GliderCENTRAL

eyesight

Posted By: glidrz5

eyesight - 01/25/10 01:06 PM

Does anyone know what tests I should have my vet run to check a gliders eyesight? My Nicky is 12 now and the last few months has seemed very tentative when climbing off my hands. He also seems not to notice me when I approach the cage from a different angle so I'm thinking he may be developing eye problems. I want to have it checked out, but am not sure what would be the best tests to have my vet run to check this. He is healthy otherwise but doesn't seem to want to run/hop much any more. I thought he might be getting to be a touch arthritic but he doesn't really seem to be moving stiffly, just tentatively. Last night I really began to wonder about his sight when I held my hand out to him while he was climbing and he didn't even seem to see that it was there. I realize that if he is developing cataracs or going blind that there is not alot that can be done for his condition, but I do want to find out so if it is his eyesight I can prepare his cage to make is as safe as possible for a glider in his condition.
Posted By: jacknsally

Re: eyesight - 01/25/10 03:48 PM

Just a regular check with pen light tool should be fine. Depending on the way the eye responds to the light, they can determine if anything is going on. I thought my Jack was developing a cataract but the findings of his exam was actually nuclear sclerosis.
Posted By: glidrz5

Re: eyesight - 01/25/10 11:03 PM

I did look at his eye with a light this afternoon and I really didn't see any kind of reaction in his eye. In addition, Nicky didn't react in any way to having a light shined at him....he didn't even blink he just kept right on eating his treat. I didn't see any blue cast or cloudyness to his eyes tho.
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: eyesight - 01/25/10 11:37 PM

I know there are animal eye specialists. dunno You might want to see if there is anyone like that around where you live, but they are expensive.

Dakota's eyes look pretty normal, but his pupils do not really respond to light now, since he his retinas detached (we are sure one did and now both of his eyes look and act the same, so we are fairly certain it occurred in both). If you don't see the blood, it is really difficult to tell just by looking, but detached retina can cause partial or full blindness and there is no cloudiness of the lens or anything.

If he seems to be getting around and adjusting ok, I would ask your vet what they think and probably just wait and see if anything changes.
Posted By: glidrz5

Re: eyesight - 01/26/10 01:25 AM

He seems to be getting around his cage and even around my bedroom during playtime with no problems. He is just more tentative when stepping off of me and grips my hand really hard until he is certain that he can reach the cage floor.
Posted By: the gliders angel

Re: eyesight - 01/26/10 05:37 AM

hes old i would just let him be, thats just my opinion. i wouldnt stress him by taking him to a vet at his age we all probably wont see good when we get old too.
Posted By: glidrz5

Re: eyesight - 01/26/10 08:32 AM

Nicky is good friends with Dr Kaiser. He saw lots of him when he was going through his dental issues and never really seemed to get upset by going so I don't think a well check where he had his eyes looked at would be stressful for him.

On another note, I'm not sure how much good looking at his eyes with the penlight did. I tried the same thing with Syddie and Brodie and neither one of them reacted adversely to the light either LOL
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: eyesight - 01/30/10 10:55 AM

Chris, there's things vets look for with the light we don't-certain reflections of color, the way the pupil contracts (or doesn't), and some will wear/look thru a magnifier to detect things floating in the vitreous humor-the liquid inside the eyeball itself, that could interfere with sight-just things an owner isn't experienced or set up to do, or knows what to look for. Absent visible signs of something-like cloudiness, obvious wound or weeping-owners just don't make good eye investigators crazy When was Nicky's last well check? If it's been a bit, wouldn't hurt to schedule one and have Doc Kaiser take a close look at his eyes.
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: eyesight - 01/30/10 08:23 PM

Originally Posted By: glidrz5
He seems to be getting around his cage and even around my bedroom during playtime with no problems. He is just more tentative when stepping off of me and grips my hand really hard until he is certain that he can reach the cage floor.


Dakota is the same. It seems to me, that he is just a little more cautious, but he can still find his way around just fine. If you didn't know him, you wouldn't know anything had changed. I find that I sneak up on him (on accident) more than I used to, as if his peripheral vision isn't as good (? maybe ?). I was just saying that with an older glider, detached retina may be a possibility because it doesn't necessarily mean they go blind, but could (possibly) explain even slight changes in sight. dunno
Posted By: Dancing

Re: eyesight - 01/30/10 08:44 PM

Karen, advising someone to not take their glider to the vet because the glider is older is not good advice at all. I don't want people coming to believe that older gliders will die of stress because of a vet visit. Often it is the older gliders that need vet visits the most.
Posted By: glidrz5

Re: eyesight - 01/31/10 01:09 AM

Nicky has his well check scheduled for next Thursday and there is a note in his record that I do want his eyesight checked during the visit. I want to be sure that the old man is doing well and that I'm doing all I can to make him more comfortable and safer as he gets older.
Posted By: sugarlope

Re: eyesight - 01/31/10 08:31 PM

Let us know if you find out anything. hug2
Posted By: glidrz5

Re: eyesight - 02/04/10 04:48 PM

Nicky just got back from the vets. He did fantastic, no fussing or crabbing and was definately not stressed out. He climbed all over Dr Kaiser and sat very still when he had his eyes examined. Dr Kaiser said that there is some retenal degeneration, but it is not unusual to see this kind of thing in older animals. At this point, Nicky probably has 90% of his vision still, and the poorer vision is his perepheral vision so when reaching down he probably doesn't see that well. In otherwords.....Nicky needs bifocals LOL
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