Ocular Melanosis

[Mikew1404]

Hi everyone. I apologise if this has been covered but I am not able to go through 222 pages of posts! Our older girl Daisy has had dark patches on her eyeballs for about a year now. Both our vet and a canine eye specialist have said it was just wear and tear due to her age. However today she has been diagnosed with Ocular Melanosis bu a different specialist. Apparently this is almost totally exclusive to Cairns and it has already led to her permenantly losing the sight in her left eye due to having caused secondary glaucoma. Her right eye still works for now but we have been told even with the meds she has been given it is only a matter of time before she goes blind in that eye too. Basically I am wondering if anyone on here has experience of this illness and ways to treat it (not looking for free vet advice, just experience from people whos furry friends have been here already) and also if any of you have experience of a blind Cairn and can how she may cope with/adapt to blindness. Shes only 8 so this is no age to lose her sight and other than this she is a picture of health. 

[bradl]

Hi and welcome. Sorry to hear about Daisy's eyes. I don't have personal experience of it but we have had it found at our local annual Cairn eye clinic. The Cairn Terrier Club of America has been funding research into this disease and there is considerable information and expertise available through the national club's Health Related Concerns OM section. 

The OM contact is also listed and forum members have heard back from her when seeking information or advice on what to expect.

Quote

Eye Diseases
Contact: Pamela G. McDonald

Dr Simon Petersen-Jones at University of Michigan has also been responsive to our local club member who communicated with him on the issue of OM.

 

[Dempsy's Mom]

Welcome.  Sorry about Daisy's situation.  I have no experience, but you will get some much needed support and comments from the members here.  They always come through during rough times.  Love and hugs to little Daisy.

[pkcrossley]

I have quite a lot of experience with blind dogs. Ocular melanosis is gradual, so most dogs will be able to adjust and compensate.

Dogs like to be able to see, but it is not a necessity. Their eyesight isn't that great to start with and there are few activities (apart from playing fetch and doing earthdog trials) where they actually rely on their sight. They navigate mostly by smell, and can learn to locate themselves (or even their prey) by sound. They recognize their toys by smell, well enough that they know when a certain toy is in the same room with them, and where it is. The most important thing is that they trust their people to help them. So you might start working with Daisy now to make sure she understands that you will sometimes pick her up to help her --all dogs and terriers in particular can take exception to this, because it will take them by surprise. Make sure you speak to her before touching her so she knows it is you and she gets used to where you are likely to touch her. My blind dogs had padded vests with handles, which made it very easy to guide them or pick them up when necessary. 

Daisy will have a map of your house (and anybody else's house she visits) in her head, so if you make any changes watch that she does not bang her head on something before she figures out the new pattern. Most blind dogs figure out stairs because the sound is very different as you approach a stairway (that is, they figure out to avoid them --I don't think blind dogs actually do well at going up or down stairs, because they can't figure out how to keep their chins above steps going up and can't see where the edge of the step is going down; if she really does become too blind to do the stairs, you will have to carry her up and down). If you have carpeting or wall paper or lots of drapes in the area she might not be able to detect the sound change easily, and a fall is not only dangerous but also dispiriting to a proud cairn. If you have stairs you should consider getting baby gates for that reason.

Blind dogs do run and play outdoors. If don't have an open, flat, fenced place for her to run in, see if you can scout one out. At the worst she can run and play on a long retractable leash (a non-retractable would trip her). She might be hesitant to run at first (good), but when she gets used to a place she will recognize all its features by smell and feel confident about doing as much running as she likes. You might want to run along with her just in case, so that's good for you too. 

Finally, blind dogs can have social problems with other dogs --they cannot see when other dogs are giving them the stink eye or curled lip thing, and other dogs think that the blind dog is dissing them by ignoring signals or walking in front of them or getting in their space. If Daisy has dog friends make sure that she gets to interact with them frequently as her eyesight decreases. She will learn how to adjust and her friends might get used to her not responding to every little signal. But it is always best to keep an eye on a blind dog who is palling around with other dogs. Dog parks might not be the best idea.

Blindness is never nice for anybody, but cairns are smart and tough and have the right values --good food, nice contact with trusted humans, a cozy bed, and a brisk walk on a leash in a safe place. It is not a huge hit to the quality of life. And fortunately they are small enough that their people can give them a quick lift up and down. For big dogs, blindness is a lot more complicated, but even they and their people figure it out. 

 

Edited August 31, 2017 by pkcrossley

[sanford]

I agree 200% with pk and appreciate her valuable info! 

I know you must be feeling terribly sad with this diagnosis for Daisy, but I want to offer you the benefit of my experience - that you will be buoyed to find how well she will adjust...

My Carrington was into his teens when he became totally blind due to cataracts. I was amazed and reassured to discover how stoic and accepting he was and I tend to think these admirable characteristics are true of cairns in general. As pk said - the sense of smell seemed to take over. Navigating my apartment was never a problem and the retrractable leash made walks a non-issue.

Some weeks ago, I wrote here about an apparatus I saw a blind dog wearing . It was like a thin wire halo encircling his head, attached to his collar in order to prevent him bumping his nose. (Sorry, I can't give you a name or better description, but I hope a Google search might reveal it for you).

P.S. Carrington was even able to continue playing with his treat ball, following it as he rolled it around the room with his nose,  he could "scent" the treats as well as hear them rattling around inside the ball, scarfing them up when any treats rolled out!? (Once in a while, if the ball rolled too far away from him, I'd tell him "wait!" and retrieve the ball and place it in front of him).

[Lynn in TN]

Don't have experience with a Cairn, but a Terrier Mix who was very Cairnish in a lot of ways. Losing eye sight didn't seem to bother her much. She still played a lot. She would even fetch. She still greeted people at the door, because she recognized them by the sound of their car pulling in the driveway. She never ran into the flower beds, or bushes, or trees outside. The only time she ran into furniture is if it was moved without her knowledge. People didn't believe she was blind. You could only tell when something was moved and she would run into it.

After 2 years of complete blindness, she went deaf as well. That was a little more difficult. She would growl and snap occasionally. She still got up and played but not the same. She would walk through the house using her nose against the wall. She could find the bedroom. Her food and water in the kitchen, her chair in the living room etc..  

It was an amazing thing to watch.

[Mikew1404]

Thank you all for the advice and reassurance. Hopefully total blindness will be a while down the road due to the meds we have for her but when it comes its good to know that she should adjust ok. 

 

[Hillscreek]

No experience with a cairn going blind but had two jrt's who lost their sight.Both managed just fine like Sanford and pk described. A dog's nose is to him/her like our eyes are to us.Welcome little Daisy and continue to enjoy your life.

[LindaMC]

The name of the device that Sanford is talking about is called "Muffins Halo".  It's designed to help blind dogs navigate and map out their territory.  Here is there facebook link just in case you want to read up on it. 

https://www.facebook.com/Muffinshaloforblinddogs/

 

So very sorry that Daisy is having this problem but as other's have said, most dogs do very well.  Best of luck and hugs to Daisy.

Edited September 1, 2017 by LindaMC

[Pepper Bug's Mom]

What frustrates me about a Cairn going blind is that they cannot participate in Earthdog any more!  Honestly, their noses could find those rats no matter what!!!!  Wish they would change the rules. 

[Hillscreek]

Their noses could find the rats as well as or better than their eyes! I'm guessing that's what they use anyway -at least judging by the hunting in barn stalls and corners that Angus gets up to with his buddies.

[pkcrossley]

yes, as lynn says you people sometimes have dogs go blind and the people don't know --i read of a women whose dog had gone blind and nobody knew till she moved the furniture and the dog started running into things. i hope daisy enjoys her sight for a long time, but either way she is going to be fine. 

[sanford]

 OMG!... Out of curiosity, l looked up Muffins Halo on Amazon and the exorbitant price range is from $90 - $230! (for large dogs). I assume that part  of the cost is due to what looks like a pair of padded angel's wings that appear to be used to fasten the halo to the back of the dog's neck.

Dressing a dog in a costume would not be my personal choice, although I have no objection to others doing it. (I confess to having done it myself - on Halloween). But in addition to the outrageous cost, I object to being forced to dress up a disabled dog in a costume, which under the circumstances seems a bit silly and insensitive. 

Edited September 2, 2017 by sanford

[bradl]

I dunno. While it's not a great look it's still pretty clever. Those padded wings appear to take the force transfer from the halo and communicate a "soft stop" to the dog. There are other slightly less costumey variants http://halosforpaws.com/ ($78), bumper buddy, a diy video etc. As wasteful and unthrifty as I am when cobbling together things (it usually takes me many tries due to poor craftsmanship) I can easily imagine spending $90 trying to make a worse version  

I'm mostly familiar with loss of vision in old dogs, who are less rambunctious than a younger sightless dog might be. I haven't seen the need with an old dog, but I might consider one for a blind younger dog who is still quite active otherwise.

[sanford]

1 hour ago, bradl said:

 There are other slightly less costumey variants http://halosforpaws.com/ 

Thanks Brad, The Halos for paws site shows the "Halo Vest" which looks like the one I must have seen at my dog run... Slim, trim and scaled down in size and bulk from the "angel wings" version. The price is also a bit more reasonable. I guess I'm just a no-frills, scaled-down (in size and bulk) sort of guy, so I would opt for the simpler Halo Vest.

Edited September 2, 2017 by sanford

[bradl]

Agreed … I picture Cairns in a more Carhartt than K-pop style.