So, the last 2 weeks have been a silent hell for me and Alli! Every year, a select group of veterinary ophthalmologists donate free eye exams for service dogs. Normally nothing is found and the dog's vision is cleared. I registered Alli thinking that everything was fine but maybe I'd get some advice on how to treat her droopy eyes that tend to run constantly. I truly did not expect to get any other diagnosis/prognosis. Alli has these huge, droopy eyes that just melt you when you look into them. Well the specialist did a whole battery of tests much like those my ophthalmologist does, but even more intense. She was quite quiet and had an extremely serious face the whole while. She repeated the tests and then asked her associate (also a veterinary ophthalmologist), to do the same. They conferred briefly and then informed me that although she hoped she was wrong she felt that Alli may have a genetic disorder which affects the eyes known as PRA, (Progressive Retinal Atrophy).Well, I had started this the other day, after receiving an e-mail from "Opti-gen" telling me that Alli's test was "Normal/Clear". Meaning, she does not have the prcd form of PRA. That form is the only form of PRA in Labrador Retrievers. So, I was excited and had gone on to finish this post and was just about to hit "Publish Post" when..........you guessed it........I got a call from Dr. Federica Maggio, DVM(Board Certified in Veterinary Ophthalmology). I had forgotten to give her a call with the good news so she called the lab and spoke to one of the "scientists" that oversees the testing in the lab. He had not realized that Alli had a tentative diagnosis of PRA when the test was run. He had no way of knowing since there wasn't an area on the form for me to check it off. Also, combine that with the very definite markers of PRA which Alli has in her eyes and that she is an assistance dog and the individual from the lab had a very serious discussion with the doctor. Apparently there has been a very few.....I repeat, very few.....dogs that when tested for PRA with symptoms such as Alli's that test negative yet have a disorder very similar to PRA that follow the same path with the same outcome......blindness. The ironic thing is that some of these dogs have come from organizations helping the blind. Alli, too, was purchased from Guiding Eyes. They keep great records and screen their dogs for any known disorders but since they don't know what causes this type, it remains an unknown. The gene for this similar disease has yet to be identified and isolated so it's not something that can be tested. Dr. Maggio said she'd like me to get information on Alli's lineage for both her and the lab and then to make an appointment to see her. She would like to run another test which while it can't tell us what this other possible genetic disorder is, it can tell us if Alli is having problems with her retina(s). And, depending on those results I could find out if she is going to lose her sight.
How cruel to have a young, much loved partner go through this. Her face is so sweet and her eyes have so much emotion to offer that it's hard to look at her and not be reminded of what she's going through.
I think I am better able to handle this after spending time while waiting for the first results trying to decide what I would/could do for Alli and for our future. At first I just assumed that she would not be able to work and that the best thing, the kindest thing to do for her was to find a family with a lot of land and had experience adopting and caring for handicapped animals. I'm still not sure that wouldn't be the best idea. Then I started thinking that she could probably stay with me in her present role and I would just have to work really hard on training her to fetch when she can't see. Maybe scenting the inside of her pockets of her vest and backpack with vanilla so that she can find it that way. Sometimes I need to tap the ground where the object is and she finds it that way. This will certainly take a lot of thought and "soul searching".
Please include Alli in your prayers, she is so deserving...........
Peace
