Member

Posts: 132
From:Brewton, AL, USA
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 01-06-2004 12:15 PM         

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I just came back from the vet with one of my little Dachsie girls. She's going blind!!!!
They need to do some more tests (to include MRI and a cat scan) but the vet told me that it could either be retinal degeneration - in which case there is nothing to do - or an inflamation of the optic nerve - which hopefully could be treated. The total cost is going to be around $1600, but I'm heart broken not because of the money, but because they say even after all this treatment, there is only hope, but no guarantee that my baby will get better.
Please pray for her. At least if it's nerve inflamation, we still have a hope!

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Member

Posts: 117
From:Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 01-06-2004 12:28 PM         

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My prayers are indeed with you and your girl. I have read that dogs really do apapt well to physical handicaps. My old Jake was mostly deaf and substantially blind in his last year but you really couldn't tell. He navigated around really well for a doddering old man.
Keep us posted.
Dukesdad

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Member

Posts: 277
From:Nellis AFB, Nevada
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 01-06-2004 02:13 PM         

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I have read several articles stating that dogs really do adapt well to blindness so don't despair. Just make him comfortable at home. Has he lived in your home a long time? If so, don't change the furniture around. He probably has the layout memorized and is used to it. I think he will be OK. If you need to talk, you know we are all here.

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Member

Posts: 132
From:Brewton, AL, USA
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 01-06-2004 02:38 PM         

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She will only be 6 in April, so she is not that old at all. And yes, we've had her since she was eight months old, so she knows her surroundings very well. I know dogs can do very well even if they lose their sight, after all, they rely more on their sense of smell and hearing more than their sight. But she's not my bouncy little hunter anymore....She mainly hangs around inside, she won't go out all over the back yard like she used to...

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Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 01-06-2004 07:13 PM         

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It's so hard to see our pets changing as they get older. Let us know what happens and know that our thoughts are with your little one.

Jamiya

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Member

Posts: 813
From:Santa Maria, Ca.
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 01-06-2004 09:07 PM         

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Dogangel, I'm so sorry to hear that, do you remember when i wrote in about Casey a while back? her eyes had a dark blue film on both of them. I thought the same thing, I was horrified! It turned out that it was not cataracts like I had thought. It was due to her nursing her pups. Her eyes are fine now, with the meds from the vet (an antibiotic cream) and lots of fluids. I will be praying that your little dauchsy gets good news as well. (Casey is a mini dauchy too) Sincerely, Susan

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Member

Posts: 409
From:Los Angeles, Ca.
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 01-06-2004 09:25 PM         

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My parents used to have a West Highland White Terrier (along time ago), & eventually she went toatally blind. If she ever bumped into something along her path, she would know which way to turn/move to get out of her mistake. She adjusted pretty well .

I've read that Vitamin A helps out the eyes & it's funtions, but i kinda forgot why/how. Carrots i'm sure you know is a good natural source for it.
Try looking into "natural" supplements that could help slow-down retinal-degeneration.

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