Minnie, our 7-year-old dog, has developed a white haze in her
eyes. She seems to see all right, but her eyes look really weird.
She also has a huge appetite and she eats all her food and tries to
steal food from our cats. She even went to the neighbor’s garage
and ate their dog’s food out of the bag. When we scolded her, she
growled. Is this just old age?
Q: Minnie, our 7-year-old dog, has developed a white haze in her eyes. She seems to see all right, but her eyes look really weird. She also has a huge appetite and she eats all her food and tries to steal food from our cats. She even went to the neighbor’s garage and ate their dog’s food out of the bag. When we scolded her, she growled. Is this just old age? She doesn’t seem old to me, but she has really changed.
A
Minnie shouldn’t be an old girl at the age of 7. But there are several possible problems that could make her look old: on the top of this list is diabetes. Adult onset diabetes is not uncommon in dogs and cats, and its symptoms are very similar to those you describe.
Many diabetic dogs and cats have an increased appetite, yet some tend to lose weight slowly despite this. Diabetes decreases the ability of all the different body cells to utilize glucose (sugar). The body reads this signal as though it were getting inadequate nutrients and sends a hunger signal to the brain … more food is needed.
Unfortunately, with the patient’s inadequate insulin level (the cause of the diabetes), this increased food intake does little to help the weight loss problem.
Rapid onset cataracts are also a common symptom in diabetes. They’re a change in the protein structure of the lens in the eye making it opaque. Anytime cataracts occur in younger pets like Minnie, diabetes must be considered as a potential problem. The same phenomena also occurs in people.
Minnie needs a good evaluation at the vet’s office, including a blood panel and a urinalysis. If this isn’t diabetes, her symptoms may be a sign of a more serious illness that needs quick attention. And by the way, diabetes is a treatable disease in dogs. So even if she has this problem, she can still live a happy, active life for many more years.
Q
Our basset, Clarence, has just been diagnosed with megaesophagus. He’s been vomiting for a few days, but only once in a while. He seems to feel fine otherwise. Our vet says there is very little we can do for Fred, but I think we should go to the veterinary school at Davis. Will they be able to help?
A
The UC Davis vet school has some of the best clinicians in the world on its staff. They may be able to help. But you can also find excellent care from some local specialists.
I’d recommend that you see a veterinarian who specializes in internal medicine either at Davis or here in the greater bay area. Megaesophagus is a condition that can sometimes be treated successfully. But don’t waste any time. This is a disease that must be caught early.
Clarence’s esophagus has lost some of its normal muscle tone, and has become flaccid and dilated. When food is swallowed, it gets stuck somewhere in the middle on its way to the stomach and builds up into a distended pocket. Later, that impacted food is regurgitated. A patient with this condition might regurgitate undigested food at any time, even many hours after eating.
Megaesophagus is extremely serious and can be difficult to treat, especially if it becomes chronic. The muscle in the wall becomes more and more stretched and damaged. So early diagnosis and treatment are essential.
Your veterinarian probably ran a blood panel to check for any underlying medical conditions that could cause megaesophagus. One of these, Addison’s disease, is easily treated. Caught early, Addison’s and all of its symptoms can be completely eliminated. But time is of the essence. Make an appointment with a specialist right away.
Q
I’m curious. Do dogs ever get swimmer’s ear? Our labradoodle, Britches, loves to jump into our pool and I don’t know if we should be worried about potential ear infections.
A
As a rule, most dogs don’t seem to have any ear problems after swimming. Their immunity protects them from infection setting up in their ear canal. So you might not have to worry about Britches.
But just in case he does have trouble, here are several symptoms to watch for. You may see a large amount of waxy buildup around the opening to the ear canal. Some dogs will scratch their ear, and maybe even hold one ear down a little showing discomfort. And many will have a bad odor emanating from the opening of the canal. If you see (or smell) any of these symptoms, you should take Britches to the vet’s office for a checkup.
If he has an infection, the veterinarian will try to determine whether the problem is related to bacteria or yeast. With proper medication, life will be a lot more comfortable.
And yes, there are medications that can be given to help prevent future recurrences so that Britches will still be able to enjoy his water sports, even if his ears need special attention.
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Don’t forget to join me at Bark in the Park tomorrow at William Street Park in San Jose. I’ll be there at 11 a.m. to help emcee one of the contests. Lots of dogs and lots of things to do, tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bark in the Park.
