Cataracts/nuclear Scelerosis

[Sheridan]

Went to the vet this morning and he's suggested Ardee see a canine opthamologist. He has a blue shadow in his eyes which the vet thinks is either the beginnings of cataracts or ageing nuclear scelerosis. If it's the latter then nothing can be done but if the former, he said that an operation sooner rather than later would be better. An operation is very expensive, of course, but if one will help I'd find the money somewhere.

What experiences do people have with cataracts or nuclear scelerosis?

Edited November 21, 2007 by Sheridan

[Dogsfevr]

The surgery for cataracts does have a high failure rate so dont be lead to believe it will be a great success.I know 3 dogs who have had the surgery with non success.

How old is the dog??

[Sheridan]

He'll be 12 in January. The vet said that it would depend on the quality of his retinas.

[Mizzi]

My 8 year old BC's eyes started to develop a cloudiness a couple of months back.

I started putting Bilberry and Vitamin E (both in liquid form) in his meals. Within 2 weeks the cloudiness was gone.

I would definitely recommend you give it a go.

[xiaorose]

Sorry, it's a bit long........

Manman had diagnosed with cateracts when he was 5yr, only a few white dots first and grows slowly over the years. I was advised by his vet to wait as there's no rush to do it and once it's done, his eye sight will be back to normal and so don't have to do it until it starts to get bad and of course because it's very expensive it also gives me time to save up.

He's been to the same vet since he's 2 yr old and had regular check ups every year and his eyes were always checked every year after he was disgnosed and I was told the same thing.

He was 10 last year and I thought it is time to do something to give his more quality in his life in the last few years and do it before it gets worse and goes blind. So, I was refered to the eye specialist in Malvern East by our vet to do the cateract sugery.

I was very concerned with the success rate and due to his age (although he is extremely fit & healty for his age, but I don't want to deteriorate his health by the surgery) so was thinking to have one done first and wait for a few months after for the other one and also just in case the surgery fails and at least he will still have one good eye.

At the initial appointment, I was told that cataract surgery is better to be done as early as possible to have higher success rate and also the later may have infected retina and if that's the casem they can't perform surgery. The eye specialist that Manman has very healthy retinas and therefore can perform surgery, and for dogs, with the technology in Australia, they're been doing 2 eyes and there's no need to have one done first and wait for the other as there's no difference and instead of letting him go through surgery twice, it's better to go through it once and it is not a major surgery at all!

But the disclaimer is - it's all my decision. The sucess rate for Manman is approx 85% and the 15% is the complication during surgery and all surgeries have some risks. Which I accepted and understood.

Surgery for one eye is $2500 and both is $4500 plus initial consultantation fee which is about a hundred something, plus medication and includes 3 consultations after the surgery and after the 3 we still have to come back on a regularly basis and consultation is extra and we have to keep coming back for checkups till the end of the dog's live.

He explained how the surgery works and one of it is to remove the retina and sewed it back to prevent it from being detached.

I was still very worried but the eye specialist was very confident and can't see much other issues other than nothing is 100% garuanteed in life so he obviously can't promise anything.

I agreed to do the 2 eyes at the same time and the surgery was booked just before Christmas last year. I was told that the surgery all went well when I picked him up and we kept him very quite for a month didn't let him play, run, get excited, go for walks, etc, he stayed in the house for one whole month, other than the 3 check ups and quick toilet trips to the backyard about 3 times a day.

The surgery was planned just before Christmas as I had 2 weeks off and can stayed home to take care of him and i came home during my lunch breaks everyday after the holiday and come straight home after work at 5pm. (I only work 5 min from home).

We came back for the 3 check ups and everytime I was told that the eyes are pefect, the retinas are good too. Although there were quite a bit of cloudiness in the eye, I was told that it was the scaring due to the sugery and he has a bit more and the eye specialist doesn't know why he has more than other dogs and said it doesn't affect his eye sight and told me not to worry and he definetely can see through them but just maybe not a 100% perfect eye sight but it would be much better than before teh surgery.

Manman had cataracts for about 5 yrs but his eye sight was never really bad, he never bump into things or fell off stairs, etc. So I can't tell much difference if he has better eye sight, but we can certainly tell that the eyes is a lot clearer than before so I can only assume that he can see much better. Wish only if he can talks!!

In mid Feb, he happened to walk and bump into the mirrow sliding doors of the wardrobe! I was shocked but i thought it was an accident as he was turning and intend to leave the room and the door is next to the wardrobe. But a few days later when I was hand feeding him some cheese (his favorite) and when I had the cheese in front of his face (more towards to the left side) and he was staring at me and didn't see the cheese! I move the cheese to the right side of his face and he sees it and globbed it down. I tried a few times by swinging the cheese in front of his left eye and confirmed that he wasn't seeing anything.

I took him to the eye specialist first thing the next morning without an appointment and was told that the retina of the left eye has detached and he is confirmed blind to that eye! I beg if there's anything that they can do to to save that eye and I definetly wasn't expecting to have him blind after all was confirmed ok and perfect. He said there isn't and there're no technology in Australia that he know of can save the detached reticna. I asked him why it happened more than one month after the surgery and he answer is that he doesn't know and he cannot tell me why. He than said that there is always risk that the reticna may detached anytime after the surgery, it could be one month, 2 years, etc. That's why he had to remove and sewed the reticna and it is to prevent it from being detached later.

I asked if it was due to his mistake during surgery and I need to know and he was very offended by the question and said no. He said Manman's case is due to complication after surgery. (Apprentely I wasn't told this before). His positive note is that Manman doesn't have much vision before the surgery anywat and at least now he have one very good eye!

I was charged eighty something dollars for the consultation and some medication and asked to come back for check up in a week time. We were back a few time after that and wasn't charged consultation, only medication as was told that it's due to complication so don't have to pay.

I went to another eye specialist and see if there's anything he can do and I was told the same thing, that once reticna is detached, there's no hope. However this eye specialist said that his technic is different and he never agreed to remove the rectina as it highly create the risk of it being detached but doesn't want to comment and siad different surgeon uses different technis that they belived. However, even he doesn't touch the retinas, there is risk of them detached after the surgery and he has some patients even had both detached after sugery!

After the sugery till now, Manman is constantly walking into things and once I took him to a friends house, it was broad day light and he couldn't see the steps and flew off them a few times and couldn't find his way back to me. He also couldn'd see much especially at night and I can be standing right in front of him and he will walk pass me and trying to find me and he wouldn't go down the 2 steps in front of our house, he knows there's steps there but alwasy struggles to get down, when playing with him, I have to throw them and right in fornt of him or very close so he can't find them, etc.

I went back to the eye specialist and told him that i don't thin Manman have much sight in his right sye, but he said from what he can see, the right eye is normal! After the surgery, he eyes are always very red and have yellowish & greenish sticky staffs and obviously very uncomfortable and maybe sore for a few months and I had to get medication & drops from the clinic. I was also told that he doesn't know why!

I was extremely down for a few months and is still very sad and was thinking I was being misinformed and cheated.

What's the point of spending about $5000 dollars believing that my baby will have normal eye sights and have better quality life in the next few years but instead blind him.

He was due to go back to have the regular checkups in Sept, I booked an appointment for him but didn't end up going as I was feeling really sh*t about going back and not just I have to pay for it but I just don't see the point and why and what they can do even the other retina is detached and especially they can't even prevent it.

This is only my very bad experience and I'm sure there're many sucessful sugeries out there and dogs had gained full vision with happy ending. But I would personally not do it again.

[Sheridan]

My 8 year old BC's eyes started to develop a cloudiness a couple of months back.

I started putting Bilberry and Vitamin E (both in liquid form) in his meals. Within 2 weeks the cloudiness was gone.

I would definitely recommend you give it a go.

Mizzi, can you tell me a bit more about that? Where do you get it from and how much do you give each day?

[Sheridan]

Sorry, it's a bit long........

Manman had diagnosed with cateracts when he was 5yr, only a few white dots first and grows slowly over the years. I was advised by his vet to wait as there's no rush to do it and once it's done, his eye sight will be back to normal and so don't have to do it until it starts to get bad and of course because it's very expensive it also gives me time to save up.

He's been to the same vet since he's 2 yr old and had regular check ups every year and his eyes were always checked every year after he was disgnosed and I was told the same thing.

He was 10 last year and I thought it is time to do something to give his more quality in his life in the last few years and do it before it gets worse and goes blind. So, I was refered to the eye specialist in Malvern East by our vet to do the cateract sugery.

I was very concerned with the success rate and due to his age (although he is extremely fit & healty for his age, but I don't want to deteriorate his health by the surgery) so was thinking to have one done first and wait for a few months after for the other one and also just in case the surgery fails and at least he will still have one good eye.

At the initial appointment, I was told that cataract surgery is better to be done as early as possible to have higher success rate and also the later may have infected retina and if that's the casem they can't perform surgery. The eye specialist that Manman has very healthy retinas and therefore can perform surgery, and for dogs, with the technology in Australia, they're been doing 2 eyes and there's no need to have one done first and wait for the other as there's no difference and instead of letting him go through surgery twice, it's better to go through it once and it is not a major surgery at all!

But the disclaimer is - it's all my decision. The sucess rate for Manman is approx 85% and the 15% is the complication during surgery and all surgeries have some risks. Which I accepted and understood.

Surgery for one eye is $2500 and both is $4500 plus initial consultantation fee which is about a hundred something, plus medication and includes 3 consultations after the surgery and after the 3 we still have to come back on a regularly basis and consultation is extra and we have to keep coming back for checkups till the end of the dog's live.

He explained how the surgery works and one of it is to remove the retina and sewed it back to prevent it from being detached.

I was still very worried but the eye specialist was very confident and can't see much other issues other than nothing is 100% garuanteed in life so he obviously can't promise anything.

I agreed to do the 2 eyes at the same time and the surgery was booked just before Christmas last year. I was told that the surgery all went well when I picked him up and we kept him very quite for a month didn't let him play, run, get excited, go for walks, etc, he stayed in the house for one whole month, other than the 3 check ups and quick toilet trips to the backyard about 3 times a day.

The surgery was planned just before Christmas as I had 2 weeks off and can stayed home to take care of him and i came home during my lunch breaks everyday after the holiday and come straight home after work at 5pm. (I only work 5 min from home).

We came back for the 3 check ups and everytime I was told that the eyes are pefect, the retinas are good too. Although there were quite a bit of cloudiness in the eye, I was told that it was the scaring due to the sugery and he has a bit more and the eye specialist doesn't know why he has more than other dogs and said it doesn't affect his eye sight and told me not to worry and he definetely can see through them but just maybe not a 100% perfect eye sight but it would be much better than before teh surgery.

Manman had cataracts for about 5 yrs but his eye sight was never really bad, he never bump into things or fell off stairs, etc. So I can't tell much difference if he has better eye sight, but we can certainly tell that the eyes is a lot clearer than before so I can only assume that he can see much better. Wish only if he can talks!!

In mid Feb, he happened to walk and bump into the mirrow sliding doors of the wardrobe! I was shocked but i thought it was an accident as he was turning and intend to leave the room and the door is next to the wardrobe. But a few days later when I was hand feeding him some cheese (his favorite) and when I had the cheese in front of his face (more towards to the left side) and he was staring at me and didn't see the cheese! I move the cheese to the right side of his face and he sees it and globbed it down. I tried a few times by swinging the cheese in front of his left eye and confirmed that he wasn't seeing anything.

I took him to the eye specialist first thing the next morning without an appointment and was told that the retina of the left eye has detached and he is confirmed blind to that eye! I beg if there's anything that they can do to to save that eye and I definetly wasn't expecting to have him blind after all was confirmed ok and perfect. He said there isn't and there're no technology in Australia that he know of can save the detached reticna. I asked him why it happened more than one month after the surgery and he answer is that he doesn't know and he cannot tell me why. He than said that there is always risk that the reticna may detached anytime after the surgery, it could be one month, 2 years, etc. That's why he had to remove and sewed the reticna and it is to prevent it from being detached later.

I asked if it was due to his mistake during surgery and I need to know and he was very offended by the question and said no. He said Manman's case is due to complication after surgery. (Apprentely I wasn't told this before). His positive note is that Manman doesn't have much vision before the surgery anywat and at least now he have one very good eye!

I was charged eighty something dollars for the consultation and some medication and asked to come back for check up in a week time. We were back a few time after that and wasn't charged consultation, only medication as was told that it's due to complication so don't have to pay.

I went to another eye specialist and see if there's anything he can do and I was told the same thing, that once reticna is detached, there's no hope. However this eye specialist said that his technic is different and he never agreed to remove the rectina as it highly create the risk of it being detached but doesn't want to comment and siad different surgeon uses different technis that they belived. However, even he doesn't touch the retinas, there is risk of them detached after the surgery and he has some patients even had both detached after sugery!

After the sugery till now, Manman is constantly walking into things and once I took him to a friends house, it was broad day light and he couldn't see the steps and flew off them a few times and couldn't find his way back to me. He also couldn'd see much especially at night and I can be standing right in front of him and he will walk pass me and trying to find me and he wouldn't go down the 2 steps in front of our house, he knows there's steps there but alwasy struggles to get down, when playing with him, I have to throw them and right in fornt of him or very close so he can't find them, etc.

I went back to the eye specialist and told him that i don't thin Manman have much sight in his right sye, but he said from what he can see, the right eye is normal! After the surgery, he eyes are always very red and have yellowish & greenish sticky staffs and obviously very uncomfortable and maybe sore for a few months and I had to get medication & drops from the clinic. I was also told that he doesn't know why!

I was extremely down for a few months and is still very sad and was thinking I was being misinformed and cheated.

What's the point of spending about $5000 dollars believing that my baby will have normal eye sights and have better quality life in the next few years but instead blind him.

He was due to go back to have the regular checkups in Sept, I booked an appointment for him but didn't end up going as I was feeling really sh*t about going back and not just I have to pay for it but I just don't see the point and why and what they can do even the other retina is detached and especially they can't even prevent it.

This is only my very bad experience and I'm sure there're many sucessful sugeries out there and dogs had gained full vision with happy ending. But I would personally not do it again.

Thanks, xiaorose. I'd probably want to consult a few people. I've let his breeder know but as he's behind the Great Firewall of China he may not respond for a while, if at all. These surgeons were both in Melbourne, were they? The specialis who's been commended to me is in Sydney and a friend recommends the clinic at North Ryde for me. I think I'll make the appointments and see what they have to say.

Thanks so much for telling me your story.

[sandgrubber]

I get a few blind dogs in the boarding kennel. An older blind dog is usually pretty much ok, particularly in a familiar environment. If I were in your shoes I'd try natural / herbal / whatever remedies, but steer clear of anyone wieding a scalpel.

[Dogsfevr]

Personnally at that age i would also avoid surgery & just keep mthe home routine very normal & if anything start placing additional water bowls around,even use carpet runners so the dog can learn now whislt still some vision a roadmap.

[Sheridan]

Thanks for the advice. I'll still make the appointment because I want a diagnosis but I'm going to be very careful about surgery. He doesn't act elderly. In fact, I still twit his breeder that his 'elderly' dog he was giving to me has more energy than a puppy. Are there natural remedies vets anyone can recommend?

[percyk]

ooooh xiaorose

what a terrible experience for u

so good of u to spend that money on ur dog

i know many who wouldnt spend anything..just let the dog deteriorate

to have so much go wrong and still not have any idea of why it happened is frustrating and heartbreaking

my dog has cataracts.....not just the cloudiness but i was told that its better to wait ...i suspect that its easier to operate when it gets bigger or whatever

she is nearly 8

dont know what ill do

keep talking to different surgeons...many wont discuss without a consultation tho...

phhhhhhhhhhhh ...oh well....never had a problem with any other dog so i guess its my turn to fork out

Mizzi thanks for the tip about bilberry and vitamin E drops...will look into it

[Mizzi]

My 8 year old BC's eyes started to develop a cloudiness a couple of months back.

I started putting Bilberry and Vitamin E (both in liquid form) in his meals. Within 2 weeks the cloudiness was gone.

I would definitely recommend you give it a go.

Mizzi, can you tell me a bit more about that? Where do you get it from and how much do you give each day?

Bilberry and Vitamin E are both helpful in maintaining healthy eyesight. You can buy both from any health food store.

Calypso is 38kg, so I give him 1ml MICEL*E Vitamin E supplement and 2ml Greenridge Bilberry Eyecare once daily.

Just base the dosage on Ardee's body weight in comparison to your average adult. I mix Clyp's drops in with his meal.

[Sheridan]

Mizzi, that sounds very mathematical, which I'm not. ;) Luckily, I work with a bunch of such minded people and will get them to work it out for me.

[Mizzi]

Mizzi, that sounds very mathematical, which I'm not. ;) Luckily, I work with a bunch of such minded people and will get them to work it out for me.

Good luck Sheridan. Hope it works as well for Ardee as it has for Clyp.

[Mizzi]

Sheridan, just wondering how Ardee is going.

Any word from the opthamologist? Have you tried the herbs?

I'm really interested to know the outcome.

Cheers.

[Sheridan]

Mizzi, our appt is Wednesday. I've been without a car for a bit so haven't got to get the herbs yet. I can do that this week, though. Thanks for asking. I'll let you know how he goes.

[Mizzi]

Mizzi, our appt is Wednesday. I've been without a car for a bit so haven't got to get the herbs yet. I can do that this week, though. Thanks for asking. I'll let you know how he goes.

Thanks Sheridan.

[Sheridan]

Mizzi, I got the Micel and Bilberry today and will try them out tonight with him. I'll give 0.5 ml of the Micel and 1 ml of the Bilberry. That sound about right for his 23 kg?

[Sheridan]

Well, I have great news!

We went to see the opthamologist this morning. Lovely man called Jeff Smith from the Eye Clinic for Animals. Ardee doesn't have nuclear sclerosis or cataracts! He had a look at both eyes, put in some eye drops, made us wait for a bit, and then had another good indepth look. Said it was just the normal deterioration that you'd expect in a dog of nearly twelve! I'm going to start Ardee on the bilberry and Vitamin E supplement and see how he goes on those. I'm very happy!

[Brig]

Well, I have great news!

We went to see the opthamologist this morning. Lovely man called Jeff Smith from the Eye Clinic for Animals. Ardee doesn't have nuclear sclerosis or cataracts! He had a look at both eyes, put in some eye drops, made us wait for a bit, and then had another good indepth look. Said it was just the normal deterioration that you'd expect in a dog of nearly twelve! I'm going to start Ardee on the bilberry and Vitamin E supplement and see how he goes on those. I'm very happy!

Hi There, I am new to this site. I have been following this thread and I am so very happy for you that Ardee's eyes are ok.

I have a shar pei who is only 2 and a while ago I seen cloudiness and a shade of blue in his eye that was since treated but not for cataracts or anything serious so while reading this thread I have been having heart attacks that maybe my sharpei was misdiagnosed. Have you started the vitamin E and bilberry yet?