New member multipoo Barcode - Blindness and Cushings

[GailV]

Hi My Multipoo "Barcode" just went blind last week. We took her to the vet and she was diagnosed with Cushings. The poor girl (11years) is confused and cries at night. We just can't comfort her. The vet says she isn't in any pain and has 2 detached retinas. We have begun puting her on Vetoryl 30mg once a day and were shocked at how expensive it is. My vet charged $75 per month besides all the expenses for tests etc. I, of course,will get it for her and see you can buy it online for about $52. So now my poor dog is blind,has an illness, and an expensive medicine. My son named her Barcode when he got her at age 11 and is now off at college and hasn't seen her in her current condition. The vet says in about 10 days we will see improvement with the Cushings but she will always be blind. My husband is such a trooper, he has to carry her outside in all the snow and zero degree weather once or twice a night and wait for her. He dosent ever get a good night sleep. Barcode used to be about 14lbs but got heavier and now weighs a hefty 26. We just thought she was getting older and putting on weight (like us!). My sister has Barcode's sister and we have enjoyed comparing them over the years. Her dog is perfectly fine just slowing down a bit. It's nice to see this group discuss these problems.

[labblab]

Hello, Gail, and welcome to you and Barcode. I have taken the liberty of moving your post in order to create a new thread that is your very own. This way, it will be easier for our members to talk with you directly, since you had originally posted as a reply on an inactive member's thread.

The thread on which you originally posted contained an extensive discussion of SARDS, however, so I am guessing you will not be surprised to see us bringing up the subject in relation to Barcode. I don't believe the retinal changes associated with SARDS constitute retinal detachment, but SARDS would otherwise be a suspicion for a dog who also manifests Cushing's symptoms in conjunction with rapid-onset blindness. If your vet has actually confirmed retinal detachment, however, perhaps it is somehow associated with Cushing's in another way such as high blood pressure. Is your vet certain that both retinas are actually detached, or is it possible that the blindness is due to some other retinal changes (which might include SARDS)?

As far as Barcode's adaptation to the blindness, the cause is likely a moot point. We do have other members with blind dogs from a variety of causes, and I am hoping they will soon be stopping by to give you support and suggestions. However, as far as establishing the Cushing's diagnosis, it will help us a lot if you can tell us more about Barcode's symptoms and also the diagnostic test results that led your vet to decide Barcode has the disease. You mention weight gain. How about other classic Cushing's symptoms such as excessive thirst/urination, panting, pot belly, fur loss, hind-end weakness due to loss of muscle mass, seeking out cool places to lay down? Cushpups also typically exhibit certain abnormailities on their labwork such as elevated liver enzymes, high cholesterol, and dilute urine. Does Barcode fit anywhere in this profile of symptoms? What made your vet decide to test for Cushing's in the first place? Can you tell us what tests he ran in making the diagnosis?

I apologize for bombarding you with so many questions. But your answers will help us to provide you with our most accurate feedback and suggestions for the path forward.

Once again, welcome to you and your girl!
Marianne

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi and welcome to you and Barcode! :)

There is a condition called SARDS - Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome - and it sounds like that is what your sweet boy has. Oddly enough, SARDS causes cushing's signs but isn't always Cushing's. Many of these pups will stop showing signs and will test negative after a while has passed. In your shoes, personally I would not start treatment with the Vetoryl but would give Barcode a chance to adjust both physiologically and psychologically first. THEN if he is still showing strong cush signs, I would retest to be as sure as possible before starting him on these powerful drugs that he may not actually need right now, or ever. ;)

Here is a link from our Helpful Resource section on SARDS -

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213

I am mom to two blind babies and they can adjust to their new dark world very well but it takes time for them to learn and you must be gentle and very, very consistent in all ways - including physically such as not moving furniture, not leaving things lying in the floor, and so on. You will need to set up his world inside his home for his safety and convenience as well as ease of movement. His other senses are going to become very strong so take advantage of those. Some things you can do - always speak to him before touching him; scuff your feet, or sing or talk continuously, or wear bells on your ankles when you are walking with him so he knows where you are and can follow; place small rugs at the entrances to rooms, each with a different nap so he knows which space he is entering; pay close attention to Barcode and it is very possible that he will teach you other ways to communicate things to him. My babies are too small to teach "up" and "down" for steps so I built them a ramp. They have full freedom on their own outside via the ramp and a fence they can't escape from. Be patient and understand he is grieving as well as a bit afraid right now and you can help him by being calm and assured yourself. Usually the loss of sight is harder on us humans than it is on the pup. ;) You will all be fine even tho it sure doesn't feel like it right now I know.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Dixie'sMom]

Welcome to you and Barcode. I'm glad you have found us and I think you will find this forum to be a great help and comfort to you. The guru's here have a wealth of knowledge and first hand experience with Cushpups and all that the disease brings to the party.

I have a particular interest in all things autoimmune and related to the eyes as I have been fighting a rare autoimmune disease that is destroying my retinas for the last 6 years.

Aside from all that Leslie has commented on, which is excellent since she has first hand experience with owning blind dogs, I wanted to throw something else out there that could possibly help you understand Barcode's behavior.

In the embryo, the pineal gland in the brain and the retina tissue are one mass. As the embryo develops the tissue separates into 2 masses which have separate roles, but still work together. The pineal gland is responsible for secreting Melatonin which regulates sleep cycles. The retina is responsible for interpreting light and sending images thru the optic nerve to the brain and the result is "sight". When one of these two tissues are damaged, both are affected. Therefore, Barcode probably doesn't recognize "day and night" as clearly as one who is sighted and his blindness is affecting his sleep and wake cycles. Some additional melatonin to supplement the pineal gland and aid in regulating wake and sleep cycles could help calm Barcode's night time anxiety and help him rest better. It is a safe supplement for dogs and many on the forum use it for many reasons. Also the Omega 3's help retinal function as well as benefit the rest of the body. I believe the dosage is a 3 mg tablet once or twice a day. Hopefully someone who is using it can verify that dosage for us.

I look forward to getting to know you and your sweet baby. Hang in there! We're here for you.

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

My dog lost significan sight within about 3 months. She went from perfect to significant focal point sight loss. One of the things that can cause retinal detachment as Marianne mentioned is high blood pressure, hypertension. High cortisol can cause hypertension, and they think that along with sudden onset of protein loss contributed.

I too would ask if there is definite retinal confirmed detachment or if she had retinal bleeds. (this is caused by hypertension)

Keep an eye on her that she doesn't over do it on the vetroyl, as any symptoms such as lethargy, vomiting, wobbly - can't stand, diarrhea, can be a sign of over dose and you'd want to stop the vetroyl and get her in for an ACTH test.

You can opt for trilostane rather than vetroyl and have it compounded. You can do this in any dose that the manufacture of vetroyl doesn't make. For instance you could do 26mg of trilostane rather than 30mg of vetroyl. This is often cheaper. Diamondback is one pharmacy that many use for trilostane.

Once you have her on a stable dose (do not increase dose in the first 30 days as cortisol can continue to drop) then you won't need to do testing as often.

The melatonine supplement at night is a good option for her to settle down for the night.
Did she have to go outside often at night prior to the blindness? Where does she sleep at night. One thing with the blindness is you want her in an area to sleep that she feels total secure in. This too can help her to feel better at night.
Don't move anything in the house so that she knows where things are.

I'm sure you'll have more questions and we'll be right here to help you on the journey.

[lalosmom]

I have owned two blind dogs in my life, one a non-Cushings dog, and the other similar to Sharlene's description of her own dog. Just want to second that you should not move anything in the house, no matter how much you want to freshen or redecorate, this is not the time. My non-Cushings dog went blind in one house we owned, and was so well adapted that we just took it in stride; however, we moved to a new place and she never adjusted. She was 13 at the time, and despite trying to help as much as we could, there was no way she could learn to feel comfortable in a house she had never seen.

[Squirt's Mom]

How is Barcode doing?