Dog went blind from glaucoma, now circling

Blind and deaf pets can live happy, healthy, quality lives. In fact, sometimes it's hard to tell them from sighted pets. They do, though, have their own special needs.
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kristenv
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Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:10 pm

Dog went blind from glaucoma, now circling

Post by kristenv »

I am really hoping for some advice or guidance. We have a little senior bichon named Dory who joined our family in early 2017. She was an uncontrolled diabetic, very emaciated with terrible cataracts, mammary tumors and hernias. We stabilized her diabetes and did a hernia spay and excision of mammary tumors last spring. Her eyes were evaluated and while she had no vision in her left, it was thought she could see light in her right. This past week we noticed her circling, and in testing her blood sugar found her to be getting somewhat hypoglycemic. I also felt her right eye was painful. Vet found that her IOP had increased from 9 in November to 36, and that she had no vision left. We treated her eye with a gentamicin injection, but now a few days later she is still circling and seems unable to navigate even the most familiar places. She always circles left, and at times rather short circles and seems sort of panicked at times too. She is eating and drinking and I found her BS rather high this morning I will be contacting my vet tomorrow given it is Sunday.
I have read a little that the circling may be her trying to get her bearing with losing what little vision she had, but I cannot imagine she had much.
She does not have a head tilt or appear to have vestibular, or even a stroke because at times she can walk very straight.
I am hoping for ideas on how to help her acclimate...am just heartbroken for her and worried
thank you
Kristen, Samy, and Dottie
Jenner, Alex, BB
4 epsiodes of IVDD for Samy: Surgery x2 , crate rest x2 still going strong
Dottie no IVDD
Rory no IVDD (at the bridge)
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critters
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Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2001 7:00 pm

Re: Dog went blind from glaucoma, now circling

Post by critters »

:whale: Hmm. You've covered all of the biggies I can think of. Circling is usually neurological or vestibular, but your baby has so many problems it's hard to say what's what. Spunk, my blind punk, is another who never had much vision, and now, at 16, I don't know that she has any at all. She's never circled. I have to say that I can't think of any new ideas for you, but, personally, I'd watch and wait to see what happens. Maybe it'll pass.
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kristenv
Posts: 159
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:10 pm

Re: Dog went blind from glaucoma, now circling

Post by kristenv »

Thank you for the kind words. Unfortunately her condition worsened and she started having seizures last week. We did consult with a neurologist, who believes it is likely she has a brain tumor. We did start some antiseizure meds as well as a steroid trial to see if these help her. Hoping that we can at least give her a little more good time.
Thanks again
Kristen
Kristen, Samy, and Dottie
Jenner, Alex, BB
4 epsiodes of IVDD for Samy: Surgery x2 , crate rest x2 still going strong
Dottie no IVDD
Rory no IVDD (at the bridge)
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critters
Founding Member
Posts: 14362
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2001 7:00 pm

Re: Dog went blind from glaucoma, now circling

Post by critters »

Aw, I'm sorry. :cry:
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