBD. So far, she hasn't had any blood present, or abnormal color, but sometimes there is mucous present.
As Reo has gained weight and is now in her target zone (yay!), I've cut back to 3 meals a day instead of 4, for weight maintenance.
Sean reported that he thought Reo could see a little bit today - she acted atypically when she was outside, including navigating the steps, tree, and fence as though she had vision.
We had a longer-than-normal walk today, about 45 minutes! Really the first time that she felt like walking that long. She was trotting out in front, and even pulling a bit, which is the first time she's done this since losing her sight (usually she'd be as close as possible to my feet).
05/17/11 - Reo's colitis-like symptoms are continuing, but I see no blood in her stool. Lots of straining, very little stool, some mucous.
I decided to start Reo back up on the canned pumpkin. It's not her favorite, due to her memories of my cooked food concoctions. She didn't eat all of her breakfast this morning. :(
I also wondered about the laxative effects that the Magnesium Taurate may be having on her, so I did a little research. While Magnesium itself can be a laxative, Magnesium Taurate complex is not known to be a laxative, so I can continue giving it to her without worry.
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.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
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