Well, I guess it’s about time to post about what we’ve been doing in regard to Dare’s vision. I posted that in the middle of September I had seen that they were experimenting with corrective lenses on dogs. I definitely wanted to pursue this option for Dare. I called our veterinary opthalmologist in Salt Lake to discuss the possibility of doing a retinoscopy and if it revealed a need for corrective lenses…working with an optometrist to get lenses.
They agreed, and we did the retinoscopy at the first of October. It confirmed my suspicions that Dare is not seeing correctly. She is quite near-sighted. The initial exam showed that she was a -3.0 in one eye and a -4.0 in the other. I don’t know if they’ve ever had a client so happy to hear that their dog has a vision problem. LOL It was truly a relief though to know that this isn’t just in my imagination.
Because we had discussed the option of experimenting with corrective lenses, they had brought in a human optometrist that was willing to work with us to find a lens that fit correctly. Dare impressed everyone in the office with how easy she was to work on. The optometrist said that Dare was a better patient than most of the children he deals with on a daily basis. LOL
After we had the lenses in, we repeated the retinoscopy and they felt like the prescription in the eye that they thought was a -3.0 would actually require a -4.0 instead. They sent us out to let Dare wear the lenses for a few hours. We took her out and did some jumping with the lenses in, and then brought her back for them to re-examine her. We took the lenses out at that point and then took her back out and re-did the same jump patterns.
Honestly, I had hoped for the same drastic changes that I saw in Lucas’ video. I didn’t see that. However, one thing I noticed right away was how she jumped into the car. I felt like even though it wasn’t drastic, she seemed different. I know that’s not very scientific. Fortunately, when I sent Andrea the video, she said that she did see some change with and without lenses. Thank goodness for a better trained eye than mine. LOL
I feel like part of why we didn’t see an immediate, more noticeable change in Dare’s jumping was because of her personality. She is a very deliberate, thinking girl. She absolutely hates to be wrong, and once she thinks she’s figured something out, she is slow to change.
Anyway, we did feel there was enough change to continue the experiment at home. So they sent us home with a sample box of lenses and we were to return in a week for a re-check.
The first day my husband and I tried to put in the lenses, it was a joke. But not a funny joke, more like hidden camera moment. I can’t tell you how stupid I felt. I had watched the optometrist insert the lenses. It was quick and easy, definitely not rocket science. The problem? ME!!!! I’ve never worn contacts, I’ve never handled them, and it’s a learning process. If I had it to do again…I would have left Dare out of the picture until I got the hang of what the lenses felt like and how to handle them. Fortunately for me, Dare has the patience of a saint. My husband and I joked about how if this had been Zoe, we might as well have given up. Zoe would never have tolerated my learning curve. Dare on the other hand…was perfect. Anyway, I’ll spare everyone a day by day, or lens by lens commentary. Instead I’ll just tell you what stands out so far.
On a good note. When we’ve been able to train with the lenses, I think her confidence is building. This is what we have decided to do. When we are running either sequences or full courses, we are running either without bars, or with the bars at 4″. Before lenses even when I tried this, she was “jumping” early and seemed to struggle to gauge distance of the jump standards. Now, she is actually running with some speed. This was one of the first times we tried a full course with no bars.
I am for the first time seeing actual collection on collection exercises. Never before have I seen that! Even on a really collected jump drill where I would stand on landing side and she only had room to land next the jump, instead of collecting and taking off close to the jump, she’d launch early and barely clear the jump, which allowed her to land close, but usually hit the bars. Now, she’s actually even collecting for little baby front cross work. Woot!
While I’m really hopeful that this is going to continue to help Dare, we are working through lots of pretty firmly entrenched habits that she’s formed when she can’t see as well. The lenses are definitely not an immediate fix to this. The weather is also going to determine how much progress we are going to be able to make in the next little while. However, I am trying to keep in mind that whatever we do now is giving us a good baseline for when we can really start in again this spring.
I do think it’s funny how life has a way of teaching us valuable lessons. I used to complain that I had to train by myself a lot. Now, I think how ungrateful I was for all those times I was just able to run out and train Dare whenever it was convenient for me. Now, I have to wait to have someone, (so far only my husband) who can help me with inserting and removing the lenses. This is not a one person task, even with a dog as wonderful as Dare.
I’m giving an extremely condensed version of what all my close friends have had to hear me hash and rehash with them on an almost daily basis and I want to thank them profusely for all their support and patience with me through this process.
Very cool about the lenses! Dare is such a good girl to try them out.
Thanks Cyn, Dare is the best girl, but I’m biased.
So Dare only wears the lens doing agility? Wouldnt it be better to keep them in longer so she can adjust to seeing all the time. Contacts can be hard when you are trying to do them for someone else. She looks really good in the video.
Diana,
In answer to your first question, yes, right now Dare is mainly wearing lenses only when training. We have tried longer stretches of up to 8 hours a day a few times, but not on a regular basis.
In response to your second question. I totally agree that it makes sense if she could wear the lenses all the time it would help her learn to trust what she’s seeing.
It is a something that I asked about on one of the first visits after we started this experiment. Because it’s totally new ground for them though they are inclined to be cautious.
Their biggest concern is that Dare remain comfortable with the lenses and that we do nothing that will result in scratching the cornea. While I know that others who are using corrective lenses for their dogs are looking into the possibility of lenses that could be worn overnight and even longer…my opthalmologists/optometrists were not comfortable with that option yet.
My own concerns are that depending on conditions like wind, where we are, if we are out walking on the dirt roads etc., it can complicate how long I am comfortable with her keeping lenses in.
It’s all very much experimental at this point. As time passes, I’m sure we’ll be making adjustments. But always with Dare’s comfort as the priority.
Wow – Dare looks amazing in the video! Isn’t it incredible that they can use contacts on a dog? I am excited for you and Dare – she really does seem to see better! Imagine what she’ll be like as she gains more and more confidence!
Thanks Ricky. I do think it’s really awesome that there are options opening up for dogs now that weren’t available before. I really hope that she does continue to gain confidence.
Wow. I had no idea such a thing existed! And I can understand your caution, as she probably won’t tell you if the lens are uncomfortable. You know how people get at the end of a day when they say they can’t wait to get their contacts out. I’ve never worn them, but I’ve heard. ANYWAY I’m glad it seems to be helping. Amazing, when you think about it.
Thanks Dawn!
wow, that is sooooo very interesting, esp because I used to be totally dependant on contacts so putting them in and taking them out and the overnight thing and the sand getting in them thing all sounds very familiar. How lucky in some ways that the problem appears Dare just has a vision problem, like it seems this ETS looking stuff could be from a variety of problems, like some dogs it is the depth perception thing and then some dogs the visual acquity thing. I wonder if they would ever get to the point they could do Lasix on a dog with a visual problem like a visual acquity thing. Seems like then you would not have to worry about the lenses overnight problem-I did get a corneal ulceration one time and that was bad because I was not being as careful as I should have been with my lenses. We were talking about ETS when I went out with Daisy Peel and the other seminar people this weekend. Daisy was saying with the dogs with depth perception problems she thought if you were able to put a patch on the dogs eye or take out one eye they could learn how to judge, but not having the perception and two eyes giving different info…..it seems exciting like maybe in the next few years there are going to be some answers thanks to pioneers like Dare about what can be done to help doggies.
I am soooo impressed with you guys and being willing to do all the training, then look for answers, finding people to help you and not just giving up and being so brave to try to get new people on board an to try something so new.
YOU AND DARE ARE MY HEROS!!!!!!!!
Kathy,
We actually did end up with a minor ulcer on one of her eyes one day.
Fortunately, I caught it right away and we went to the eye clinic. They confirmed my suspicions and we treated with medicated drops and of course no lenses for a week. We re-checked after a week and everything was fine.
I was talking to some other friends about the same thing, I would love to find out if Lasik is an option. Seems like the next logical step to me. So, I’m starting my next list of questions for the ophthalmologists…LOL
Interesting Daisy was talking about patching one eye. Andrea had suggested that last year and we did give it a try, but getting one to stay on was a challenge, and we didn’t stick with it. I didn’t see enough difference to motivate me to continue.
I agree, with the number of people looking into what’s causing jumping issues I really hope that we’ll see improvements and lots of options in the next few years.
Well, isnt that interesting that you had thought of the patch and even tried it, but since it doesnt sound like depth perception as the problem for Dare it really makes sense the patch did not work–just so cool you were able to find out she has a vision problem, boy when I had a vision problem I would move funny when I did not have glasses or lenses because I could not see well and it really does mess with your confidence moving-
I heard about your web-site and having a dog with early take-offs. I’ve looked at your videos, dating back over more than a year & I have to say your shelties jumping is not that bad at all.
Yes, I see some taking off early, over-jumping etc, so I can see your concern, but having my own dogs jumping issue I have to say Dare’s jumping shown in these videos is not too bad at all. Maybe you aren’t posting the bad jumping vides?
Thanks for the comment Bob. You are correct, you aren’t seeing the worst of the videos on here.
I don’t really have a good reason. I guess maybe it’s pride, maybe it’s fear of being judged and mostly I just don’t like seeing Dare not succeed at something. It breaks my heart. I have lots and lots of video and maybe this winter I’ll sort through it and post more to compare with what we’re doing now.
I am sincerely sorry to hear that you and your dog are struggling with jumping issues too. It really is difficult to explain to someone that hasn’t experienced it…how gut wrenching it is.
Very impressive! So happy there may be a solution for Dare! It really makes logical sense that if we have vision problems, dogs can also.
Thanks Morganne!