10 year old maltese X shihtzu. Diabetic and now loss of sight

[kalora]

Hello,

I have a 10 year old pup named Valentino. He was diagnosed with diabetes 3 months ago and has been on insulin twice daily since.

He does exhibit some symptoms of Cushings but has not had any testing. He also had a bout of pancreatitis and gluco-acidosis, which meant he was in hospital for three days. Since then he has been doing pretty well, has put some weight back on - now just over 8.2kg (up from 7 when he was unwell), has a good appetite and energy levels are high. The local vet has been monitoring his blood sugar and his injections have increased from 2 units to 4 units, twice daily.

Two nights ago I noticed he seemed to be struggling with his sight, simple tasks like finding his water bowl and going out to wee, became a challenge. I know sight issues are synomous with diabetes, but this seemed to happen so fast! Next morning on our walk, he could not get out of the gate and was so lost, I needed to put him on a leash. Since then he has walked into the roadside curb (not realising he needed to jump up), has fallen off the couch and is bumping into chairs and walls.

I took him to the vet yesterday and he confirmed he has cataracts. He said the sudden sight loss could also be attributed to inflammation of the retina, but that he can't give him cortisone (common anti-inflammatory) due to his diabetes. He tested his sugar levels and they went from 21 to 16 and then back to 18, so he has increased his insulin to 5 units.

Is it normal for sightloss to happen almost overnight in diabetic dogs? He was fine on Sunday and then by Tuesday morning he seemed almost blind. I feel helpless in terms of what can be done. I know will time he will be able to manage as is, but just to see such a sudden drop in his ability to see has left me heartbroken

Could the high blood sugar levels be to blame for the loss of sight? Has his insulin dosage been too low from the start? I hate leaving him at home when I go to work, I am so worried he may fall off something or bump his head

The vet said cataract surgery may be an option, but I am a little overwhelmed right now with what I should be doing next.

Thanks for listening
Matt

[amydunn19]

Re: 10 year old maltese X shihtzu. Diabetic and now loss of sight

Hi, Matt, welcome to the forum. My dog Maggie literally went blind overnight- there was no easing into it. Three months is a short time but some dogs never go blind, some do gradually, and some overnight. It is a result of high blood sugar but it is one of those things that is hard to pin down - some dogs went through several months of intermittently high numbers and never develop cataracts.

We elected to have surgery and it was successful but is not without risk. Your dog may adapt to blindness much easier than you might adapt to his blindness. It is very difficult to see them go blind but many people here have blind dogs who made the transition easily. Maggie was panicked from the beginning. She has a separation anxiety problem which developed from abuse as a puppy and I think that made it much harder for her to adapt. We talked to her constantly but she was so upset that she wouldn't eat or relax or walk around on her own. We went to the ophthalmologist and he said she was a good candidate. We had the money and decided to do it. It is expensive but we felt it was the right choice for her. Her regular vet agreed as well.

It sounds as if the vet started your dog off with the right dosage. Have you thought about home testing? You can get a better handle on his blood sugar by testing him yourself. Plus, it gives you peace of mind. Sometimes at the vet's office, if they are nervous, the numbers may not be reflective in how they are at home in their own environment.

[Charlie's mom]

Re: 10 year old maltese X shihtzu. Diabetic and now loss of sight

Hi Matt!

Our little old man went blind over night too. We opted out of surgery because he immediately adapted well. He went blind in Florida but it only took him literally days to find his way around the house. If he got stuck in a corner we always take him back to one of his beds (doesn't every dog have two?).

When we walk him we talk to him praising him for walking so he knows where we are. We did the same thing when we came back to Wisconsin. It's amazing how he can find his driveway!

We have inexpensive baby gates at the top of each staircase for safety and have throw rugs throughout the house which seems to help him know where he is.

I also always use the same body lotion so he knows where I am.

And yes, he will still be naughty and try to grab the toilet paper off the roll or pull laundry out of the baskets

In my long-winded way I'm trying to say this is very doable either way. Many of the babies on the forum have had surgery like Maggie, some very recently, many have not.

We're all here for you and Valentino!

Laura

[kalora]

Re: 10 year old maltese X shihtzu. Diabetic and now loss of sight

Thank you Laura and Amy for your lovely replies and suggestions
I feel more at ease already, knowing that there are others who also in very similar situations. I know I can help him and ensure he still functions at a high level

I did buy a home testing unit to monitor Valentino's glucose levels, but I find it so hard to get any blood. I end up just hurting him trying and never get enough to get a decent reading. The vet suggested I just monitor his drinking and also can use the Keto-Stix for checking for ketones in the urine and that should be fine. But yes, I would like to be able to check at last every second day - any suggestions for obtaining a blood sample? I have the alphaTRAK meter.

Thanks for the great suggestions Laura, throw rugs are a good idea as the floor is hardwood and he did fall off the couch this morning. He does not complain though, just dusts himself off, has a shake and tries again - he is such a little champ. I will put some around the areas he frequents the most.

Thank you Amy for your reassurance regarding the insulin levels. He goes back in 10 days to re-check and adjust if necessary. He has put on weight which is a great sign. He was sooo skinny after his bout with gluco-acidosis, so I am thankful that he seems to be getting more regulated. The loss of sight just threw me, as he has been great the last few weeks and it just seemed to be instantaneous!

Thanks so much for taking the time out to respond, offer suggestions and make me feel so welcome.

Matt

[amydunn19]

Re: 10 year old maltese X shihtzu. Diabetic and now loss of sight

Usually, with blood samples, it is best to get a thicker lancet - kind of opposite of what we get with needles. The lower the gauge, the thicker the lancet. Some people use the lip, ear, or base of tail. It shouldn't be painful in the lip or base of tail. If you use the base of the tail shave a tiny section of hair so it will be easier.
Warm the area with a cloth bag filled with rice and microwaved. The warmth will bring the blood to the surface.

[kalora]

Re: 10 year old maltese X shihtzu. Diabetic and now loss of sight

Warm the area with a cloth bag filled with rice and microwaved. The warmth will bring the blood to the surface.

Great suggestion. Will try that tonight and report back.

Matt

[Destin]

Re: 10 year old maltese X shihtzu. Diabetic and now loss of sight

Hi. Same scenario happened with my dog. About 2 months after she was diagnosed with diabetes, it seemed like over night her vision was slipping. She is having cataract surgery tomorrow. It's expensive and post op is going to be intense. But we'd do anything for her health and comfort. As I'm sure everyone on here feels the same. It is scary. But vets are so capable of these complicated procedures now a days. Good luck to you!