Question:
We have a 5 year old lab mix with swollen lymph nodes. His other symptoms include lack of appetite (except for leftovers) and blindness that comes and goes. Last week when he had the 1st onset of blindness, the vet said his temp was 1 degree above normal. Put him on antibiotics and gave him an anti-inflammation shot, but warned it was probably cancer. He seemed fine for the 1 week on the antibiotics, but the blindness returned on the last day. Our vet doesn't recommend chemo, and doesn't want to do a biopsy unless we plan to go through chemo. But without the biopsy, it seems to me we're jumping to conclusions here. The vet did run a CBC and GHP-12 panel, which showed no problems. Still, I'm thinking about taking him elsewhere for a 2nd opinion next week. Are there other diseases I should ask about and perhaps have him tested for? Thank you!

Answer:
When the lymph nodes are "up". It indicates that the body is fighting an infection of sorts.
Blindness can be caused by a number of things............Liver failure, brain tumor, Inflammatory nervous system diseases (such as encephalitis), drugs/toxins in the system (especially lead) :( . These would normally "show up" on blood work with atleast elevated ALT's, Crea's etc.

However, if a pet appears to suddenly go blind with no changes in the appearance of the eyes, the problem will lie with either the nerves running from the eyes to the brain or with the visual center in the brain itself. This is a serious condition that requires a veterinary neurologist or ophthalmologist. :(

If you don't feel that your vet is exploring the symptoms properly, a second opinion wouldn't hurt. Be sure to take your records with you, especially the blood work.

Good luck and keep us updated

Answer:
I couldn't see any difference, but my son said it looked like there was blood in his eyes. And they were very dilated. The vision came back gradually in one eye and then the other. It was starting to improve slightly by the time the vet got back to the office, 1 1/2 hours from when we 1st noticed he couldn't see. The next time it happened, one week later, it seemed a little slower to come back. The vet gave him a shot for inflammation each time, but since the vision was coming back on its own the 1st time, it may not have anything to do with the improvement.

Answer:
The blood in the eyes sounds like hyphema to me.

May I suggest 1 thing.

Have your vet ask for a serology report. Check for lymphosarcoma & histiocytosis.

Answer:
Thank you. I did a quick check on histiocytosis since I'd never heard of it. The article I read said it was rare except in Bernese Mountain Dogs - and flat coated retriever. Now I referred to our dog as a lab mix, as we have no idea what's all mixed up in his gene pool, but he does look an awful lot like a flat coated retriever. However, I also found that this is just another variety of cancer, which of course is a diagnosis I'd love to rule out. Still I feel like I have to know. It would be such a shame if we went with this vet's feelings and ignored something that was treatable. As soon as Jeanne blows by us today, he's going to another vet and see if we can't get some tests done to find out just what it is.

Answer: