Sean and I decided to take a vacation, even though Reo wasn't 100%. I had to travel to Germany for work, and so we decided that Sean would come out and we'd spend a week in Hamburg, Berlin, and Prague. I was really concerned about not having Sean or me around for Reo, as it seemed that she was at a critical time in her treatment.
Fortunately, Sean's nephews were on break from school, and we flew them out from California to watch over our house, kitties, and three dogs. Sean assured me that the boys could handle Reo's incredible schedule and meal concoctions.
So...off we went. I won't lie - I was petrified, and we called every day! Fortunately, everything seemed to be going well. They did a great job watching to dogs, and everyone was okay when we got back. But...Reo gained a LOT of weight.
I'm not sure if she got into the cat food, or if she just was fed too much, but she gained about 2 pounds in a week, which is about 20% of her body weight. :( She seemed pretty uncomfortable, as her belly was very hard and swollen. Reo's stool was also quite liquid. I cut back on her food right away, and upped her walking schedule!
Reo's labial infection was also back. It was very swollen with some pustules. I cleaned it and put more Neosporin on. I also noticed that the skin around her anus was very swollen. At the time, I was not sure what could possibly cause this. However, I learned later that high estrogen levels can cause labial/vulvar swelling in females. So...I attributed this problem to Reo's high estrogen.
07/08/11 - Today, I increased Reo's Medrol and L-thyroxine to Dr. P's recommended dosages: Medrol to 1.5 mg once per day, and L-thyroxine 0.15 mg twice per day.
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.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
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