Will my diabetic poodle go blind?

Pampered Pets OUR VET DAVID GRANT WORKS HIS MAGIC

Q

My 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?

A

Cataracts 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 from a cat scratch for example, or as a result of diabetes.

The latter is an important underlying cause of cataracts. It has been suggested in various articles that 80 per cent of diabetic dogs develop cataracts within 16 months of diagnosis, and in 60 per cent within six months. Well-controlled dogs can still develop cataracts, so your warning is correct.

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 if I go anywhere near him, which seems out of character. Any ideas?

A

Aggression towards their owners is a common problem with rabbits. I would recommend 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 possible factor. If being picked up is painful it is understandable why a rabbit might respond with aggression. Questions are likely to be asked about the diet, in particular whether it is mainly hay based, and also that the hutch is large enough with a run. 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 gradually until the rabbit is confident to approach his owner. In time and with patience, being picked up may be accepted, and this is more likely to succeed with advice from a rabbit behaviourist.