GliderCENTRAL

Detached retina

Posted By: sugarlope

Detached retina - 03/06/09 03:29 AM

I went in to feed the gliders and saw a red reflection on Dakota's eye. When I turned up the light, I saw that his right eye was filled with blood. I called the vet to let them know I was on the way.
She looked at his eye (he was very good for her) and said his retina had detached and that was why his eye had filled with blood. She said the eye would drain on it's own and the body would take care of everything. He is permanently blind in that eye now, but it will not have to be removed.

She took pictures while we were there (she teaches at the Vet school). I will post those pics when I get them from the her later (to show the difference).

Here are the pics I took at home just a couple of hours after the first pics were taken. The level of blood had dropped quite a bit between when I first saw it and when this pic was taken. But you can clearly see the difference between the two eyes. The bright red at the bottom is where the blood level is at the time of the photo.


The second photo is just of his right eye, so you can see more clearly what it looks like.


He is acting completely normal (a little more docile, if anything). And I didn't hear anything from any of them all day before I found him like this. Vet said that we will likely never know what caused it, that it can be related to high blood pressure (which we aren't going to know about), and that sometimes they see neurological symptoms, if anything at all. Dakota has had 3 seizures in the past 2 years, (hasn't had any recently) but she doesn't think they are related. We go back tomorrow afternoon for her to check him over again and so she can get some follow up pictures after the blood is gone.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 03:55 AM

Aw poor baby. I hope he is doing better.
Posted By: gliderdad79

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 04:16 AM

I am sorry Gretchen, my thoughts are with him. Please keep us updated.
Posted By: USMom

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 04:21 AM

That must have been a scary find! I would be very interested to see the pics from the vet. Give him a kiss for me!
Posted By: tbull

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 04:54 AM

Poor baby. Will he need any changes made to his cage with vision in only one eye?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 05:02 AM

Poor little guy frown
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 05:04 AM

Oh Gretchen, I am so sorry to hear about your baby's eye hug2 I hope there aren't any complications, and I am POSITIVE he will be spoiled to pieces smile
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 05:52 AM

Originally Posted By: tbull
Poor baby. Will he need any changes made to his cage with vision in only one eye?


From what I have read on other eye related health threads, his depth perception may be affected for a while. I am going to shorten his 'free fall' space for a while by hanging couple of hammocks(if I can figure out how to do it), or at least one big one in the middle. Tonight I added some more ropes and a medium sized hammock. Watching him, though, he doesn't seem to let it affect him much.

I did notice (in the pictures) that his right eye looks like it bulges out more than the other one and this concerns me, though I wasn't aware of it when I was just looking at him. He has had it with the lights, so I can't see it clearly anymore, he's staying away from the computer screen too. I may try to get a pic before I go to bed, if he will let me.
Posted By: StitchsMom

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 06:13 AM

hug2
Posted By: Bourbon

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 06:42 AM

Grethen, my prayers are with you both...

it is best if you don't move things around, as he will learn how to judge his distance between things, if things are moved later, he will have to start all over, chances are he has already started to learn them.

we found when JoeyJoe lost his eye, he bobbed his head alot to learn where things were, and he had difficulty finding his food at first since his good eye seen it in one place and his nose would move to that place... and it wasn't there. but not moving anything in his cage for awhile till he learned how to judge things, made it less stressful, since he knew where things were before.
Posted By: KattyM

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 08:01 AM

Ginormous hug2 to you and little Dakota. You are such a great glider mom. heart Is he in any pain, or do you have pain meds in case he needs them? How do the other gliders seem to be treating him? Any differently?

Sending prayers he heals quickly and permanently. hug2
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 11:53 AM

Originally Posted By: sugarlope
I did notice (in the pictures) that his right eye looks like it bulges out more than the other one and this concerns me, though I wasn't aware of it when I was just looking at him. He has had it with the lights, so I can't see it clearly anymore, he's staying away from the computer screen too. I may try to get a pic before I go to bed, if he will let me.
Gretchen, because of the fluid build-up of the blood in that eye, the eye will be slightly enlarged. As the blood recedes, the bulging will, too. This is the normal progression of this type of injury.
Posted By: BCChins

Re: Detached retina - 03/06/09 12:41 PM

Gretchen I am sorry to read about Dakota. Please keep up updated on how he is doing and we will be keeping him in our thoughts for a speedy recovery. Hugs
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: Detached retina - 03/07/09 12:12 AM

Back from the vet, she said it was amazing how quickly his eye has cleared and said there is a possibility that he may retain a small amount of his sight in that eye. He did jerk his head away when the flash went off (just the right side of his face was out from a piece of fleece, so his left eye was covered). But he does not appear to react to things that are on his right side. I guess we will see.

When he was out in the tent, he didn't act like anything was different at all. The blood is gone now and his eye is just dark. He is still jumping and running around like he always has, but instead of the straight running from thing to thing, (he has always been like this) he slows a bit just before getting there. He seems to end up where he planned and he still looks at everything straight on as you can see in the picture above. When we got home from the vet, he jumped about 5 inches for his pvc perch (from Kathy) and landed right on it (no fleece cover, so it's not like he caught it accidentally). He takes food from my fingers ok as well (doesn't seem to be searching).

Kira acts the same around him, she still takes food from his hands and he just reaches down and gets more. (so no sympathy from her, I guess) roflmao

I was worried about pain also, but he doesn't seem to be in any. He doesn't rub at his eye, or keep it closed. The online info seems to say that the eye could be sore from the swelling, or there could be no pain at all. dunno

After reading up on it (in people) it says that it can be the consequence of an injury, but he has not fallen (that I am aware of) or had any injuries on or around his eye any time that I have seen. But as the vet said, it could also be genetic, related to blood pressure, or something else that we will never know. dunno According to online sites, he is more likely to have it occur in the other, than the typical person (um glider) but last night the vet said his other eye looks ok for now.

He is doing great, he really is a little trooper. I don't have the pictures from the vet yet (they haven't been able to get them off of the new camera yet roflmao ) but will post them when I get them.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Detached retina - 03/07/09 12:43 AM

Glad he seems to be doing better so quickly!
Posted By: DirtyPaws

Re: Detached retina - 03/07/09 01:10 AM

I am so glad to hear how well he's maneuvering around. I have alot of experience with dogs with eye problems, including sight in only one eye. Depth perception seems to be an issue for them for sure. ie, not jumping off/onto furniture/steps and 'sneaking' up on the water bowl after they've dunked their nose a little too deep. Gliders are so agile though and are designed to perform acrobatics in the trees! So maybe it's just in his nature to adapt so well. Maybe because gliders' eyes are placed so forward on the head he's able to see enough in front of him with his good eye. dunno

In dogs, I've seen, sometimes just a good whack upside the head will cause similar injuries. Also, sometimes once the initial swelling goes down you can always see a slight buldge in the injured eye. But, of course, dogs' facial structure and eye sockets are different to gliders.

Thank you for sharing your experience/knowledge with us.

hug2 For taking such good care of your babies!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Detached retina - 03/07/09 01:18 AM

I am sooo sorry, and your little one sounds like a real trooper!!!
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: Detached retina - 05/16/09 10:47 PM

I FINALLY received the rest of the pics (before and after) the pictures I posted. (sorry these are kind of blurry)

Here are the pictures of the eye filled with blood (a few hours before the pics in the first post);




Here are pictures from the next day;




His eye looks completely normal now and the pupil dilates & contracts as normal. He gets around really well - we aren't sure if he has full sight in his eye or not, but it doesn't seem like he has completely lost his sight, either. He's ok!!! clap
Posted By: LSardou

Re: Detached retina - 05/16/09 11:31 PM

He looks FANTASTIC Gretchen! Thanks for the update! hug2
Posted By: Kayrahmommie

Re: Detached retina - 05/16/09 11:54 PM

I'm so happy your baby is doing so well! I'll keep him in my prayers.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Detached retina - 05/20/09 12:30 AM

frown Poor baby. What a difference from one day to the next though. Glad he is doing well.
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