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sashagirl
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My deepest sympathies. But all is not lost ... talk to the specialists.

Where are you? If Sydney, contact Jeff Smith at the Animal Referral Hospital at Homebush 02 9758 8666.

They are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

ETA: I don't know anything about the condition in a dog so young as yours, but I rescued a much older dog a couple of years ago who was completely blind through cataracts. Surgery (and a lot of dollars) performed and he has perfect vision. I don't know if cataracts are caused by different things, so I would imagine a lot depends on the cause.

Edited by Danny's Darling
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If I had the $ and the prognosis was good then I would go ahead with a dog this age.

Only the specialists can tell you if the outcome is likely to be "worth" the $ and the stress on the dog & yourself.

I have no idea what sort of dog you have but please please let the breeder know, and if they don't seem interested then please try to track down the breeders of your dog's parents and talk to them. Maybe there's a DNA test for your breed, but if there's not then this sort of information is invaluable to ethical breeders to stop others going through the heartache you are.

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my little bundle of joy of 1 year has been diagnosed as having cataracts...

should i send her for surgery ?

please share your thoughts. thank you

Why wouldn't you get surgery? Another option is to send her back to the breeder for a refund I guess.

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Is there any reason you are hesitating?

Probably for the same reason a lot of us hesitate :) . It is scary and it is venturing into the unknown. It might be something the surgeons do regularly or even every day of the week, but it is not for those experiencing it.

Advice for any sort of surgey: ask around, do your homework, find out the pros and cons, will the patient be better off afterwards, what is the prognosis for success, etc etc.

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i am confused.

Found = very good specialist

Specialist advised success rate = 85%

Risk of surgery = Pain to the extent dog has to be put down due to eyeball hardening ?? is this worst case scenario ? probability ?

Surgery= not simple. need eyedrops ? not sure for how long and constant monitoring ?

Benefits = restored. question - will it recur ?

Cost = expensive

Colleagues advice = no need as dog will be still healthy but blind. they have blind dogs.

Internet = need surgery as dogs eyeballs will harden leading to permanent blindness and pain

Return dog = death of dog

I am currently monitoring the situation with bi monthly checks at the specialist.

seeking real stories and experience now from you all. please give me your ideas

thanks!

PS: yes she is a puppy

Edited by sashagirl
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It's a matter of working out which route will give your dog good quality of life , which route you can afford, and which route you can manage with your lifestyle.

I hope you have notified the breeder ..did they have any supportive things to say ?

is it in their lines somewhere?

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I have lived with a blind dog and yes, they certainly do adapt (much better than people). But she was old (11 when she went totally blind) and there was no surgurical option for her.

Surely if the very worst happens and the eyeballs harden you would then have the option to have the eyeballs removed? Sorry if this sounds gruesome but I'm a bit surprised this side-effect/outcome would automatically mean the dog has to be PTS?

I have also dealt with a couple of blind Labradors - guide dogs if you like the irony - who went blind due to PRA. They were older, one 5 one 8 and managed very well but they were very well trained, knew left, right, back, stop etc.

ETA: recurrance of the cataract would depend on the cause. Definitely a question for a specialist. If this is an option in your breed has the dog been DNA tested, would this identify a clearer answer to the question of recurrance? My understanding is the juvenile cataract in Staffordshire Bull Terriers does not recure and I believe juvenile cataract in Bostons is the same genetic condition - this is the extent of my knowledge.

The suggestion to get one eye done makes a lot of sense to me.

Edited by Sandra777
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You need to find out if this is a genetic disease - if so, the breeder is doing the wrong thing and needs to know.

Personally, I would have one eye done - there are rescues that do this for much older dogs - we don't get that much of a discount but it makes a whole world of difference to a dog and to an owner.

I have had 1 blind dog and a couple of nearly blind dogs all due to cataracts. THey were all old or I would certainly have considered surgery - they were foster dogs and were all rehomed, even the blind one.

They were all very loved in their homes and walked etc like any other dog.

That said, if it had been a puppy I would have gone ahead with surgery without question and definitely if it was MY puppy.

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So can she still see? I'd ask the specialist if theres' anything bad about postponing, watching the progression until she's a little older and a bit easier to keep quiet. I believe you'd have to keep her very quiet while her eyes healed.

Eyeball hardening and pain (failure of the procedure) couldn't mean your only option is PTS - only removal of the bad eye. And you still have a blind dog anyway.

I can't imagine that even if you do go ahead that there's a chance you will lose her. She may just be blind, and dogs do adapt. If you try, and it doesn't work at least you know you tried.

But keep in mind, specialists do have to warn you of worst case scenario of any surgery, inadvertently making you think the worst is going to happen.

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I'm a bit surprised this side-effect/outcome would automatically mean the dog has to be PTS?

I have actually never heard of hardening of the eyeballs after this surgery .... can you explain it to me ?

As said removal of eyeballs can be done , and dogs adapt very well :)

All this said - I can understand confusion - this dog is only a year old .... she has her whole life ahead of her..and it is a worry trying to ensure that life is as complete as you can make it ....

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Having a young blind dog is restrictive on your lifestyle and can lead to horrific painful injuries. I wouldn't choose to own one for that reason. You know (if your internet info is reliable) that this dog will inevitably suffer pain if the surgery isn't done.

An older dog that slowly goes blind is much better able to cope with a normal home environment than a young dog, but still requires special care.

Consider whether you could ask the breeder to contribute to the cost of surgery up to the purchase price. You could only ask this if it was clear that the breeder could have avoided the problem with health testing. If it's just bad luck, you would just have to pay the price.

I wouldn't ignore this, you have a very good chance of success if the info you have been given is correct. However we don't really know as much about it as you do, as we don't know anything about the dog or your lifestyle and ability to cope, and we have not had the specialist consultation that you have had.

The specialist can tell you more about any known factors about the 15 % of dogs that were not helped by surgery. They can tell you the rate of dogs who later regressed.

A small young blind dog is easier to manage than a big young blind dog.

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Wow, that is young to have cataracts. :confused:

I can only speak from human terms, I was almost blind 3 years ago with cataracts, I had the surgery, one eye at a time & it was done in the morning & I was home a few hours later, I had to put drops in my eye for awhile. Now I don't even need glasses.

I was told that constant exposure to the sun without wearing appropriate sunglasses caused it. That's why I'm amazed that such a young pup has it. :confused:

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What city are you in, Sashagirl?. That information would help and there are many many people here on DOL and just about every illness or operation you could imagine has been experienced.

My specialist surgeon gave me the odds of 90% success and the remaining 10% a bit of mixed bag.

The after care treatment is pretty simple and doesn't need to be continued for long. My dog was only in hospital overnight; because he didn't paw at his face, he didn't have to wear his Elizabethan collar, drops are the simplest thing in the world to give. Apart from that, there were a few follow up checks and people always available on the phone if you are concerned.

As with others, to euthanise a dog because its eyeballs hardened seems a bit extreme to me. This potential side effect was never canvassed with me, but as I have to go to my regular vet in the next couple of days, I will ask.

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I was told that constant exposure to the sun without wearing appropriate sunglasses caused it. That's why I'm amazed that such a young pup has it. :confused:

Unfortunately juvenile cataract is a genetic condition present in a couple of breeds.

Thanks, I didn't know that.

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Thanks everyone...

she is a little girl and a joy to behold.

she has a beautiful temprement and very adorable...........haha.....beware she will steal your heart.

unfortunately, we noticed her cloudy eyes and went to the specialist not hoping to hear........

so in shock, we forgot to ask so many things....

breeder is informed, breed stock is supposedly excellent and tested with no problems.

not sure how much he will contribute to the cost of purchase, but definitely not in full.

return of dog = refund.

or replacement (breeders choice)

options 2 and 3 are tempting BUT.........she has stolen my heart and i do not want to make a decision to regret for the rest of my life.

so just before i revert to say no return,

i wanted to know about her quality of life with or without surgery.......

now i understand in the worst case scenario she will have her eyeballs taken out, but will live to enjoy her life. thanks guys.

I need to ask regarding the chances of recurrence with the specialist and what happens if no surgery...if anyone can think of what else I should ask the specialist, please let me know.

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