07/03/13 - We had a glorious time in Europe for nearly 3 weeks!
Reo (and all the pups) did great under my brother's care - everyone was happy and healthy when we got back, and there was much rejoicing as we were reunited.
But, Reo has been having some issues with her right eye for a couple of months. We've tried a few different things (drops, allergy meds, etc.) but nothing seems to be working. Right around the time she was diagnosed with SARDS 2 years ago, she walked into a tree and scratched her cornea. She's has the scratch since then and it never caused any issue. But now, it seems to have a secondary whitish mark that is coming out from the scratch. Our regular vet did a fluorescein stain and it didn't uptake anything (good), and it's not anything like a cataract (good), but we can't figure out what is going on.
I decided to make an ophtho appointment to see if there is anything that can be done. It's clear that the eye is itching her, and the white of her eye is quite red. It also looks like the lower eyelid is a bit swollen. So, since our regular vet can't solve the puzzle, and Reo is not getting better on that front, we're going to go and get it checked out.
Fingers crossed we can get an appointment fairly soon and get to the bottom of it! Stay tuned...
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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