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Puppy in and out of blindness

We rescued our male puppy about two months ago.  He is about four months old.  About two weeks ago he went blind one evening.  Was very restless and confused.  We took him to the vet and they put him under rabies observation.  About two days of being at the vet he was all better.  He could see again and eating normal and being a regular puppy.  So we brought him home.  Then about three days later it happened again.  Again in the evening.  This time his mouth was hanging open and he was drooling.  We put him in his crate so we wouldn't bump into things and he started biting his crate till his mouth started bleeding.  We took him back to the vet and she said it might be distemper and we should probably put him down.  We decided to wait and see if he would get better.  Well, his distemper test came back negative and again he was better in two days.  The vet though it might be a shunt(?) in his liver, but he had no problems when they put him on a high protein diet.  So, he came back home.  Again, two or three days later he went blind.  When we brought him home this time, we changed his food, changed out all of his toys, gave him bottled water in new dishes.  WE thought it could be a problem with the food or too many minerals in the water.  We also moved his crate out of the laundry room.  We have recently replaced half of that floor due to it being rotted.  (we moved in about 6 months ago and the floor was already rotted).  We are thinking it could be mold in that room?  The morning after going blind this last time and moving him out of the room, he was fine.  Any ideas what could be the problem?  Can mold or mildew cause this kind of reaction in a puppy?
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Avatar universal
Reno had his surgery Friday :)  He seems to be doing well.  The staples on his poor belly make me cringe, though.  When he came home, his abdomen was swollen, but that has finally gone down.  We're trying to keep him from jumping up, because when he does, the staples start bleeding.  The biopsy from his liver came back yesterday, and the vet said there weren't any other problems (cancer, etc).  So that's also great news.  He goes back in two weeks to have his bile acids checked again to make sure the shunt is closing up right.  He's still in a little bit of pain, but he gets half a pain pill in the morning and in the evening.  Hopefully he'll start putting on more weight soon and start looking healthy.  Poor guy looks like we don't feen him enough.  Although he has put on quite a bit more weight than when all of this started.  The vet doesn't think he'll reach normal size, but he should start getting bigger.  Now I just need to find out when I can give him a bath.  I've been hesitant because of the staples.  But he stinks lol.  
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462827 tn?1333168952
Yippee!!!!!!  I'm excited to hear this!!!!! And cudos to the Rescue that stepped up to help......That's wonderful, also.....Please, keep us updated on his progress.....I'm wishing you both the best & years of happiness together.....I too, will be anxiously waiting to hear how this is all going.......Sincerely, Karla
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441382 tn?1452810569
That's great news!  Fingers crossed here that Reno sails through his surgery and is on to a great new life without problems!  PLEASE keep us posted!  And thanks so much for keeping us updated to this point!  Our thoughts are with you!

Ghilly
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Avatar universal
Thanks Karla.  We contacted the rescue group that we adopted him from.  They agreed to pay half the costs.  After they contacted OSU, they contacted the vet that they regularly use.  Well, the surgery there is almost half the cost.  :)  And the rescue still agreed to pay for half.  So Reno is going in today for them to do an exam and then hopefully surgery on Friday.  We're very excited that he's going to finally get it all fixed :).  He's been doing very well on the low protein diet.  He's like a brand new puppy.  Fingers crossed he makes a quick recovery.

Thanks to everyone for all of your concern, comments and advice.  I was completely at a loss when this all started.  I'm very happy that we're getting near the end of all of this.  Thanks again!
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462827 tn?1333168952
Hi Reno & thanks so much for the update......
One of my dogs had an Emergency Surgery (Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve) at Okla. State, a few years ago.....As I recall, Only half the price had to be paid up front (The day of Surgery)....The second half can be paid out in monthly payments......They also accept CareCredit which is a credit card for Animal or Human medical expenses....You can apply online at CareCredit.Com....It's used like any credit card, they pay the bill & you make monthly payments back to the company...The interest rate was fairly low which surprised me.....Check them out.....

Please, keep us updated.....I'll be waiting to hear about your guy......I'm wishing you the best.....Karla

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Avatar universal
Reno is at OSU today for further testing.  Hopefully they'll be able to see everything they need to with an x-ray or ultrasound.  If not it will have to be an MRI.  The bad news is that they told us (when we got there) that the surgery will cost about $1800 - $2000.  That's a whole months pay for me.  So we're trying to figure out what we can do and how to proceed.  I'm trying to get ahold of the rescue agency we adopted him from.  The group was formed to help people that couldn't afford the veterinary care for their pets.  Hopefully they will get back to me soon and will be able to help a little bit.  We don't want to give up yet, but we aren't sure we can afford the surgery. :(  
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1989182 tn?1327016716
a shunt would have been my first guess... luckly the surgeries are usually highly sucessful , if done by a skilled surgeon. he will have to stay on a specific diet even after the surgery and it not wise to deviate from it even a little.... but be hopeful i have seen many shunt dogs recover very well =)
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212161 tn?1599427282
wow , GOD BLESS you and your family for loving this fur-baby and taking care of him. sad to say lots would of took him away and been done with him, it cost a lot to care for a fur-baby when sick. hes Blessed that you and your family was the ones who took him home.
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Avatar universal
Just to update you guys, Reno had blood work done last Friday to test his bile acids so that they could determine if the problem is a liver shunt.  They also put him on a low protein diet and an antibiotic and it seems to be helping.  We haven't had any recurring symptoms and he's putting on weight.  We received the test results back today.  They said the norm after fasting is usually less than 6 and his were 95.  After eating, the norm is usually less than 13 and his was 345.  So apparently his liver is the problem.  He's going to OSU veterinary school Monday for more tests and to see if he's a candidate for surgery to close the shunt.  So, it's still a wait and see.  Hopefully they can do the surgery and he'll be all better. Thanks for all of the advice and concern.  It's been a stressful experience but hopefully we're getting closer to fixing it :)
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462827 tn?1333168952
Was he also treated with any Flea/Tick products or shampoo during all this?
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462827 tn?1333168952
I agree with Connie.....I'm wondering about medications now, too....What wormer was used? How long?
What antibiotic was used? Has he had two antibiotics? (One for the bladder infection & one he just finished this week?)
What do you feed? Name? Is it the same food the shelter fed?
Did it start after Vaccines?

Did you say this only happens at night? That may be your clue...Is it after his evening meal? How about this: Do you only do laundry at night? Do you use fabric softener? It's toxic to animals & humans.....Just a thought

Think about all this and let us know.......Karla
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1832268 tn?1326816010
Thank-you for taking this little guy in and taking care of him....
I sure hope you and your vet can figure this out quickly.
Maybe Ghilly will have some fresh ideas after she reads your last post.

As for me, I am now wondering if the medications your dog has been taking could be the problem.  You said his seizures started about 2 weeks ago. It sounds like he has been on antibiotics and worm medication for some time and I wonder about the possibility of accumulative effects.
If he is done with the meds, and does not have a seizure....until he starts medications again....then...you may have found the culprit.
Some dogs will have a mutation in their genes, that make them sensitive to certain drugs....as I have read, Australian Sheppard's are one of them...again...Ghilly might know more about this.

Does he have a flea collar...?  If so, you might want to take it off him.

Was he by any chance vaccinated recently...?  Did the seizures start after a vaccination...?

Could it be his food...? ( Again...maybe Ghilly can answer this..)

I know you might suspect the mold in the laundry room, so you are doing right by keeping him out of there, but it might also be the fumes from the laundry detergents, fabric softeners, or any other cleaning products ...try to keep track of the days you do laundry, or clean using chemical products....you might see a pattern between that and his seizures.

You are really going to have to be a detective to figure this out..., I have a feeling when you are done, you will have become quite an expert..!
I commend you for the time you are putting into it.

I don't really have any more ideas, but I sure would like to know how this turns out.  
I will be watching this post....
Please stay in touch with us....
Good Luck and Best Wishes for you both.

Connie

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Avatar universal
Thanks for all of the suggestions, everyone.  Reno is supposed to be a medium size mix breed.  Mom is an aussie sheppard but they don't know about dad.  Mom and the litter were dropped on the side of the road and rescued.  We did call his foster mom last night and she told us that when she took him in he was very sick, they weren't sure if he would live.  He was extremely worm infested and they had to treat that aggressively.  But, he still had hook worms when we got him and had to treat that.  Last time he was at the vet (last week) they said they didn't see anything else and said we finally got rid of it.  He also had a bladder infection three weeks ago.  He was prescribed an antibiotic and that cleared up.  His "episodes" occur about every three to four days.  The last one just had two days in between.  We feed him twice a day since we both work, but when we get home, there's still food in the bowl.  He's been slow to put on weight, and we think he's too skinny.  So we probably put too much food in the bowl in the morning and that's why there's still some in the afternoon.  When the vet did the blood work they found he's slightly anemic, and that his liver enzymes were slightly elevated.  They said everything else seemed normal.  He's also been on an antibiotic for the last week.  He finished his last pill this morning.  I think it was more of a precautionary measure.

We do have a cat box, and I have caught him in there digging for poop.  We try to keep him out of it.  We bought a gate to put in the hallway to keep him out of there now.  He isn't crated during the day, just at night.  During the day we block him off in the utility room so he can't tear up the house.  He has a decent area in there to move around.  And it doesn't get hot in there.  We keep the house around 69 degrees.  He has his food, water and bed in there along with his toys.  But, now that we've been concerned about mold or mildew, we're taking a chance and letting him run the house since there isn't anywhere else we can really block him off.  

When he has one of his episodes, it starts with him slowly walking along the walls in the house.  You can tell that he's starting to lose his vision.  After awhile his mouth will start hanging open and he'll start drooling and his vision gets worse.  He gets restless so we put him in his crate to keep him from getting hurt.  The first two times it happened he wouldn't be still in the crate.  But now you can tell him to go night night and he'll lay down and rest.  He gets a little wobbly too.  Not as bad as the first two nights.  The blindness lasted about a day and a half to two days the first two nights.  But now they seem to be getting less intense.  They usually happen in the evening and by morning he's better.  
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1832268 tn?1326816010
Yes...Ghilly...I do not think this is an idiopathic seizure....I do feel that because of his age, there is most likely a cause for the seizure.  Hypoglycemia could certainly be it...wouldn't that be wonderful if all she needs to do is feed her dog more often...?   But with the blood tests that were done, don't you think they might have noticed if the dogs glucose levels were low...?  
A few more thoughts that have wondered through my head are...if it is hypoglycemia...besides not eating often enough, what else could be causing it.....?   So far, I have wondered about the possibility of parasites....parasites can contribute to hypoglycemia...when was the last time the dog had a stool check...?   Does the dog have access to a cats litter box, or cat feces....?  If so, I might wonder about toxoplasmosis.
Also...heat can contribute to hypoglycemia...she did say the dog was in a crate, in the laundry room...and how hot has the weather been in her area...?   Dogs the dog have food in the crate...?
It could be so many things....lets hope it is figured out quickly and is an easy fix.  Hopefully it is not epilepsy.
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441382 tn?1452810569
Connie, you're correct.  Transient blindness is common during the post-ictal phase.  The fact that this puppy is only four months old is baffling, because idiopathic epilepsy usually is first seen in dogs in the 2-3 year old range.  While it is not unheard of for it to occur in young puppies, in their case it is more often due to a head injury or some type of illness, like hypoglycemia.  

Reno007, what breed(s) is this puppy?  Is he a large breed mix?  A toy mix?  How many times a day are you feeding him?  Have you noticed a pattern between the incidents, for example, how long had it been in each of the incidents since his last meal?  A four month old puppy should still be being fed four times a day, especially if he is a toy breed.  Toy breeds crash very quickly if they become hypoglycemic and if more than about six hours has elapsed since the last feeding, it can absolutely cause a hypoglycemic seizure.  When puppies get to be about six months old you can cut the feedings down to three times a day, at 9 months they can be fed twice a day, and at a year of age you CAN feed them once a day however it's probably better for them if you give them their day's ration a half at a time in two equally spaced feedings.  This ensures that they never go too long without a meal to keep their blood sugar evened out.  One meal a day, depending on the breed, can lead to too much of a peak/valley thing with respect to their blood sugat.

Ghilly
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1832268 tn?1326816010
Hi,
I agree with Karla and Ghilly. I think this sounds like a seizure.
The way you describe him...restless, confused,drooling,biting at the cage..and the transient blindness, all sound like a seizure. Seizures can cause transient blindness. The last stage of a seizure is called the postictus stage, and can last anywhere from hours to days.  During this stage, the dog can be tired, confused, restless, and temporarily blind.  
If your dog is having seizures, your vet will need to find the cause, and the cause could be one of many different things....the list is numerous. There is an excellent list of possible causes of seizures in dogs, at the following website.....
  http://www.dogsymptomscure.com/dog-seizures-symptoms.php
Please take the time to read it....I think you will find it helpful, and interesting.
Please let us know how things continue to go for you and your dog....
Best Wishes...
Connie
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Avatar universal
Karla, we adopted him from a local rescue group.  Reno was one of 6 in a litter being adopted out.  I haven't heard if there are any other problems.  We're not exactly sure what kind he is.  They think an Aussie Sheppard/Rotti mix.  As far as the vet goes, they're pretty much just trying to rule out what they can.  They did blood work to test and see if all of his levels were normal.  We've ruled out that he's getting into something in the yard that could be poisoning him.  We were hoping maybe he just had a bad batch of food and it would be as simple as changing it out.  But, that doesn't seem to be the case.  Any idea how much it would be to have him checked for a tumor?  I want to do what I can to make him better, but my fiance and I have 7 kids between us.  So, we can only afford to do so much :(  
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441382 tn?1452810569
I completely agree with Karla.  The first thing I thought of in a puppy that young is a mass of some kind on the optic nerve.  If it were something like a detached retina (as in Collie Eye Anomaly) the degree of blindness would be constant and wouldn't come and go.  This puppy needs to be seen by a canine neurologist to rule out any problems with either the optic nerve or the central nervous system.  Then he needs a complete, and I mean COMPLETE set of blood tests to see if there is anything going on anywhere else in his body if the neurologist visit doesn't turn up anything.  Please keep us posted as to what this is.

Ghilly
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462827 tn?1333168952
P.S. I don't like your Vet's "Might Be" approach....You need a second opinion with a Vet that is willing to find out what's going on with your puppy....By the way, what's his name & what breed is he?    Karla
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462827 tn?1333168952
These sound like seizures to me.....The mouth hanging open & drooling is classic of a seizure....The off & on blindness is certainly cause for concern.....Your Vet needs to evaluate for a tumor behind the eye area...Hopefully, that can be ruled out, but you do need to know what your dealing with......Where did you get this puppy? If there were other puppies, maybe that person can help you....I'm hoping others here, will come by with suggestions.......Karla
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