Light/dark sensitivity. Comments please!

[zenon_bass]

Particularly noticeable at the moment, due to early walks in cooler woody areas, is Millie's sensitivity when approaching shade from a sunlit area. It has varied from cautious to very sudden full stop with rigid stance.  There's usually nothing in the way, occasionally a bramble or grass stem sticking up.
She only takes seconds to recover and gain confidence again.

In January this year the vet announced that he couldnt see any blood vessels at the back of her retinas.  Have I understood correctly that she is suffering from PRA? (Being my first cocker, this condition is 'new' to me.)

Anyone else have a dog with similar symptoms?

[elaine.e]

My first Cocker, Josh, showed the same behaviour when he was losing his sight to cataracts in old age. When walking from bright sunshine into shade he would flinch or stop, as if he suddenly thought he was walking into a solid object.

My 11 year old Cocker William has his eyes are checked every 6 months because he has Dry Eye. He also has cataracts that make him squint a bit but don't cause him any real problems and aren't at a stage where they need surgery at the moment, and perhaps never will be because they haven't worsened in the last 3 years. The ophthalmologist always checks for PRA too but no signs, and he's now at an age where it would probably already have happened if it was going to. She says his retinas "aren't the best" but he doesn't have PRA!

I think if Millie was mine I would go back to the vet now and have her eyes checked again. If she has PRA there isn't anything that can be done to save her sight, but if it's cataracts (like Josh) or something else there may be some options to help save her sight.

Most dogs that lose their sight adjust pretty well. When Josh lost his he was already at an age where his walks didn't include running, so I was still able to walk him off lead with care because I could see possible hazards and redirect him from them. The one thing that scared him was when other dogs approached at speed and barged into him, he was still comfortable with polite dogs. At home I kept the furniture in the same places and made sure I didn't leave things laying about that he might fall over. He was still a happy boy despite his blindness.

I hope Millie doesn't have PRA, but if she does she should adjust as her sight deteriorates. But if you take her to your vet again, and have a referral to an ophthalmologist if needed at least you'll know what's happening and can plan accordingly.

edited to add - I've just looked at your first posts on COL and have calculated that Millie is about 14 now? That's roughly when Josh started to lose his sight to cataracts. Surgery was discussed but decided against because of his age and a heart problem. However, I know of a Cocker of similar age who had successful cataract surgery. She belonged to someone who no longer posts on here, but I'll see if I can find the thread and post it on here for you.

[elaine.e]

Here's a link to the thread about Meg, who had successful cataract surgery in old age. Hopefully this will take you to the right part of what was a 4 page thread about other health problems as well as cataracts.

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=74651.msg1106936#msg1106936

Scroll down to near the bottom of the page and you'll find a joyful post from Meg's owner about Meg getting her sight back.

[zenon_bass]

Thanks Elaine, that's so useful!
You are correct, Millie will be 14 in mid August. Much of what you have described eg thinking  she is walking into a solid object, being concerned when other dogs hare towards her is Millie to a T!  Like your dog, she is happiest with those very polite dogs of her own size or smaller. She doesnt go far from me now, and if she does, it has to be windmill arms so she can see movement. We are always in safe walking areas and the lead goes on earlier now than when I first knew her at 10yrs old.

Millie had an op this time last year to remove a burst histiocytoma; I felt confident that she was strong enough to withstand going under.  This year I'm not so sure, should that be the recommendation. But Millie can still enjoy an hour's walk in the woods, even if she's glad to see the car at the end!

I have had reservations recently about M's vet and had held off asking about an ophthalmologist referral.  But feel much more confident having read your post. Many thanks for your help!

[Ben's mum]

I took Ben who is 12 to see our senior vet a couple of months ago as he kept stopping and staring, and also sometimes seems disorientated, I wasn't sure if it was dementia or sight problems.  He is often worse at night.   The vet said there were some changes in one eye to the retina and some early cataracts, but advised us to leave alone if they were not causing too many problems.  To be honest I have just done that and not followed it up. Ben has also gone very deaf so we tend to use hand gestures which he has no problem understanding and I have just noticed that we have to use 'windmill arms' as you describe it  to make sure he sees us (love that definition)

I've also noticed that sometimes Ben struggles with perception of distance from objects, do you have any issues with Millie with this? I hate to see sometimes Ben turns and catches himself on a piece of furniture if he misjudges the distance his spatial awareness seems to have changed slightly.

[zenon_bass]

So relieved to find that I'm not imagining things! (Many of my friends aren't doggy people and think I'm worrying over nothing!)

I've taken to leaving particular lights on at night, as it seemed that Millie was also having problems with navigation and stairs. And yes, her spacial awareness is diminishing, especially when she is excited and goes into a spin. Surprisingly she decided to try exiting a door from the hinge side on Tuesday, until I guided her out.

Millie is also very deaf, although interestingly she reacted to the cooker bell the other night. I'm assuming her deafness is contributing to the fact that she has become more noisy over the last 6 months, usually pre meal...  Having said all that, she's in good nick for her age. (On her very first visit to the vet, the vet thought I'd got the wrong birth date for her!)

[Ben's mum]

 And yes, her spacial awareness is diminishing, especially when she is excited and goes into a spin. Surprisingly she decided to try exiting a door from the hinge side on Tuesday, until I guided her out.

You have just made my day thank you  Ben does this and I nearly put it in my post, but then thought it sounded a bit odd, and I have also sort of tried my best to think if ignore it then it isn't really happening as I was worried that it was about confusion, but perhaps it is about sight, which would explain it.  He has only recently started doing this and not all the time but certainly a couple of times a week.  For some reason that has worried me more than anything as it seems so strange. 

He also does the spinning thing especially at food times and bumps his head on things, fortunately not to hard, but I want a little helmet for him 

Ben seems fairly oblivious to the changes and is just as happy in himself as he always was - hopefully Millie is the same.

[PennyB]

When Ruby was developing glaucoma she was light sensitive

[zenon_bass]

When Ruby was developing glaucoma she was light sensitive

Thanks for the warning. 
 Did she have any other symptoms? Eg very runny eyes or pawing at her eyes/ears?
 ( i have Maxitrol for eyes and drops for ears)
.M's eyes weren't so runny when she first came here nearly 3yrs ago....

[zenon_bass]

Thanks for everyone's advice and experience! 

Regular vet has agreed to refer to AHT Newmarket.
She also mentioned the pawing of eyes as a symptom of the start of glaucoma!
I'll post further when there's any concrete news...

[PennyB]

She also mentioned the pawing of eyes as a symptom of the start of glaucoma!

That does sound familiar - she would rub her face on the sofa etc a lot more as well

She also at one point had a really bright green discharge - it appeared one day and I wiped it away but didn't really come back again. She also acted as if she had grit in her eyes all the time.

Often with certain types of glaucoma their pupil becomes more fixed as it can't really change like normal pupils can in response to stimuli, which is why they're so light sensitive

Hopefully you'll get to see a vet soon as if it is glaucoma it is painful - when her eye 'spiked' (duct not draining at all) she was in lots of pain and her face and eye swollen, but am sure at other times (in hindsight) she was in a little pain too

There are different types of glaucoma (Roobs sadly was the worst type but it wasn't the end of the world)

From experience I would be asking for an appt now if you can

Hope its easily solved though

[zenon_bass]

Thanks, Penny!
Millie's pupils do seem very wide, much more so than when she first came to me. I've found the old photo and have put it with the pack that is going with us this coming Tuesday, to AHT Newmarket.

It would have been sooner, but for going lame this morning! Vet recommended 24hr rest, followed by consult if necessary. Silly sausage put her foot unexpectedly in a cows hoofprint hidden by long grass. Lovely neighbour came out to give us a lift home: too far across fields to carry her... 😉

[PennyB]

Keep an eye on them and if there is any change in her behaviour (pain) and it starts to look a little cloudy then you should really see a vet straight away (well asap)

[zenon_bass]

Thanks again, Penny.
Millie doesnt appear to be in pain atm, but of course I'll keep a careful eye on her.  Her face isnt swollen, she just rubs her face on her bed and on the carpet or grass.
Our regular vet, two days ago put stain in her eyes, then agreed to and has referred her but didnt indicate any special urgency.
Having said that,  all the comments on this thread have been especially useful; I'm sure if Millie could talk, she'd add her thanks to mine!

[PennyB]

I personally would ask for an earlier appointment, as if it is glaucoma it can be considered a vet emergency and will need treatment asap (once we were diagnosed I was told to ring the eye hospital up day or night if there were problems rather than go back to my own vets)- ask your own vet would they consider it glaucoma and therefore if that would be the case would they be treating asap. If it isn't glaucoma then you've wasted a good worry (in the words of Charlie Brown )