SoloRiver Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Friday night I ran to the the video store for about 20 minutes and when I got home, Solo greeted me a tad bit urgently at the door. Since he has yellow eyes it was immediately obvious that his pupils were two different sizes. The left was half the size of the right, unresponsive to light, and not even quite round. I took Solo to the ER a couple of blocks away, where the vet on duty couldn't figure out what was wrong with him and recommended that I call the vet hospital in Davis. (I have since lost faith in this particular vet ER and won't be going back there.) The vet and I could not even agree on which pupil was the problem, since the vet did not recognize Solo's saucer-sized pupil as the normal "at the vet" state and assumed that it was blown. During the time we were at the clinic Solo's pupils returned to their normal condition (about an hour after I had first left the house to go to the video store). The person I spoke to at UC Davis advised me that as Solo was now stable I should watch him and bring him in only if anything changed. The next morning I talked to Solo's behaviorist, who is also the closest thing he has to a regular vet (we have not seen a regular vet since moving out here) who explained that adult dogs often present with this sort of thing once and it never occurs again, and that I should watch Solo closely and bring him to a neurologist if it happens again. Solo is due for an annual anyway, so I am going to find a GP who practices at a hospital with specialists on staff and full hospital facilities just in case Solo needs a referral for neuro. At the time Solo was, and currently remains, behaviorally normal. As of now it's as if nothing happened. I wonder if this sort of thing has been happening at other times while I am not home. It is possible he has been having seizures while I am gone, although he has no other signs of any neuro problems. Tonight would have seemed like a non-event except that I know that having pupils that are two different sizes and shapes cannot mean anything good. I just hope it doesn't mean anything very bad. I was working at home with the dogs all day on Friday. The only unusual thing that I did was develop a roll of black and white film in my bathroom, which I have never done before at home. I know Solo had no direct contact with any of the chemicals I used and I was careful to keep everything well-ventilated while I was working, but I know it's a possibility this had something to do with what happened. Anyway, I've carefully explained to Solo that he is not allowed to ever get sick and that he has to live forever, so hopefully this will be the end of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieDog Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Yea the pupil thing is scary - I had that happen to a cat I was petsitting on Christmas eve, but the problem eased and I didn't have to go to the ER - the cat had run into a wall, but wasn't hurt permanently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Devils Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 I hope that Solo listened to you - he is a man afterall so who knows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 That's happened to my dogs before. He must have knocked his head really hard on something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura (Cady and Koda's mom) Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 How scary for you! Any type of trauma (bump, scratch, etc) to the eye can cause the pupil to react like that in people, so I would assume dogs too. It makes the eye sensitive to light usually which may have explained his urgency when you came home (ie something's different). Better to be safe than sorry though since he can't tell you himself. Kisses for the boy and keep us posted.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 That's consistent with clonking the head on something. As in, mild concussion. Maybe something startled him and he ran into a table or doorframe? He's a bit young for stroke and I wouldn't think anything more serious would simply resolve itself like that. Take care! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted April 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 I made an appointment for Solo's annual at a specialty hospital in Berkeley that has an opthalmologist and a neurologist on staff. He's due for his [highly dreaded] yearly checkup and blood draw anyway. I'll keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted April 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Dr. Overall mentioned the conk on the head possibility as well, but Solo is extremely quiet in the house (he does a good impersonation of a rug most of the time, actually) and it would be unusual for him to run into something. Nothing was knocked over either. It remains a mystery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmetteabrakai Posted April 14, 2006 Report Share Posted April 14, 2006 Melanie, My Kai had exactly the same thing happen to him too, it lasted almost 24 hours. I rushed him to work had nuero and optho look at him. Both gave him extensive exams. Nada, but came up with the head trauma theory. I couldn't figure out how he could have done that either, as he is the least likly to get excited, much like Solo. I'm wondering if maybe something fell on him. You would think I would notice something like that though but the dog room has their crates and did have stuff they could play with in there. Who knows... The good news is that it has never happend again. Adnrea D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted April 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2006 Thanks, Andrea. I took Solo in for the annual exam on Wednesday and the vet found nothing wrong with him. She also advised the wait and see approach since this is so often a one-time event, and since Solo would be difficult for a neurologist to examine. I am thinking I will look up the cranial nerve test and give it to him myself. The vet thought that's what we'd probably have to do anyway since he'd be unlikely to cooperate with someone in a white coat poking his eyes and ears. It's pretty freaking scary, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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