Go BottomMy Lab just went blind
 | DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998 Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ 
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2005-11-16 119414
My long time buddy, has suddenly gone blind and is drinking unusal amounts of water. He is 12 and from what I have read it seems he has diabetes, I am out of town or I would have him at the vets already.
Has anyone had a dog with diabetes, how is it giving them insulin shots and monitoring their blood sugar? Costs? How much does cataract surgery cost?
Both my wife and I work so I don't know how we will be able to do this, unless it is simpler than it sounds. My wife loves the dog (it would seem more than me :-) ) however she is even afraid to put a bandaid on a little cut let alone giving injections. I assume if the dog does not get his shots and have his blood sugar tested he gets pretty bad, coma?
Seems there are two ways to test the sugar level, one urine, the other a blood sample from a needle. How does one get a dogs urine sample? Unless it is just a litmus test that you touch against where he went.
Any experience appreciated.
Dennis
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Add PhotoMy Lab just went blind
 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2005-11-16 119416
Dennis, I have to run out the door to take my wife somewhere, but have a look at the link below, there is a LOT of good info. on that site.
More later.
Best of luck. ....
Link: Canine Diabetes
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Add PhotoMy Lab just went blind
 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2005-11-16 119423
Sorry to hear that Dennis. That's so sad.
We get urine samples from our female with a kitchen ladle. Just dip it under her when she goes. It's easier with a female but it might work with a male if you don't need much. ....
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Add PhotoMy Lab just went blind
| DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998 Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
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2005-11-18 119513
Here is the news from the vet, first the good news: He does not have Diabetes! Ken thanks for the tip on the urine sample technique, it got me thinking and I enhanced it a little bit took one of my fiberglass driveway markers, duck taped a 1 pint chinese restaurant plastic container to it, slipped that quickly under him, wallah! Put the lid back on, done! Much easier than I thought.
Vet thinks he may have Lyme, he has cataracts in both eyes so he is pretty blind, might see some fuzzy light.
We are putting him on antibotics for week to see if he improves, if so he will continue meds for another 2 weeks.
Koko is pretty much in a deep depression, can't blame him, ironically he showed the most energy at the vets, kind of like a dementia patient who comes to life in new surroundings.
....
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Add PhotoMy Lab just went blind
 | yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan 
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2005-11-18 119514
Dennis:
It is encouraging that he doesn't have diabetes. Did the blindness come on quickly? Usually dogs will adapt and learn to live with their disabilities. Achieving a 12th birthday is very good accomplishment for a lab. Even so, it is difficult to deal with. They are like your own children but nicer.
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Add PhotoMy Lab just went blind
 | beagle
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1333 Michigan
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2005-11-18 119528
Sorry to hear about Koko. We have a beagle with epilepsy, and one we had to cure of heartworm. The beagle with epilepsy lives with it, and so do we. She is on pheonobarb daily to control it, but has adapted, and so have we.
Hopefully the antibiotics will do the trick. I believe there are eye drops that can help soften the cataracs and improve vision. Once you get the lyme cleared up, it might be worth looking into.
Best of Luck to all.
By the way, I know the feeling with how the wife's affection gets divided. I'm fourth in line around here, behind three beagles. ....
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Add PhotoMy Lab just went blind
| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2005-11-18 119530
Dennis, glad I could help in some small way.
Dogs are amazingly adaptable. We had a poodle that had surgery on both knees and had her hind legs in casts to immobilize them. She would stand on her front legs, rear legs dangling, and run around on her two front legs nearly as fast as she did on all four.
A neighbor has three beagles. One of them has paralyzed hind legs. They have a little two wheeled carriage that that one rides on, front legs working rear legs riding. That beagle has a blast playing with the other two. The fun thing about dogs is they don't pass judgement - the two healthy dogs never treated the paralyzed one as a freak. Dogs are great. ....
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Add PhotoMy Lab just went blind
 | Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2005-11-18 119532
Dennis,
Real sorry to hear about Koko. Sure hope he get better as much as is possible. At 12 years old, he has had a pretty good run as far as dog years go. It is amazing how much we grow attached to them. Don't know what I would do without my two dummies. ;O) ....
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Add PhotoMy Lab just went blind
 | D. Shields
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2005-11-19 119548
Have he been checked for blastomycosis? This is from a fungus they can get smelling in the dirt. Common for hunting dogs. ....
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