Can I save my poodle’s vision?
CATARACTS IN DIABETIC POOCHES ARE COMMON, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE?
QMy 11-year-old female neutered poodle is diabetic and I am giving her daily insulin injections. I have been warned that cataracts are a risk. How likely is that and can anything be done to prevent blindness?
ACataracts are common in dogs and it has been stated that all dogs older than 14 years will have some degree of cataract formation.
Cataracts can be defined according to their ‘maturity’ from incipient to hypermature. Once fully formed, light can no longer reach the retina and the dog will be blind in the affected eye. As both lenses are often affected total blindness then results.
Nuclear sclerosis, which looks similar to cataracts, gives the lens a milky appearance. However, in this condition light still reaches the retina and therefore blindness doesn’t occur.
Cataracts can be inherited in many breeds, occurring in young animals. In older dogs it occurs as a consequence of retinal disease, old age, trauma to the lens, or as a result of diabetes.
The latter is an important underlying cause of cataracts.
It has been suggested in articles that 80% of diabetic dogs develop cataracts within 16 months of diagnosis, and in 60% within six months.
Regular checks of the eyes and monitoring of diabetes is important. Once cataracts develop, blindness can usually be prevented by referral to a specialist veterinary ophthalmologist.
Diabetic cataracts develop quite quickly and they are removed surgically early in their development to achieve the best results.
Q
I have two neutered one-year-old rabbits. They have always been docile, allowing me to pick them up, but recently the male has turned nasty and bites, which seems out of character. Any ideas?
AAggression towards their owners is a common problem with rabbits. I would recommend you have a consultation with your vet, because there are areas to consider before labelling the problem as behavioural.
Rabbits often suffer as a consequence of an inadequate diet, a lack of exercise, due to limited accommodation, poor enrichment of the environment leading to boredom, and being solitary.
Your vet will rule out pain as a factor. If being picked up is painful it may explain why a rabbit is aggressive.
An important survival strategy with prey species is to freeze and feign death if caught by a predator. If the grip is then relaxed this gives an opportunity to escape. A rabbit that has never learned to accept being picked up may have appeared docile just because of freezing.
Aggression is a last resort if that doesn’t work. Solutions involve positive reinforcement such as offering treats until the rabbit is confident to approach his owner. In time and with patience, being picked up may be accepted. This is more likely to succeed with advice from a rabbit behaviourist.