# An Update On Ryker



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

If you did both eyes at the same time, it does seem better to get it over with. Would he have to wear patches or something? Or will he be able to see right away? In any case, dogs being so adaptive, I bet it wouldn't be too terribly awful. It does seem worse as well as more expensive to spend so much time with the recovery. I don't think you should feel guilty for wishing the other cataract to show up because you know it will and therefore, if it blossoms, he'll be ready for getting this whole ordeal over and done with. If it were me, I'd try for both eyes at once, unless there's something I don't know about that would be detrimental about it. It is definitely a stressful time. But at least it's something that can be treated. That is the good news. Thanks for keeping us posted. I send you my very best. (((hugs)))


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

So glad there are no serious complicating factors! And I agree that I'd rather have the cataract come on now rather than later. 

I first applied for Care Credit many years ago when my Standard Poodle bloated. It has been a savior through the years. Hopefully I never need it, but glad it was there. 

Good luck to you and Ryker!


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

I'm so pleased Ryker's a good candidate for the surgery! He should get a great result. The veterinary ophthalmologist conducting the study you referred to is the one I use for Chagall's annual screenings. He's a _fabulou_s guy, really committed to finding a remedy to this awful condition. I am SO glad you're going to participate, that way you and Ryker will really help others. Thank you for that! Seems a good idea to do both eyes at once, for all the reasons you outlined. I hope you can take advantage of the Care Credit, I know others who have. Running out now, so I'll just sign off with the link to optigen.
OptiGen - We provide DNA based diagnoses and information about inherited diseases of dogs


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am very happy to hear that Ryker is a good surgical candidate. since there is nothing painful or otherwise wrong with his bad eye at this point, it does seem to be the easier path to wait until May and see what is happening with the other eye so that you will presumably have both done at once. It will be safer for him to only undergo anesthesia once and easier for you to deal with the recovery once. Then it will all be behind you all at once too!

I think OptiGen does does of genetic screening in many breeds of dogs and that they have an excellent reputation.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I am so glad that Ryker is receiving such excellent care and that he s such an excellent candidate for surgery. Am I correct that there is no genetic test for this?


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

CT Girl said:


> *Am I correct that there is no genetic test for this?*


Unfortunately, you _are_ correct. But thanks to conscientious poodle owners like *Caniche*, who will participate in the study being conducted by Dr. Gustavo Aguirre at the University of Pennsylvania, the hope is one day there may be! The Poodle Club of America Foundation, Inc. is supporting research aimed at identifying the molecular causes of Optic Nerve Hypoplasia & Micropapilla and Inherited Cataracts in miniature and toy poodles. That's why PCAF is among my top choices for charitable contributions. We have GOT to get ahead of these conditions!


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Sugarfoot has a cataract, too. I'm very nervous to do the surgery, especially as only one eye is affected and there's no pain, but I might. We'll have to keep in touch with each other! Warm (and understanding!) thoughts your way!

--Q


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

I am so happy for you that it is operable! Tough decisions to make, but at least you have a decision to make and it is not something he has to live with. Truly wonderful news!


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

What great news for Ryker! So glad he is a good candidate!!! Also glad you are aware of Care Credit....it has been a life saver for many! 
I have no doubt he will have the best of care from you! Do keep us updated!!!!


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Yay, I am so glad he can get the surgery! I hope for the best and that he recovers quickly and as pain free as possible. I know it's a completely different surgery but Killa was back to normal 3 days after her Enucleation and didn't even need her pain meds. Hopefully his recovery will be similar. 


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Great news! He has been in my prayers <3


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## Kimmie (Feb 23, 2014)

I was just about to go to bed and thought "I have to go online and see what happened with Ryker?" I'm so glad there is a fix. I can go to sleep happy.


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Kimmie said:


> I was just about to go to bed and thought "I have to go online and see what happened with Ryker?" I'm so glad there is a fix. I can go to sleep happy.


Awww...thank you for checking in. That means a lot.


......Unfortunately, we have a new setback in the Eye Debacle. As I was leaving for work this morning (why does it always happen right before work?) I noticed that Ryker wouldn't open his left eye (the "bad" one) and is tearing a lot. When I got home, I noticed that he is still squinting a lot and has a lot of tearing. I called the vet specialists office, and unfortunately the ophthalmologist is not going to be back in until Tuesday! I'm using artificial tears (as they suggested) and am hoping for improvement.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

sorry for the new twist. why do these things always happen when the specialist is not available. hope the artificial tears help.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh no, he tearing must be really upsetting just after you thought you had a good picture of everything. I hope it resolves quickly. Maybe he has an allergy or got a little something in the eye.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Oh dear! I wonder if it's related the yesterday's eye exam? Perhaps he pawed his eye afterwards and made it sore, or scratched his cornea? Poor little guy! And _more_ stress for you, darn it! I guess the specialist's office didn't recommend a quick trip to the ER vet's? _Ack! _I wish this further complication WAS NOT HAPPENING! Hopefully, the eye drops will soothe the irritation, and you'll soon get the cause sorted out real soon. :clover:

You know me...link-aholic!
Ocular (Eye) Pain and Squinting in Dogs - Page 1
Eye Problems in Dogs ... Don't Be Fooled | petMD


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Chagall's mom said:


> Oh dear! I wonder if it's related the yesterday's eye exam? Perhaps he pawed his eye afterwards and made it sore, or scratched his cornea? Poor little guy! And _more_ stress for you, darn it! I guess the specialist's office didn't recommend a quick trip to the ER vet's? _Ack! _I wish this further complication WAS NOT HAPPENING! Hopefully, the eye drops will soothe the irritation, and you'll soon get the cause sorted out real soon. :clover:
> 
> You know me...link-aholic!
> Ocular (Eye) Pain and Squinting in Dogs - Page 1
> Eye Problems in Dogs ... Don't Be Fooled | petMD



Thanks so much. Ryker hasn't done any pawing at his face, at least that I've seen. But the ophthalmologist did rub an instrument against the surface of his eye to check pressure. He had to do his left/bad/squinting eye a couple of times to get a good read. I'm wondering if he irritated it? Still, I'm surprised that Ryker wasn't sore until this morning.

I trimmed any close hairs near that eye and wiped around it well. We've been doing drops and he's opening it more now. If he's not back to normal by tomorrow night then I'm going to try to see the ophthalmologist on Tuesday.

Thanks for all the concern.



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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

So much worry... I would suspect the examination left his eye a bit sore, especially if it is now improving. And it is excellent news that he is a good candidate for surgery, especially if both eyes can be done at once. Is there any additional risk to the worst eye in waiting a few months more for the second cataract to ripen, apart from the overall deterioration in his sight?


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## atlflier (Mar 31, 2014)

*Fingers and Paws Crossed*

Caniche,

Sorry, I'm a tad late to adding my best wishes for a wonderful outcome for Ryker. (Man, it's hard to keep up with posts on this board...one day not checking in and you miss so much!) Please accept my apologies for being remiss! 

Unfortunately I know nadda about the ins and outs of treating juvenile cataracts in furbabies (waiting for them to appear and ripen as opposed to preventative surgery) so I can only express we'll have our fingers and paws crossed for you both! 

Big hugs to Ryker.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I'm glad you are seeing some improvement. I hope it is lots better tomorrow.


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

So it's time for everyone's favorite...good news and bad news (okay, so the bad news always sucks). 

After about 48 hours of a mild aspirin and eye drops, Ryker has stopped squinting and tearing. I'm going to assume that the eye test probably caused some uncomfortable feelings and made him tear and squint. His eye is completely open now and the tearing is mostly gone. Yay!

The bad news? I went to apply for Care Credit today. I need about $4000 for the surgery and all I was approved for was $2800. Unfortunately, I can't get any more than 28 hours a week and I'm working for $8.50 an hour (welcome to being a college graduate in 2014). The only valuable possessions I own are my two dogs, my 5 year old Hyundai Elantra, and a SONY laptop that I bought in 2008. I have no idea how I'm going to make this surgery work. I'm constantly yo-yoing between serene glimpses of "everything is going to be all right" to panicked moments of "how am I ever going to afford this?" I made a promise to take care of him and provide an excellent life for him - and I'm failing. It's such a helpless and exhausting emotional rollercoaster. I think I've aged about 15 years in the last two weeks. Can I start selling candy bars to pay for my dog's eye surgery?

Oh, and for some unknown reason, Ryker has been puking rancid sour bile three times today. So, you know, why not?


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

can you work out partial payments with the ophthalmologist?


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

patk said:


> can you work out partial payments with the ophthalmologist?



Unfortunately, they only take Care Credit. Everything has to be paid in full with a credit card or care credit.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Good to hear Ryker's tearing has resolved. Maybe you can find some ideas for financial assistance here? Not sure, just did a quick search for ideas, sorta throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks!

Financial assistance for pet guardians | Best Friends Animal Society
IMOM Home
RedRover Relief | RedRover


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Glad to hear he is doing better. Killa had quite a bit a squinting after her exam also, I figured it was because of the stain, and papers they put in her eyes. This is such a difficult situation you are in. One question is Ryker in any pain because of the cataracts? When I had Killa seen by the ophthalmologist I wasn't working at all I was just going to school. Which meant I didn't qualify for any care credit. I asked the ophthalmologist how urgent her surgery was and she said as long as she is not in any pain and you are on top of lubricating the eye and keeping infection away she could go years living with her condition. This gave me time to find a good job and save money for the surgery instead of having to go in to debt. I would ask your doctor the same thing, and see if maybe it is something that he can live with for a bit. It sounds like maybe some time might even be a good idea to let the other eye develop more so it can be operated on at the same time. 


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

Could you just have surgery on one eye? Since some dogs adapt to being blind couldn't Ryker adjust to seeing with one eye? Not the best idea but better than no improvement at all.


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Thank you all for bearing with me! I am so sorry for my mini-online meltdown last night. I was just feeling so exasperated and exhausted. The news of my lack of credit combined with the fact that I've been over stressed (work hours, graduate school application, all four of our dogs seem to be vomiting at least once a week lately - yesterday it was four times!, and trying to pay off any other school loans while dealing with this surgery has been exhausting). That being said - it could be worse. Ryker could be sick or seriously injured, and thankfully he is not. So I took a couple of deep breaths and reminded myself that I am very blessed. So I really am sorry for my meltdown yesterday. I'm not proud of it.

I am definitely going to check out the links that some of you have provided. I only need $1000.00 to do both eyes. And while I can just do one eye (we're not even sure if his "good" eye is going to get any worse, but it almost always does with inherited cataracts), I don't want to shorten or diminish the quality of his life. Plus, I hate the idea of doing the two eyes separately - anesthesia, drops, the cone...going through all of that twice would not be the safest way to go. 

Ryker saved me from depression and got me walking again after I was in a car accident that left me in a wheelchair for 3 months while I was waiting for my broken femur and shattered hand to heal. He's not a service or therapy dog. He is not a police or military dog. But he's saved me in other ways. 

We have another appointment on May 16th to check the other eye. If the cataract hasn't developed in his "good" eye and farther, then we'll postpone the surgery for another 6 weeks most likely. He is not in any pain right now, but he doesn't have the same zip of energy that he used to. Furthermore, the longer that the cataract is left untreated, the easier that glaucoma can develop - which is painful. 

I have started a fundraiser. I used this website:

https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/n1d4/give-ryker-the-gift-of-sight

Anyways, thank you to everyone who has been bearing with me. Even though I have not met any of you, you're the best friends a poodle owner could ask for!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Caniche, you deserved to have your meltdown. Even though this is a public space I think everyone here feels a strong sense of community and I doubt anyone who is lurking is not able to identify with your concern and frustration. I started a thread a very long time ago asking how your dog(s) have changed their people's lives. Many who posted there were very candid, just as you have been and there was tremendously supportive conversation there. I hope that things start to look up very quickly for you.

PS, I threw a little money in your pot.


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## atlflier (Mar 31, 2014)

Caniche,

I've tried to read back through some of your previous posts, under different headings, to get a feel for what avenues you've already pursued as I know it's difficult answering questions when you've already got so much on your mind and feeling a tad overwhelmed. 

Max, one of my previous toys, developed steroid-induced diabetes with concurrent underlying Atypical Cushings' disease seemingly overnight: great CBC panel results prior to the injection and then 7-10 days thereafter all heck broke loose. So I can relate to the enormous stress you're under. The reason I brought my own personal experience up is this: something hits you smack in the face regarding your pet's health, it's beyond anything you could have anticipated in your wildest dreams and you find yourself scrambling to become informed on whatever the disease/issue is so you can weigh all your options. The problem is that at the same time you're battling with the desire to want it fixed--right here and right now. Anyone who loves and cares for their pet feels that way as they're family and it's our job/responsibility to make it all better. 

Hence, and take this with whatever grain of salt you need to as Ryker is your "child" and not mine, given the circumstances and concerns you have, I would ask your primary veterinarian or the ophthalmologists him or herself to discuss the findings/recommendations with the Cornell and see if their price quote for the surgery is less financially draining. Typically, from my own experience alone, teaching hospitals are much less expensive, on average, than a private practitioner without sacrificing the exceptional medical services end of things. An added benefit is there's a bevvy of second and third year students all ready on duty willing to coo over Ryker 24/7 if an overnight stay is in order. Based upon my own journey with Max, and a 3-year period of dealing with his rollercoaster illness, there's no doubt I would go back to the University of Georgia for any significant event in one of my dogs' lives as I had such a stellar experiences with them. (It was a 6-hour round trip drive for us but oh so very worth it.) Perhaps a phone call or two to the them might be worth exploring?

As to your "mental meltdown" it's all perception on your part as far as I'm concerned. You needed to talk it through to people who would understand the depth of emotions you were going through: it is a poodle (dog lover) forum so everyone here gets the level of affinity/connection you have with Ryker as they share that with their own furkids. Your emotions/thoughts were tame in comparison to the "cat atop a rotating ceiling fan" (rrrreeeeeaaaarrrr) ones I had when Max became ill--sheesh, don't get me started. :laugh:

We're still crossing our fingers and paws for you both!


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## atlflier (Mar 31, 2014)

Dang, I must've been typing my above novella about the same time as you were updating us. (Sorry the wires crossed and most of what I said seems redundant now.) 

So glad you're taking it slow, weighing options and letting the mental/emotional swirl settle a bit. Hoping for good news at your next exam!


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Thank you all for your thoughts and considerations. I've fleshed out the donation page I set up ($40.00 in two days is a great start. I'm so lucky to know good people and to be blessed by the kindness of strangers, especially on this forum). I'd love everyone's opinions on if the page needs something else? https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/n1d4/give-ryker-the-gift-of-sight

Ryker has stopped squinting. I am still using artificial tears 1-2 times a day. The vision in his left eye has definitely diminished in his left eye. I can put my hand right up to his face and he does not blink until the last minute. He also ran into two things together - which is such an odd sight for a typically graceful and agile dog. 

I'm considering bumping up his next recheck from May 16, but I want to give the cataract as much time as possible to develop in his right eye.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

i don't have a facebook page, only a nominal membership so i can check in on a few things. is someone else able to post the fundraising info to facebook to get it off the ground a bit faster?


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

A previous dog developed a problem with his eyes watered and caked with a gooey discharged. I took him to the Univ of IL vet school and they tested him pretty much as your dog. They said his tears dried up too fast and prescribed medicine. They wanted me to bring him back for repeat testing to make sure he didn't build up pressure like glacoma. I did not want to repeatedly put him thru this testing. The doctor said if I gave him a mild dose of blood pressure medicine that I would not have to bring him back, which is what we did. I wonder if your vet would suggest something like that too. My dog also developed cataracts at about 8 years but got around ok until his last year when he could not see well enough to go up or down stairs.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

bump. ryker's cataract surgery fund: https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/n1d4/give-ryker-the-gift-of-sight


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

I am so blessed to have so many great Poodle Forum friends! Many of you donated through the GiveForward campaign as well as PayPal. I woke up this morning and discovered that we broke through $300! That's 30% of our goal and a large part of that is because of you all. It completely behooves me how I became so lucky to know so many amazing people all over the globe.

And thank you, patk, for sharing the link and giving the encouragement. Many warm internet hugs!


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

just hoping folks who are skilled at facebook know how to post there, too.


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