cataracts / dogs

My aging schnauzer has cataracts that are now completely grown reducing her sight to very little.
I'm told that the only vet that can deal with this is in Mexico City. And, there's supposedly a person in Guad, but they are so new at this that the vet lakeside would not recommend the person in Guad.

Her general health is good. And, we are working with her so that she knows that when she's on the lease, including in the house, she can trust us to make sure she's walking in a 'safe' area. If she's off the leash, she's bumping into everything.

Anyone with any other information or experience with this issue?

Thanks,

Hi Sherman,

Check this out. http://www.jefferspet.com/petvision/camid/PET/cp/5W-P1/

I've seen some very good reviews on it. I used it on a filly who had juvenile cataracts last year. She was stone blind. Ran straight into a wall. Since she was bigger than me.. I was only able to use them for awhile. One eye is about half uncovered now and the other has thinned. In any case I have her in pasture and I've never seen her run into anything or stumble.

I'm fostering two elderly ladies right now. A Maltese and a Poodle. Both have cataracts. The Rescue is going to spring for the drops for them. I'll let you know how they do. The surgery is VERY expensive..and I'm sure much more painful and intrusive. I don't remember what they quoted me on the filly but it was mucho dinero. How old is your girl?

I've picked up quite a few gems over the years raising horses and being owned by a multitude of other critters. I've talked about the DE for worming before...amazing non poisonous stuff..... but another "miracle" in my "bag of tricks" is regular garden lime for cuts. We use it on us as well as all the critters. It doesn't burn, but dries the wound ( and talkin' some serious humongous wounds on horses), keeps dirt and flies out and heals so quickly it's almost like magic.

One more hint... especially good for larger critters. If a wound is all yucky, scabbed and dirty... put a thick layer of Bag Balm (great stuff) on it and cover it with a bandage. The next day when you take the bandage off..all of the crud will painlessly come off with it..then you can use the lime...which by the way also works on proud flesh.

One more... for nasty stuff like ring worm.. a ten percent bleach solution works much faster than the ten dollar a day stuff the vet will want to sell you. Doesn't burn either. Usually one application will do it.

my (now deceased) cocker got a bad cataract when he was about 6 years old - he would be 15 now if still alive -

Lived in Dallas at the time - so went to the dog ophthalmology clinic and had the cataract removed and a lens put in - just like real people - at the time the cost was $2000.

When i moved here, I asked Dr Luz about the location of a dog ophthalmologist - and she said there was one in Mexico City - but she also suggested that i try someone at the University of Guadalajara - I never did and lost that contact - as the dog was doing fine - but you might even contact her in Guadalajara or the other vet that the expats use there - to see if there is anyone knowledgeable at the university.

I would assume the vet in mexico city would be much cheaper than the one in Dallas - The $2000 was about 9 years ago - and the annual followup was an automatic $200

I agree about the bag balm, wholeheartedly. Good to know about the lime..

We have a 15 year old Basenji, she has a bad cataract in one eye, and failing vision in the other, mostly because she was born without enough tear ducts in that eye. So this dry weather is really getting her down - but no obvious pain. We use human grade liquid tears from any farmacia - that seem to help her a lot.

It's just so sad to see her clunking into things. Luckily, she has a lot of character - I imagine, if she could talk, she would would want a real cool, pirate eye patch!

Pirate eye patch? LOL! I have a drawer full. When I got kicked in the face and lost my right eye..., I used "friendly plastic" to make matching earring, necklace and patch sets. When life serves you lemons......

A few years later I got "reconstructed" and a "new" eye, made the patches unnecessary... but they were definitely conversation starters.

Really! Great info, thanks Kip.

kipissippi wrote:Hi Sherman,

Check this out. http://www.jefferspet.com/petvision/camid/PET/cp/5W-P1/

I've seen some very good reviews on it. I used it on a filly who had juvenile cataracts last year. She was stone blind. Ran straight into a wall. Since she was bigger than me.. I was only able to use them for awhile. One eye is about half uncovered now and the other has thinned. In any case I have her in pasture and I've never seen her run into anything or stumble.

I'm fostering two elderly ladies right now. A Maltese and a Poodle. Both have cataracts. The Rescue is going to spring for the drops for them. I'll let you know how they do. The surgery is VERY expensive..and I'm sure much more painful and intrusive. I don't remember what they quoted me on the filly but it was mucho dinero. How old is your girl?

Thanks very much for the link.
I'll give it try. At this point, any improvement would help.

When they get older I REALLY hate to leave them with a vet... it seems like they always die... or soon after. May just be my luck.... but ... my heart won't let me chance it again. Unless it's something simple that I KNOW they can fix.

Sherman wrote:

kipissippi wrote:Hi Sherman,

Check this out. http://www.jefferspet.com/petvision/camid/PET/cp/5W-P1/

I've seen some very good reviews on it. I used it on a filly who had juvenile cataracts last year. She was stone blind. Ran straight into a wall. Since she was bigger than me.. I was only able to use them for awhile. One eye is about half uncovered now and the other has thinned. In any case I have her in pasture and I've never seen her run into anything or stumble.

I'm fostering two elderly ladies right now. A Maltese and a Poodle. Both have cataracts. The Rescue is going to spring for the drops for them. I'll let you know how they do. The surgery is VERY expensive..and I'm sure much more painful and intrusive. I don't remember what they quoted me on the filly but it was mucho dinero. How old is your girl?

Thanks very much for the link.
I'll give it try. At this point, any improvement would help.

You asked the age of my schnauzer which I forgot to answer. She is just turning 14 the end of May. The vet said her heart is still strong.

I'll check on the drops you mentioned.
We also ordered some tablets that are supposed to help. However, a friend here who has raised and shown dogs thinks that the tablets help more before the cataracts are complete.

We will do what we can.

This is always a hard time with which to deal!

Thanks.

Pannus, common in German Shepherds looks a lot like cataracs... treatments are available ....
http://www.animaleyecare.net/diseases/pannus.htm

thanks much. I'll check.

Pannus looks more like a thick white film on the outside surface of the cornea (normally clear external part of the eye). Cataract is a hardening of the lens which looks like cloudiness deep to the cornea. Make sure that your Schnauzer does not have diabetes. They are one of the breeds prone to diabetes which can definitely cause secondary cataracts.

My schnauzer is a Standard and does not have diabetes. She is prone to pancreatis (I don' think that is spelled corrected), which I understand Standard's are.

I previously had a miniature, who did wind up with diabetes. So, I'm familiar with that issue.

I printed the information on Pannus and will take it to Antonio Ladron who is the one who said she had cataracts.

My schnauzer also seems to be getting constant inflamation in one eye.

She may just be like the rest of us who are getting old....the body parts get to a certain age and stop working like they used to! Amen.

I appreciate the input.

Best of luck and I hope that you can get her relief.

I printed out the information on Pannus and some other information on meds and took it to Antonio Laron (who I like the best of the two). His response was that my schnauzer has nuclear sclerosis, which I have looked up. It's similar to cataracts, but somehow slightly different. There's no treatment.

The information on-line just suggested that we make sure to leave all of the furniture in the same place. She's not 100% blind, but nearly that. And, her hearing is not good which seemed to happen about the same time.

Unfortunately this is just an ugly part of aging.

I appreciate everyone's input.

Just enjoy her while you have her. My Cookie's been gone for almost two years... and I still reach down to pet her. You can't replace a cherished pet... no more than you can a friend. You just make new friends... two legged and four legged. The only negative thing about pets is..their life spans are just too short.