Odd Behaviours...

[Guest Zookiesmom]

Zooks turned 8 in April. His appt with the vet went fantastic, they didn't believe he was 8!

So a bit of background. Our upstairs is two bedrooms, bathroom, closet and hall which overlooks the stairs with a railing. One bedroom near the stairs, and the other down the hall. When DH gets up he lets the dogs out of the room to go downstairs, they go down the hall, and then down the stairs. Well wednesday morning Zooks couldn't find the stairs. He went back and forth between the rooms until DH grabbed his collar and led him to the stairs. Weird, but we let it go. It wasn't any darker/earlier than normal. DHs routine is exactly the same every day. Then the same evening he started acting weird. We were watching TV and he got up and snooped around the living room, dining room and front hall. He got right up close to everything to sniff it. He went over to his food/water bowl (just wandering, not looking like he wanted a drink) and stopped like, "oh, look its water" had a drink and continued on his search. He has NEVER acted like this before. He did the same thing again last night, more than once, because we kept telling him to go back to his bed. Then DH took them out for their bedtime walk and when he came in he wouldn't climb the stairs. He never used to, but has been ever since we moved into our townhouse a year and a half ago. He kept looking for another option up and whining, until DH walked him up to the front of the stairs and told him to go up, and I called him from the bedroom. He did the wandering thing again before bed, in the bedroom, and was WIDE awake, when he usually falls asleep, or tries to, right away. Nothing has changed, same food as usual, same bag for the last two weeks at least. We just started putting the wysong dental treat on his food, thats the only thing thats changed. I'm worried its his sight, or neurological. DH was waving a toy in the air the other night and Zooks was obviously following it with his eyes, but I worry that maybe he can pick up bright things and moving things, but not the general layout of things in a room, KWIM? And if its neurological, why so suddenly? I'm getting worried about him, and plan to watch him for another few days to see if it goes away, and take him to see someone if it gets worse.

Somewhat unrelated, we woke up three nights in a row last week, I think, because Nina was in our closet. We have a small walk in closet that neither dog will go into because they don't like small spaces, but we found her in there. I don't know what she was looking at, but there was nothing there. She hasn't done it since.

 

Thanks for any thoughts/ideas you might have!

[grey14me]

from what you've said, it does sound like a sight issue...I would definitely have them checked out. have you tried night lights?

[turbotaina]

Yeah, sounds like his vision is going. PRA is not uncommon in greyhounds, so it's worth a visit to a veterinary opthalmologist to get it checked out.

[Guest Zookiesmom]

thanks everyone. its not weird to think that he could see to catch his toys being tossed, and being waved around, but couldn't see items like furniture, stairs, etc. Is it normal that it comes on somewhat suddenly?

[grey14me]

it may not be as sudden as you think. he's probably been adjusting for a while and it is just now getting to the point where others can notice. as for the stuffies...I think he may be seeing the 'movement' more, so it stands out enough for him to notice it. if it turns out to be PRA, there are others here that are dealing with it...Jenn8's pup has it and she's constantly surprised at how well he's adjusting. there are drops to slow it down I believe, so you do want to have him checked out asap

 

I wanted to add that you may want to babygate the stairs...if it is his sight, they could be dangerous when no one is there to help him...

[Guest WCorder]

This sounds too familiar. The steps issue, avoiding them. Is she turning and lifting her head as normal?

[Guest Zookiesmom]

it may not be as sudden as you think. he's probably been adjusting for a while and it is just now getting to the point where others can notice. as for the stuffies...I think he may be seeing the 'movement' more, so it stands out enough for him to notice it. if it turns out to be PRA, there are others here that are dealing with it...Jenn8's pup has it and she's constantly surprised at how well he's adjusting. there are drops to slow it down I believe, so you do want to have him checked out asap

 

I wanted to add that you may want to babygate the stairs...if it is his sight, they could be dangerous when no one is there to help him...

 

They have access to them to during the day, but have never gone up them. Anytime they do go up or down, DH or I are with them. Thanks for the info, I think I know someone with a dog who has PRA. How do you find a vet opthamologist? I was reading about PRA online and it says it starts with night blindness, which could explain why he's having trouble at night, 9pm or later, and first thing in the morning, 6am. Poor guy... I'm so worried about him

 

This sounds too familiar. The steps issue, avoiding them. Is she turning and lifting her head as normal?

 

He is acting normal otherwise. And it doesn't happen all the time, only at night and once in the morning so far.

[grey14me]

your regular vet should be able to find a vet opthalmologist for you

[Guest Zookiesmom]

thanks everyone

[Guest Zookiesmom]

anyone know if theres a genetic test for greyhounds for PRA yet? I know they have it for other breeds, and if I could find a test I'd be interested in it. Thanks

[turbotaina]

thanks everyone. its not weird to think that he could see to catch his toys being tossed, and being waved around, but couldn't see items like furniture, stairs, etc. Is it normal that it comes on somewhat suddenly?

 

Not at all. Dogs see movement better than stationary items. Their color palate is pretty narrow (browns, greens and yellows).

[Guest Zookiesmom]

thanks everyone. its not weird to think that he could see to catch his toys being tossed, and being waved around, but couldn't see items like furniture, stairs, etc. Is it normal that it comes on somewhat suddenly?

 

Not at all. Dogs see movement better than stationary items. Their color palate is pretty narrow (browns, greens and yellows).

 

So that explains why Zooks' favourite toy is Nina's bright neon pink stuffed dog... LOL

[Guest KennelMom]

Keep us posted. My 6 year old Hanna is blind from PRA and does amazingly well. Our vet referred us to the opthamologist to confirm the diagnosis.

[Guest Zookiesmom]

Keep us posted. My 6 year old Hanna is blind from PRA and does amazingly well. Our vet referred us to the opthamologist to confirm the diagnosis.

 

Thanks I'll call the vet monday and get him in again. He was just there for his shots and yearly, but they didn't look at his eyes at all. He's never had a problem until now. If this is whats wrong, then its new to him too, based on the way hes exploring the house like everything is new or he can't see it until he gets right up to it.

[Guest KennelMom]

Keep us posted. My 6 year old Hanna is blind from PRA and does amazingly well. Our vet referred us to the opthamologist to confirm the diagnosis.

 

Thanks I'll call the vet monday and get him in again. He was just there for his shots and yearly, but they didn't look at his eyes at all. He's never had a problem until now. If this is whats wrong, then its new to him too, based on the way hes exploring the house like everything is new or he can't see it until he gets right up to it.

 

Our girl Hanna had spent the night at the vet a month or two before her diagnosis. No one noticed anything during the general exam or while she was there. It wasn't until she was practically 100% blind that we took her in. And I was prompted to do that after noticing that her eyes were staying fully dialated even in the brightest sun and that just didn't seem right. The opthamologist told us it's not uncommon for a dog to be nearly completely blind before the owners notice...since dogs don't rely on their sight like humans do, they can adjust really well and often without their owners even noticing anything "serious" being wrong (usually it's after they rearrange the furniture or take the dog some place completely new).

 

I hope you are able to find an answer for what's going on with your pup and that it's not PRA - though most dogs handle blindness quite well, it's not something I would ever wish in any case. If your pup is diagnosed with PRA, I would be interested to know his breeding, since there is a genetic component to it.

 

eta: Here's a link to a thread about my Hanna: http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showtopic=191615&hl= You can see some pics in the first post. PRA eyes tend to be highly reflective, which shows up weird in the pics. In the last one you can see that there's really no "brown" to her eye b/c it's so dialated.

Edited May 23, 2008 by KennelMom

[Guest paulamariez]

I noticed you started the DentaTreat. Does Zooks have teeth/tartar problems? This sounds eeriely similar to what happened with Bueller twice before. What occured was, in the evening, Bueller all of the sudden got up out of his bed and started wandering around, almost as if he wasn't recognizing things, acting sort of drunk or dizzy, we thought. He did not want to lay down on his bed and go to sleep when it was his normal times, he was wide awake and kept getting up during the night and coming by me in bed, acting upset. I would have to go on the floor by his bed and pet him until he fell asleep. He did weird things like wander aimlessly around the house, sorting of bumping into things. Very unlike himself. We took him out on his walk and he would follow behind, rather than be up front, like he normally would be, hanging his head down, and then he would have a hard time finding the door to come inside. Then at times, he would act totally normal, like nothing was wrong, the whole time eating normally. We thought at first it was some weird reaction to the DentaTreat, because it started like three or four days after starting the stuff. We stopped it immediately, hoping he would get better, but he didn't. We ended up taking Bueller to the vet and they gave him an antibiotic shot and two weeks worth of antibiotics, after doing his bloodwork. It ended up that Bueller had a severe gum infection. Bueller was better almost immediately, within 24 hours. This happened twice. The second time we had to have a dental done on Bueller pronto. It's only been about a month since his dental, so hopefully it won't happen anymore, because it was a very scary episode. But at least it was something that could be taken care of simply with antibiotics, rather thana hound going blind! But certainly check with your vet about the possibility of an infection. Our vet said an ear infection, also could make them act like this too, because their equilibirium would be out of balance making them dizzy. I hope everything turns out OK with Zooks! I'll keep him in my prayers for a quick recovery!

[Guest Zookiesmom]

Keep us posted. My 6 year old Hanna is blind from PRA and does amazingly well. Our vet referred us to the opthamologist to confirm the diagnosis.

 

Thanks I'll call the vet monday and get him in again. He was just there for his shots and yearly, but they didn't look at his eyes at all. He's never had a problem until now. If this is whats wrong, then its new to him too, based on the way hes exploring the house like everything is new or he can't see it until he gets right up to it.

 

Our girl Hanna had spent the night at the vet a month or two before her diagnosis. No one noticed anything during the general exam or while she was there. It wasn't until she was practically 100% blind that we took her in. And I was prompted to do that after noticing that her eyes were staying fully dialated even in the brightest sun and that just didn't seem right. The opthamologist told us it's not uncommon for a dog to be nearly completely blind before the owners notice...since dogs don't rely on their sight like humans do, they can adjust really well and often without their owners even noticing anything "serious" being wrong (usually it's after they rearrange the furniture or take the dog some place completely new).

 

I hope you are able to find an answer for what's going on with your pup and that it's not PRA - though most dogs handle blindness quite well, it's not something I would ever wish in any case. If your pup is diagnosed with PRA, I would be interested to know his breeding, since there is a genetic component to it.

 

eta: Here's a link to a thread about my Hanna: http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showtopic=191615&hl= You can see some pics in the first post. PRA eyes tend to be highly reflective, which shows up weird in the pics. In the last one you can see that there's really no "brown" to her eye b/c it's so dialated.

 

Thanks for the info. I've always noticed you can't make out Zooks' pupil. His eyes look big all the time. I'll have to take him out in the sun when I get home and see if its changes. I think we'll try dimming the lights tonight and putting a chair in one place and seeing if he notices its there. I get the feelings its just beginning for him, by the way hes acting. He's completely fine when its light.

Heres his info:

Here's his info

 

From what I've read its an autosomal recessive disorder, which means both of his parents had to either be affected or carriers. Maybe its because I work in genetics that I find the genetics test so interesting, I'd like to do it if I could find somewhere that does. Although, they charge a fortune for them, and I run similar human tests every day and it really shouldn't cost that much!

 

I noticed you started the DentaTreat. Does Zooks have teeth/tartar problems? This sounds eeriely similar to what happened with Bueller twice before. What occured was, in the evening, Bueller all of the sudden got up out of his bed and started wandering around, almost as if he wasn't recognizing things, acting sort of drunk or dizzy, we thought. He did not want to lay down on his bed and go to sleep when it was his normal times, he was wide awake and kept getting up during the night and coming by me in bed, acting upset. I would have to go on the floor by his bed and pet him until he fell asleep. He did weird things like wander aimlessly around the house, sorting of bumping into things. Very unlike himself. We took him out on his walk and he would follow behind, rather than be up front, like he normally would be, hanging his head down, and then he would have a hard time finding the door to come inside. Then at times, he would act totally normal, like nothing was wrong, the whole time eating normally. We thought at first it was some weird reaction to the DentaTreat, because it started like three or four days after starting the stuff. We stopped it immediately, hoping he would get better, but he didn't. We ended up taking Bueller to the vet and they gave him an antibiotic shot and two weeks worth of antibiotics, after doing his bloodwork. It ended up that Bueller had a severe gum infection. Bueller was better almost immediately, within 24 hours. This happened twice. The second time we had to have a dental done on Bueller pronto. It's only been about a month since his dental, so hopefully it won't happen anymore, because it was a very scary episode. But at least it was something that could be taken care of simply with antibiotics, rather thana hound going blind! But certainly check with your vet about the possibility of an infection. Our vet said an ear infection, also could make them act like this too, because their equilibirium would be out of balance making them dizzy. I hope everything turns out OK with Zooks! I'll keep him in my prayers for a quick recovery!

 

 

I thought about an ear infection too. He had one before and acted normal, I'll check his ears tonight. His teeth aren't in horrible shape, Nina's are much worse. Either way, I'll talk to the vet about it.

Thanks for the added info.

[Guest mecki]

Sully has PRA, ...this sounds very sudden for Zooks, but possibly he's just been very good at negotiating so far. It also sounds familiar. Call me.

[Guest Zookiesmom]

Sully has PRA, ...this sounds very sudden for Zooks, but possibly he's just been very good at negotiating so far. It also sounds familiar. Call me.

 

Thanks D I thought of Sully. I'll phone you later today, I miss you!

[Jiffer]

Aww, poor Zookie!

 

Have you tried a flashlight test to see if his eyes are dilating normally? I'm not sure with dogs, but if there's something neurological going on in people, a difference in the eye dilation can be seen (either uneven dilation or no change when a light is shined in).

 

Give him lots of hugs and treats

[Guest KennelMom]

Any update on Zook's eyes or odd behavior?