Toby (U.K.) on 11/20/2013
I am wondering if anybody might know how to help my Jack Russell dog. He is about 9 years old. He seems to have difficultly with his sight lately and bumps into doors when closing, or if I put food on the floor he has to sniff for it as he cannot see it. His vision seems to be mostly impaired from the sides. His brown eyes, seem to have developed into a blue almost misty blue covering the surface on each eye. I would take him to the vets, but I have just been with him regarding what I would describe as a urinary tract infection. I firsts noticed it when washing him and it feels like there is an obstruction(almost like a rodJ) from where he pees from - penis I guess - dunno the vet term. I have been washing him for 9 years before and he never had it and now it is there all the time. Anyway 200 euros later and antibiotics, scans etc, still no improvement. My mother took him to the vet so I dunno what the condition is called. Does anybody know a remedy for either. Thanks.
Replied By Mama To Many (Tennessee, Usa) on 11/21/2013
Sorry about your dog's troubles!
Castor Oil may be helpful to both. The eye cloudiness you describe sounds like Cataracts, which is not uncommon in older animals. Some have found castor oil, a drop in each eye daily, to cure this. I do not know an easy way to get something into a dog's eyes, though.
You can also apply some castor oil into the obstruction you describe in his urinary system. I would try this twice a day. If he will drink some apple cider vinegar in his water, this may also help. A tablespoon in water once or twice a day would be appropriate for an adult. So, perhaps 1/4 teaspoon if your dog is 12 pounds. You could just add that to his water bowl.
Plantain Tea is also excellent for urinary tract infections. You could make plantain tea and give him that instead of water. It isn't a strong tasting tea. I think I could get my dog to drink the vinegar water or plantain tea. He drinks anything...even mud puddles. But maybe Great Pyrenees are not very discerning. :)
I hope he improves a lot soon. Let us know how it goes!
~Mama to Many~
(Mpls., Mn) on 11/22/2013Theresa
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
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Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
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Some thoughts for you.
The 'rod' in your dog's penis is his penis bone. Not all mamals have a bone in their penis, but dogs do and so this 'rod' is normal for the species.
You mention a UTI and seeing the vet for this issue; was the issue detecting the penis bone [alarming if you are not familiar with the anatomy] or was your dog experiencing trouble with urination or frequent urination with greenish goo coming out of his prepuce/opening of his penis sheath? Green goo does occur in entire/intact males and is a byproduct of testosterone production.
If the green goo appears to be excessive and is an irritation to your dog, you can mix up a solution of betadine and pure water to flush the penis. Mix as many drops of betadine solution into 1 cup of warm water until it resembles a weak tea and then use that to flush the penis and cleanse it.
One issue for consideration IF your dog is not neutered is benign prostatic hyperplasia - or chronic enlarged prostate. A swollen prostate gland will affect your dog's urination habits and may lead to infection of the protate gland which untreated can be life threatening. A ribbon like stool is a sure sign that your dog has an enlarged prostate. While there may be herbs to address the swollen prostate, I have not found great success in using them and the sure fire 'cure' is to have your dog neutered.
The cloudy eyes require a professional opinion. Small terriers are suceptible to many forms of eye disease. While cataracts may rob your dog of his sight, Primary Lens Luxation may cause him to lose his eyeballs; so his sight loss really does deserve to be addressed by your vet. You may wish to ring up your vet and explain that the vision issue was not addressed in the prior visit and see if they will do a recheck from the first appointment at a reduced or waived fee.
Please read up on eye disease:
http://www.therealjackrussell.com/breed/eye.php
http://www.animaleyecare.net/diseases/cataract.htm
Until you get a diagnosis in hand, you can best support your dog by being his eyes. Don't change the furniture around. Help him out with doors and make use of his keen ears to guide him. If you do find his sight loss is permanent, there are support groups available to discuss living with a blind dog.
Please report back!
Replied By Toby (Europe) on 11/27/2013
Replied By LAUREN (NY) on 04/24/2024
Hi Toby,My friend had same eye issue with her little guy. I researched for her and found putting colloidal silver in the dogs eyes helped her little guy. He won't fully recover from the cataracts but it has been helping him see better. Best of luck to you and the pup.
Replied By Ambika (Shillong, India) on 02/05/2016
Replied By Debbie (East Sussex) on 05/29/2016
Replied By Cindy (Illinois, USA) on 04/24/2024
You can also use the colors yellow and blue to help them identify things. Everything else is just gray for them. Not screaming bright primary colors but medium, warmer shades - as in the opposite direction from green. Like a warm yellow shaded toward orange and a warm blue shaded toward purple. Say something like a t-shirt for you and a bed cover for them. Maybe yellow post-its stuck to door jams and corners...