After some thought I’ve decided to write this article in plain English for the benefit of the average dog owner. If you wish to see a more thorough explanation or bibliography, click here. As you may know, cortisol is our natural anti-inflammatory hormone. It plays a role in essentially all body functions and is necessary…
Since we’re heading into the autumn SARD season, I thought I’d try again to offer a few words of advice. I know SARD dog owners struggle emotionally with this diagnosis. There are feelings of grief and loss and anger. I know the dogs struggle, too. For over a decade I’ve received emails or read posts…
A woman on the east coast recently shared the following with me. She said that when her dog was diagnosed with SARD her veterinary ophthalmologist insisted there was no known cause or cure and also issued a warning. “If you find anything on the internet to the contrary it’s a scam. Someone is just trying…
Great question. I believe this must be addressed by dog owners and their local, home town veterinarians. Why your local vet? Because, to date, veterinary ophthalmologists maintain that they do not know the cause of SARD. Consequently, they have not identified any preventative measures. Part 1: If you’ve been reading these pages, you are familiar with the unmistakable…
There are two times each year when I see an uptick in the occurrence of SARD. The first is in the fall, especially around Thanksgiving. The second is in the spring, often around Valentines day. During these times, the adrenal gland typically experiences an increase in activity. Why? In the autumn the adrenal gland helps…
Our best understanding of Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration SARD dogs develop elevated levels of sex-hormones including estrogen. Excessive estrogen increases the rate of calcium entering nerve and retinal cells. Excessive calcium is a known seizure trigger and likely initiates a seizure in the retina (sudden vision loss). Death of retinal cells occurs in the weeks and…