Carol: Carol: I don't know about dogs, but at the WV Specialty my husband had an incident that resulted in retinal detachment a weeks later. At dinner, his vision suddenly became clouded, as if looking through a frosted glass shower door. We immediately called the ophthalmologist, who over the phone had him do several eye exercises to test for detachment. The conclusion at that moment was that it was not detached (i.e., he did not need to rush to hospital). The next day, he drove back to see a specialist, who also concluded there was no detachment. Then a week later, just before we were to go hiking in the White Mountains, my husband went in for another check up "just to be safe" -- that morning WHEN HE WAS SITTING IN THE DR's OFFICE, his retina detached. It was subtle, but he actually diagnosed it himself based on the tests that the previous doctor had him do when we were at Oglebay. We cancelled our vacation and the next morning at 7:30 AM he had surgery. He is lucky and sees fine now, but immediately after the surgery, he looked pretty scary and would have made a good stand in for Count Dracula.
In humans, if the surgery is not performed within a day or so of the detachment, blindness is the result. Since it would be difficult for a dog to communicate to you exactly what is happening to him in such a short time, it would seem that surgery is not likely and blindness is. In humans, according to the specialist (who only deals in eye surgeries of this kind), a detached retina is an age-related phenomenon that affects SOME people. I do not know if it has a genetic component -- my husband's parents lived to their mid 80s and were not affected. It is not caused by physical trauma (as many believe), although a blow may trigger a pre-existing susceptibility to the condition. I have heard that blind dogs can live a very high quality life. Indeed, Berners are often blind without their owners knowing it. The owner may discover it only when the furniture is moved and the dog bumps into it. There is PRA in Berners (another cause of blindness). I would bet that there is someone on this list who has had a dog with PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) who could give you excellent strategies for helping you help your dog live a good quality life around your home, yard and in daily activities. Please contact your breeder so that she/he can update litter records regarding her line. Also, please update your dog's record in the Berner Garde Database. These records are used to study diseases in our breed, so you perform a valuable service to the breed when you take the time to "leave the legacy" of your dog's data. If you need help, let me know. Nancy Melone, Ph.D., Treasurer The Berner-Garde Foundation A 501c3, tax-exempt, non-profit organization
