I took our new arrival blind Brody and blind Turtle the cat to our vets in Helena this morning. This is a photo I took of Brody after I lifted him into the truck before we left. Brody was going in to the clinic to be neutered, have a heartworm test, a complete blood count and chem panel work-up, a dental, and an eye exam. Depending on the outcome of the heartworm test, he might have an echocardiogram of his heart as well.
Turtle, shown here in an earlier photo after her eye surgery, has become dehydrated again, has started to vomit occasionally, and was still not gaining weight after losing a lot earlier last month -- this despite the fact that she does eat pretty well. We took her to see our vet back in February because of weight loss and dehydration, and after a week in the clinic and IV therapy, she bounced back. Our vet, Dr. Brenda Culver, ran a battery of tests then and everything was normal, which really perplexed us. But clearly something is wrong, so she went in today for more diagnostics.
The only definitive results we have back this evening are on Brody's eyes. We knew he had cataracts ... you can certainly tell that from the photo above ... but cataracts can be secondary to other eye diseases, so we never assume it's only cataracts. And if it IS only cataracts, there may be a chance of doing cataract surgery to restore vision.
The problem with doing an eye exam on an animal with cataracts is being able to see past the cloudy structures and into the interior of the eye. So Brenda did an ultrasound of Brody's eyes this afternoon and found, alas, that his retinas are detaching. This rules out cataract surgery. (Our veterinary ophthalmologist in Spokane, Dr. Bill Yakely, says that only about 50% of dogs with cataracts turn out to be candidates for surgery because of other problems in the eye ... usually involving the retinas.)
At this point Brody's eyes do not appear to be causing any discomfort, but detached retinas can become painful, so this is something we will have to keep an eye on (so to speak).
If you think you see some snow on the truck window behind Brody ... you're right! We woke up to a heavy, wet snowfall this morning, coming down so thick it blocked our satellite signal for about an hour. As for the green sheets hanging over the back of the seats ... well, that's our rather useless attempt to keep dog hair, mud, hay and other assorted ranch debris off the seats.
(Click on photos for larger image.)
Brody looks so incredibly happy & content - I love that big smile! It's a bummer that surgery wont help him see again, but being blind sure doesnt seem to interfere with him enjoying the good life. Thank you again for taking care of him, and ALL of the animals there. I hope that Turtle's mystery illness can be discovered and treated.
I'll keep checking back for updates =)
Posted by: Janel | March 31, 2007 at 02:48 PM
I'm involved with the PETSCOMEFIRST group that sent Brody to you. I also work at the shelter where he was turned in. He looks so happy! I can't express how pleased we are that he was able to come to you. I want to reserve a space for myself in a few years.
Posted by: cheryl | March 31, 2007 at 09:46 AM
YOU GUYS take such GREAT care of your housemates. God love ya! My best to Turtle. Looks cold.
Posted by: Karen | March 28, 2007 at 08:46 PM
Brody looks happy just going for a ride!
I'm worried about Turtle; her symptoms are the same as when my cat was diagnosed with a hyper thyroid but I'm sure there are other reasons for changes you've seen in Turtle.
Please let us know what you find out from the vet and we'll keep paws crossed that she's be feeling and looking well soon!
Posted by: Leilani | March 28, 2007 at 09:30 AM