Quick version of what the doctors found. He is
already blind in his left eye from a detached retina, that cannot be
repaired. That was his "good" eye, or so we thought. Cataracts were not
too bad in that one, so we hoped to be able to restore good vision to
that one. That was bad news number 1. The vets at WSU are very concerned
that the trauma of doing the surgery on his right eye will cause the
retina to detach in that eye and he would be fully blind from the
surgery itself.
In addition to that, he already has increased pressure in the right eye
and the surgery can cause sudden on-set of glaucoma or at least enough
pressure to be painful and the need for even more medication.
He also has severe floaters in the eye which will diminish the
effectiveness of the cataract surgery, event without the other problems.
I asked the head doctor what would she do if it were her dog. She
said the risk of causing instant total blindness or setting off glaucoma
was too high in her opinion. This way, he may have some limited
vision for years to come. Or, if he does go blind, it will be a
more gradual fading and he will adjust to it as it goes along.
This is far better than sudden, complete blindness or the long term pain
of glaucoma.
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ADOPTED!
CONTINUED:
The surgery could not be done for a couple of months anyway, they
are backed up that far. That gave us time to really think about what
was best long term for Sitka. So, after a lot of prayer and deep
thought, we feel that not doing the surgery is the kindest thing we
can do for him. He does have vision remaining in his right
eye. He knows his way around in his barn run. He has a nice big
indoor/outdoor barn run all to himself. He is taken out for long
walks as often as we can. He does well on walks and seems very
comfortable walking along with you. He uses his nose like a white
cane, always sweeping from side to side as he walks. We all
adore and love the dog and will make sure he is comfortable and as
happy as we can make him. He gets eyes drops in both eyes every day
and is he easy to work with when you do that.
I would love to find him a loving, forever home. It will take a very
special person with just the right kind of set up, but I really
would like for him to find a home before he is completely blind.
Thank you to all of Sitka's supporters out there.
Sitka's long term care and medical needs? His eye drops cost about 30 per month, He will need follow up appts. with Dr. Collier in Tri-Cities to follow up on his vision status and the increased pressure. He will most likely need eye drops for that if it gets too high. For more information |
Sitka is an adorable 4 year old Siberian husky. Unfortunately, because his former owner was uneducated about the needs of this breed he was sadly neglected. He has bounced back nicely, though, with a healthy diet and is now neutered, wormed, and UTD on all his shots. Because he is very rambunctious, he should not be around small children or cats, but he will get along fine with other dogs as long as he has a proper introduction. He bonds quickly with people who give him love and attention. He learns quickly and loves riding in vehicles. He needs a large fenced in area because he is very energetic and loves to play. He is looking for a committed, active owner who is looking for a family companion. |
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As with all animals on this web
site, adoptions to approved homes
only and animals must be spayed or
neutered. Availability of an animal is
subject to change without notice. To return to Eastern Washington Siberian
Rescue |
©2018 EWSR