Our cat, Murphy, has brown eyes. Today, they look a little red
around the edges, and he seems to be under the weather. Is this
pink eye?
Q: Our cat, Murphy, has brown eyes. Today, they look a little red around the edges, and he seems to be under the weather. Is this pink eye?
A:
Could be. But pink eye is only a descriptive term, not a specific diagnosis. Pink eye means conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the eye. It can be caused by a number of different maladies, some of which are serious. Conjunctivitis is a symptom of allergies, infection and even injury to the eye. It can also be a sign of glaucoma. By itself, pinkeye doesn’t tell us what’s wrong with the eye. It only indicates that something isn’t right.
I usually recommend that eye problems be examined quickly. There are too many situations that can go bad in a hurry and eyesight is too precious. So take your little guy Murphy in for an eye exam to be sure that he’s all right.
Q:
My hunting dog, Percy, seems to be having a hard time tracking birds. He’s always been real good at this, one of the best hunting buddies I’ve ever had. But this year he seems to be having trouble with it. He’s a pointer and he’s 9-years-old this month. Is he just too old to hunt anymore?
A:
He might be. But there’s also a chance that he has a more serious eye problem. And since he’s a hunting dog that depends on good eyesight, he should see a veterinarian right away. Several eye diseases can cause loss of vision if they are left untreated. And some of these are easily managed. One such condition, pannus, causes a cloudiness to the cornea (the surface of the eye). Treatment for pannus can help stop the progression.
There are other eye conditions, including glaucoma, that are also treatable. Percy needs a thorough eye exam to determine what can be done to halt his vision from getting worse. You may even consider a visit to a veterinary ophthalmologist to get a total evaluation. With proper treatment, he just might be able to get out there with you again looking for birds. Let’s hope so.
Q:
Our dog, Willow, has hematuria. I thought for sure that she just had an infection, but her vet says that she might have a kidney stone. Is that possible? Do animals get kidney stones very often?
A:
Hematuria (blood in the urine) is a serious symptom. A stone, called a urolith, can cause a small blood vessel to leak blood into the urine. Veterinarians actually see bladder stones quite often. These stones usually result from infection or some metabolic disorder. Many require surgical removal, but some can be treated with dietary changes and medical management.
Kidney stones are less common than bladder stones, but they do occur. I assume that Willow’s vet has run some tests, including a urinalysis, and either taken some radiographs or performed an ultrasound exam to determine the size and location of her stone.
And yes, many different animals can develop a urolith. Some species are more prone to this illness than others. For example, dogs get bladder stones more often than cats, and most farm animals seem less bothered by all these problems. I also remember a story from a colleague of mine who worked in a zoo in the midwest.
They had a polar bear that was acting a little “off” for a week. When one of the workers noted that this bear was urinating more frequently, they sedated him and examined him thoroughly. A few X-rays and a urinalysis were taken and they quickly had their diagnosis.
This big guy had a urinary tract infection and some rather large bladder stones. With proper treatment, he returned to his group and did quite well afterward. (As my good friend and colleague Dr. Tim Toews would say, life became more “bearable”).
Needless to say, diagnosis and treatment (surgery) is more difficult with a wild animal. And all this makes me glad I spend most of my time with the dogs and cats!
