Hello I have a 15 mth old akita and she has very bad eyes at the moment.My vet has tried different steroids but so far to no avail.Her eyes are badly swollen and her corneas are just about completeley white,we know she is blind at the moment but my vet is unsure as to wether this is permanent!she has been very lethargic in the past few days but has now began to pick up again even though her eyes dont look any better.anybody any ideas????

I would ask for a referal to a canine opthalmologist on the BVA eye scheme panel. There should be one somewhere within reasonable travelling distance.

It certainly sounds as if you need specialist help. I looked at your profile but that does not give any clues to what part of the country you are from. If you like to post your rough location or to email me I can tell you where your nearest opthalmologist who is a BVA eye scheme pannelist is. For my email address click on my name at the top of this post.

Regards, John

Hello thanks for the reply.I have been back to the vets this morning and hes told me Kumo has UVEO dermotological syndrome.This means her own immune system is attacking the pigmentation.The sad news is that she will be permanantly blind as it also attacks the retinas in her eyes.We have her on steroids at the moment and she has to go back on tuesday.Ive looked it up on the web and it states that its never cured but can be kept under control with drugs.I now have to weigh up the pros and cons to keeping her on drugs for the rest of her life.She is in pain at the moment.Seemingly this is a very rare virus and has only been found in Akitas and Huskies.Shes quite grumpy at the moment as shes probably terrified.Anybody ever heard of this before?

It's not one I know anything about but I looked it up and it says, < "An emergency disease situation and immediate professional help is required."> So I would hazard a guess that as you say, it is already too late. It says that the risk to sight is that <"The eye fills with exudate and the iris may become stuck on to the lens."> Something to also bear in mind is that (Again quoted from the book) <"Cataract may develop and the drainage of aqueous may be impaired and cause glaucoma."> This, as I guess you are well aware is an extremely painful condition leading to the loss of the eye/s and if not treated immediatly the shock could well kill the dog!

Sorry to bring all this bad news. For my part, however good my vet is, (and he is good!) under the circumstances I would still be going to see a specialist.

Please let me know how things develop.

Regards, John

Help please I have a five week old puppy that has been hand reared on goats milk for the past three weeks. She is a collie and is the size of a six week old kitten. Her eyes opened after 4 weeks and have had some discharge from them the vet says it does not look good and thinks that she may be permanently blind through infection (she also have a snuffly nose) he has given aureomycin cream. I do not think she is blind as she seems to react to torch light. I am desperate is there anything I can do to save this little pup from being blind? Or some test I can give as an indicator whether she can see now or not. Please e mail me direct as I am desperate to help her rolwlands2k@aol.com
many thanks Jennifer Rowlands

I had a pup that had discharge from one eye (2 1/2 weeks old), I used a wet warm cloth to clean and polysporin for eyes 3 to 4 times a day for 4 days, the eye cleared up and was fine. Did this on the advice of my vet and his eye looked very nice and clear by 2 days after but kept up for 4.
Maybe get a second opinion, I would. Sure hope ur little one gets better.
ttfn :)

It's so hard to tell if a dog is blind or not. They will turn their heads to "Look" at sounds or scent so giving the appearance of seeing. About the only way is to see a specialist canine ophthalmologist. I notice you don’t give any location in your profile. If you let us know your rough location, I have a full list of BVA/KC/ISDS panelists in the UK and can point you in the right direction.

Regards, John

Andrea, for such a serious condition, I would want my dog to be under the care of a specialist and not a GP! Do ask for a referral.

Hi Andrea I too have looked it up & agree with the others & urge you to take her to a vet opthalmologist. Sorry to hear she has this disease.
Christine2

Hello Andrea,
I think others are right, and you should ask for a specialist referral. I have suffered from chronic uveitis( I think is the human version) for many years. I know that when it flares up I have to get to the eye hospital immediately, as this condition is one of the few ophthalmic emergencies. Steroids are the usual treatment as they dampen down the inflammation, but the pain can be excruciating. Also, the increased pressure within the eye makes me very sick.
I'm very sorry that your lovely girl's sight has been damaged - what a terrible blow. I wonder if it would be a good idea to ask the specialist if this is likely to re-occour, and if so, what signs should you be alert for? I think probably the key factor is increased pressure. If he feels this may flare up periodically, what can be done? I know in humans,that with chronic cases a small operation called Trephining can help the flow of fluid in the eye.
I do hope I haven't upset you with any of this,I'm trying to arm you with some info ..... but obviously I only know about my own condition, and a specialist would have the expert knowledge and advice.
Regards
Clare

Gosh Clare,
When I first read this post I thought it sounded like uveitis, which I had once, luckily my GP was on the ball and caught it quickly but I had to go to hospital for regular check ups and don't those eye dilator drops sting. It is 2 years since I had it they think it is related to my sarcoidosis but luckily it has never come back
Anne

Hello Anne
I'm not certain that uveitis is exactly the same, but the smptoms sound very similar, don't they? Either way, a referral is probably the best option.
Sarcoidosis is a rotten thing to have, and uveitis is known to be linked with this and other 'arthritic' type conditions. It can also be caused by something as simple as contact with ticks found on deer (Lyme Disease), or germs carried in cats poo (Toxoplasma).With me, despite numerous trips not only to my local eye hosp., but also to St. Thomas', no specific cause has been identified. I've had this for about 13 yrs now, and because on one occasion I delayed getting to hosp promptly, the pupil in that eye is paralysed and is permanently dilated. So I wear sunglasses almost all the time, and look very cool These days it doesn't flare up too often, usually I just get a 'sick' headache for a few days, but I know when the pressure's high and present myself at the hospital.
Crumbs!:o Here's my medical history for all to see!
I'll go now, in embarrassment !:D

Clare