05/13/12 - Today, I ordered what could be Reo's final bottles of Magnesium Taurate and Phosphatidyl Serine. If we don't notice improvement in her vision by the time she finishes these, I believe that it may not be worth the cost to continue giving her these supplements, since her vision is transient/minimal. Every once in a while, she surprises me with her vision when she navigates new terrain successfully, but she struggles sometimes too. I believe she struggles more than she has some sight these days.
I recall that it took about 5 months after her first series of injections last year, to see a good improvement in her vision. She got her injection series in March, and we are only 2 months after those, so it's possible we have a ways to go, which is okay. I plan to get another EI-1 Panel from NVDS, as well as a CBC in late June/early July (about 6 months since her last), to see how she is doing, but I know from her demeanor that she is healthy and happy.
I am still optimistic, but I am also trying to be realistic. I wanted to write this on my blog to make it more "real" for me, that it is possible that Reo's vision may not recover from all of the emotional and environmental stresses from earlier this year.
I feel pretty guilty that I wasn't more pro-active, and didn't think about how all of the changes we were making could affect her. But, ultimately, we wanted to/had to move, as it was the right decision for our family - and how could we have predicted that allergens would have been especially brutal this spring? My regret is that I didn't give her a "booster"injection of DepoMedrol as soon as I began to notice a regression. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20 and I can't go back now.
When I took that last obstacle course of Reo recently, I went back and watched her previous videos, and it's clear that she is not doing as well as before. It crushes my heart, because I feel as though I've let her down in some way, or failed her by not paying closer attention, or realizing what was happening as her vision was regressing. Yes, the most important thing is that she is healthy and happy - and we are blessed that she is both! But, a part of me is really sad that her vision has regressed, and I am hopeful that she will get back to "normal"for her, like she was the second half of 2011. Fingers crossed!
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.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
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