04/09/12 - Hope everyone had a nice weekend!
Reo is doing well lately! She had a DepoMedrol injection on March 24, and did not display any PD/PU/PP (increased thirst/urination/hunger) afterwards. This caused me, along with my vet, to conclude that Reo "needed" the injection, and did not have an excess of cortisol (which would cause those symptoms). This proved to us that as a result of all of the stress (emotional and environmental) over the past couple of months, Reo's estrogen had likely spiked.
Therefore, we agreed to give Reo another injection at the same dosage, which she had on Thursday the 5th. It's been 4 days, and no symptoms, which has surprised me a little bit - I was expecting to see them with this injection. Even though there have been no excess cortisol symptoms, I'm not sure if we will have an additional injection after this one, but I need to speak with Dr. Plechner and see what he would suggest in this case.
Otherwise, no changes, really. Her mood is fantastic, she looks wonderful, and still some light/dark perception. There have been a few moments where I was sure she was sighted again, only to have her bump something shortly thereafter. I have to remind myself that this was how it started last year - little glimpses here and there of vision returning. I remain optimistic. :)
**Edit** spoke to Dr. Plechner and he suggested that we go back to oral Medrol and not do another injection, so this is what we'll plan on!
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.
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