ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 13, 1996 TAG: 9610140017
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-15 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: claws & paws
SOURCE: DR. JILL BOWEN
Q: We have an elderly cocker spaniel that has always lived outdoors. I took him to the veterinarian recently as he seemed to be bumping into things. The doctor seemed a bit put out with us as he said Sinbad had cataracts, glaucoma and "en-something" which made his eyes red and sore. Sinbad has always had sore eyes and we just thought it was normal for a spaniel. Could you please tell me a bit more about these conditions.
A: I am sorry to hear that Sinbad seems to have more than his fair share of eye problems. Let's start with the last condition first. Entropion is a problem that commonly occurs in dogs with deep wrinkles on their faces. Dogs suffering from entropion have eyelids that roll inward, causing the eyelashes to scratch the cornea (the clear part of the eye), and an inflammation of the delicate membrane that covers the white of the eye and eyelids. This inflammation is called conjunctivitis and is one of the most common eye problems in dogs.
As well as entropion, other causes of sore, red, watery eyes can be infectious conditions, injuries like a scratch, or eye irritants such as smoke, dust and allergies. In some cases, chronic conjunctivitis can even predispose toward entropion or at least make a mild case worse. Conjunctivitis is usually treated with a medicated eye ointment, while entropion is normally corrected surgically. In view of Sinbad's age and his other problems, this may not be a viable option.
Glaucoma is an increase in eye pressure caused by a buildup of fluid in the eye. It is always serious and can lead to partial or total blindness. No one really knows or understands what causes glaucoma. Because it occurs more commonly in certain breeds, we believe that inheritance must play a part. Signs of glaucoma include red and watery eyes, cloudiness and a painful swelling of the eyeball.
If the onset of the glaucoma is gradual, there may be no obvious signs of pain. Diagnosis is symptomatic and is confirmed by the use of a special instrument called a tonometer that measures the internal pressure of the eye. Treatment with pressure-relieving medications helps, but, in some cases, the eye has to be surgically removed. I do hope this will prove not to be the case with Sinbad.
A cataract is an opacity of the lens. It is very often inherited and occurs in several popular breeds which include cocker spaniels, poodles, huskies, schnauzers and Labradors. There are two common sorts of cataracts. Those that occur in young dogs are called juvenile cataracts and are nearly always inherited. Senile cataracts, as their name would imply, occur in older dogs and are part of the aging process.
Once a cataract is fully formed, it can be removed surgically, but it is important to ensure that the other structures of the eye are normal before having the surgery.
I think, in Sinbad's case, that surgery may not help, because if he has had glaucoma for any length of time, it is possible that the light-sensitive retina, at the back of the eye, will have been damaged because of the buildup of pressure and therefore removal of the cataract would not improve his sight.
Blindness in a dog is not as catastrophic as it is in a human, because most blind dogs live in familiar surroundings and can move around quite well provided that the chairs and furniture are not moved. Dogs rely more on their powerful senses of smell and hearing, and this, combined with their familiarity with their territory, makes blindness less of a hardship. This may be more of a problem for an outside dog such as Sinbad.
What blind dogs need most is a caring owner, "a seeing-eye person." If you take Sinbad off his own home turf, use a short lead and gentle voice commands to direct his movements. Perhaps restricting Sinbad's free-range territory to a smaller area would be helpful to prevent him from bumping into strange objects or running the risk of being hit by a car.
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