# Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)



## Ozziewas (Aug 11, 2009)

I would be interested to hear from anyone else whose dog has been disgnosed with PRA. My beloved Westie (aged approx 7) has just been diagnosed. The consultant said he was the first Westie she had seen with this hereditary condition.
The really sad thing about this situation is not only will my baby loose his sight and there is nothing that can be done for him, but also for the first 3 years of his life he was used as a stud dog on a puppy farm in Carmathenshire Wales, so there will probably be a lot of other Westies who will go on to develop this condition. 
We took him in as a resue dog, and poor litle chap has an overshot jaw, collapsed layrynx, bow legs and now this! As far as I can see, Antioxidant therapy has been suggested to attempt to delay vision loss but there is no evidence to suggest this to be effective. Has anyone else tried it?
I have to say that is is the most loving and gentle dog we have ever had.


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## Amy-manycats (Jun 15, 2009)

I Just wanted to say its such a shame. Do you know his lines ( so you can make people aware?), I guess there will be so many out there now that are at least carriers of this terrible condition. Letrs hope their owners realise their dogs came from a puppy farm, and don;t use them to breed from too.


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## Ozziewas (Aug 11, 2009)

Unfortunatly we have no information at all on his past. He came from a rescue in South Wales that takes all the ex-breeding dogs and bitches once they are no longer needed by the farms. We have allowed our consultant to take a swab test from him so his DNA can go on record, but thats not going to help a lot of people buying their pups from pet shops and the like. These condition only shows itself from about the age of 6, so by then it is to late. I wondered why, over the park he kept wandering off with other people, now I know - he lost sight of me. He still has some sight but it was at night is when we first noticed that he was having a job to find his way onto the lawn from the back door. I am going to try and train him to understand the word "step" while he still has some sight, as again the consultant said this may help him when he looses his sight completely. Gotta love the dog!


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

I have no experience with a dog with PRA so unfortunately cannot help you there and I hope someone can.

What we do have however and I know I am not the only one, is experience with a blind dog. Benny was born blind and we rescued him when he was 4. I cannot begin to tell you how amazing we find him and what he is capable of. I know the first thought is how a dog will cope. The main thing is to recognise the differences between the senses and how they are prioritised. In humans the eyes are the primary sense. The nose and hearing come before sight for a dog.

I'll post a few links about our Benny.

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/214541-damn-what-do-people-know-about-blind-dog-care.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/217382-benny-lastest.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/216394-blind-benny-remove-eyes.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/223712-eyeless-benny.html

Nothing is to say you'll remove the eye balls but Benny had problems which could have lead to infection.

A useful site to look at is Blind Dogs.net - Where dogs see with their heart! - Home and I hope you will find it useful.

If you have questions please feel free to ask.


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## womansbestfriend (Aug 22, 2012)

My dog took Ocu-GLO for three years (was diagnosed at age 5.5 with PRA after noticeably losing night sight) so I believe it DEFINITELY slowed the progression of the disease. I highly recommend this natural supplement to all dog and cat owners who want to help their dogs live a better-sighted life! My dog is now blind but I believe he had several extra years of playing and living with sight thanks to Ocu-GLO.


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## Ozziewas (Aug 11, 2009)

Thats great - and just what I wanted to hear. Can you get Ocu-GLO in the UK? Also any tips you can give me would be great, How old was your dog when he finally lost his sight. Did he/she have any problems with cataracts?


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## labtopia (Sep 24, 2012)

Hi,

My Golden Retriever Trevor was diagnosed with prcd-PRA via Optigen testing shortly before he turned 2. I have him on a supplement regime that includes ocu-GLO (see OcuGLO Rx | Canine Cataract | Cataract Dog | Dog Cataract Surgery | Dog Vision Problems) and saffron tablets. You can read more about Trevor's regime on my website:

http://sites.google.com/site/goldenretrevor/pra-supplement-regime

Best of luck!

Katie and Trevor


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## bluegirl (May 7, 2012)

We had a poodle who had PRA she lost her sight completely at the age of 9 yrs, but she coped very well and lived until she was 15.5yrs.

The only consolation with PRA that I can see is it is not a painful disease and dogs do cope extremely well with poor vision and total loss of sight. Our Poodle did bump into things at the beginning as her eye sight failed but once she had become completely blind she had a mental map of our house and garden and she was impressive to watch, the other thing that phased her was snow as she lost all bearings in this with lack of scent markings too.

I also know of a couple of cockers who have developed PRA recently when more worryingly they come from DNA tested clear parents. The specialist believes that they have a mutant variation of PRA.

There are books available for owners of blind dogs but to be honest its mainly common sense, keep home layout the same, introduce Boing Balls instead of tennis balls if your dog likes ball games so they can hear it roll, try using a whistle too when calling your dog back as the pitch of the whistle is higher than your voice and it helps them locate you,they even have halo's which attach on your dog to help prevent them bumping into stuff and damaging their eyes as the reflex blinking action is sluggish in a poor sighted / blind dog. I'd also say keep your dog as independent as possible for as long as possible as it helps their adjustment in the long run.

Good luck, we've had a few blind / poor sighted dogs over the years through PRA and cataracts and they have all coped very well, its generally the owner that takes time coming round to the idea.


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## Strawberryearth (Apr 5, 2012)

Didn't want to read and run, very sorry to hear about the PRA. It is a known disease in Dachshunds- Betty was tested as a pup and is a carrier, but thankfully not affected. I hope things go well for you.

I just wanted to add a word of caution. Having read a couple of the above posts, some of them look a little suspicious (like marketing), only 1 post for that username, not giving any additional details etc. I don't want to put you off, or offend anyone who may well be genuine. I just wanted to offer some caution as this has been done before.


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## Ozziewas (Aug 11, 2009)

Strawberryearth said:


> Didn't want to read and run, very sorry to hear about the PRA. It is a known disease in Dachshunds- Betty was tested as a pup and is a carrier, but thankfully not affected. I hope things go well for you.
> 
> I just wanted to add a word of caution. Having read a couple of the above posts, some of them look a little suspicious (like marketing), only 1 post for that username, not giving any additional details etc. I don't want to put you off, or offend anyone who may well be genuine. I just wanted to offer some caution as this has been done before.


Our specialist did mention that there were "vitamins" out there, but according to her, none have been proven to make any difference, so I thank everyone for there recommendations but think we will leave Oz off any tablets unless we have to.


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## labtopia (Sep 24, 2012)

I would never discourage anyone from being suspicious of things published on the internet. But in this case, the suspicion is unwarranted. Not only am I not a marketer, I wasn't even the first person to mention Ocu-GLO on this thread. It's a mainstream supplement in the U.S., and in fact, my eye vet is the person who recommended it to me--3 years ago.

Since my Golden Retriever Trevor was diagnosed with prcd-PRA in 2008 (via Optigen testing), I have done extensive research on supplements and dietary changes that may (MAY) have the potential to delay the onset of blindness. Based on human studies of retinitis pigmentosa (human equivalent of PRA), I think there's reason to be optimistic. Our best hope to find out what really works is to share information. Trevor is just about to turn 6, and he had his annual eye exam yesterday. He still has good vision, and his vet detects no signs of deterioration. But PRA is so rare in Goldens that it's hard to know whether his very late onset is typical for the breed, a result of his supplement regime, or just plain old good luck.

The reason I joined this forum and responded to this thread is that I do regular web searches on PRA and retinitis pigmentosa to keep up with the latest research. When I see posts from distressed pet owners who just found out that their dog has PRA, I feel moved to respond. I truly believe that if all of us whose dogs are affected by PRA share information, eventually we will get a clearer picture of what helps and what doesn't. It may not be in time to make a difference for our dogs, but maybe it will help the next generation of dogs.

Peace out,

Katie and Trevor



Strawberryearth said:


> Didn't want to read and run, very sorry to hear about the PRA. It is a known disease in Dachshunds- Betty was tested as a pup and is a carrier, but thankfully not affected. I hope things go well for you.
> 
> I just wanted to add a word of caution. Having read a couple of the above posts, some of them look a little suspicious (like marketing), only 1 post for that username, not giving any additional details etc. I don't want to put you off, or offend anyone who may well be genuine. I just wanted to offer some caution as this has been done before.


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## mollydog07 (May 26, 2012)

Ozziewas said:


> I would be interested to hear from anyone else whose dog has been disgnosed with PRA. My beloved Westie (aged approx 7) has just been diagnosed. The consultant said he was the first Westie she had seen with this hereditary condition.
> The really sad thing about this situation is not only will my baby loose his sight and there is nothing that can be done for him, but also for the first 3 years of his life he was used as a stud dog on a puppy farm in Carmathenshire Wales, so there will probably be a lot of other Westies who will go on to develop this condition.
> We took him in as a resue dog, and poor litle chap has an overshot jaw, collapsed layrynx, bow legs and now this! As far as I can see, Antioxidant therapy has been suggested to attempt to delay vision loss but there is no evidence to suggest this to be effective. Has anyone else tried it?
> I have to say that is is the most loving and gentle dog we have ever had.


I dont know much about pra,but blindness i do! it is heartbreaking but remaining positive for the sake of our fur babies is vital! i still cry about my molly who suddenly went blind in may(not in front of her) molly has gradualy accepted her situation,i keep her life and routine as normal as possible,try not to mollycodle her,as situations arise i learn.my girl still has good quality of life and although hard work and everything takes far longer,shes still my girl.


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## Kerry1983 (Jun 16, 2016)

womansbestfriend said:


> My dog took Ocu-GLO for three years (was diagnosed at age 5.5 with PRA after noticeably losing night sight) so I believe it DEFINITELY slowed the progression of the disease. I highly recommend this natural supplement to all dog and cat owners who want to help their dogs live a better-sighted life! My dog is now blind but I believe he had several extra years of playing and living with sight thanks to Ocu-GLO.


Hi My Cocker Spaniel has just been diagnosed with PRA aged 6. I've been researching the use of Ocu glo and would really like to give it a go. Can you buy Ocu glo in the UK?


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## Collywobbles (Jun 17, 2016)

womansbestfriend said:


> My dog took Ocu-GLO for three years (was diagnosed at age 5.5 with PRA after noticeably losing night sight) so I believe it DEFINITELY slowed the progression of the disease. I highly recommend this natural supplement to all dog and cat owners who want to help their dogs live a better-sighted life! My dog is now blind but I believe he had several extra years of playing and living with sight thanks to Ocu-GLO.


Hi do you know if this supplement works for other causes of blindness? We've adopted a collie that had come from a puppy farm. He seems to be visually impaired but not totally blind, the cause is unknown. Not known whether parents were blind or affected but dog was found on a farm that had other animals and he apparently liked to eat a variety of poo's! He did have giardia and alot of tummy issues and now has multiple food allergies.

He appears to have poor near vision but can find yellow/blue toys better than other colours suggesting he is seeing something, maybe a blur/blob of colour in front of him? Doesn't seem to have any problems tracking a ball thrown but we're really not sure if thats cos he's so good at doing it by sound or he actually has enough useful peripheral vision!...again he 'appears' to track a ball through the air, maybe going by sound, he's more accurate with whistling balls or if they're blue or yellow but struggles to find them if missed it landing. He seems to be able to see a laser light sometimes but loses it often, a vet thinks he has 'blind spots' in his central vision which makes him sometimes appear more blind than others, so it's taken ages to get a confirmed diagnosis that he is infact visually impaired!

I've just been researching to see if there's any way we can stop these blind spots getting any bigger and came across this post?


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## Queen Reina (Feb 22, 2017)

Hi, I am new to this forum and have never posted before. But, like a few of you, I've am frequently researching on PRA and OCU-glo and came across this thread. I am not trying to promote the product, just sharing my story. 
My female Dachshund Reina was diagnosed with PRA at the age of 5. According to the vet, the condition was already quite advanced (although it had never been picked up by previous vets before). I was devastated as you can imagine, specially as I wasn't given any advice on treatment (there isn't) or time scales... I started researching on it and came across several websites (mainly American) which mentioned OCU-glo, and I searched high and low until I found an UK supplier (I am not going to publish the website here in case it's not allowed but if anyone wants to know, please message me directly). 
Reina has been on OCU-glo for over a year now. To be honest, the vet has been quite vague about whether he thinks it's "working" or not, but all I can say is that Reina still seems to seem pretty well (she is 6 and a half now). Whether the supplement is helping delay the retina deterioration or she just has an excellent map of the house in her brain, I don't know, but she is very active and you would never know her vision is not as good as it should be. I am just hoping it's "working" and at the end of the day, even if it's not, I am sure the antioxidants and supplements must be good for her general health, anyway. The price in the UK is £60 for a three month supply. Not cheap, but I don't mind spending that money on if there is the slightest chance it could be helping her... 
(By the way, let me know by replying to this post if you have emailed me as the email on this account is an old one and I don't check it regularly).


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## Emjun (Sep 27, 2017)

Queen Reina said:


> Hi, I am new to this forum and have never posted before. But, like a few of you, I've am frequently researching on PRA and OCU-glo and came across this thread. I am not trying to promote the product, just sharing my story.
> My female Dachshund Reina was diagnosed with PRA at the age of 5. According to the vet, the condition was already quite advanced (although it had never been picked up by previous vets before). I was devastated as you can imagine, specially as I wasn't given any advice on treatment (there isn't) or time scales... I started researching on it and came across several websites (mainly American) which mentioned OCU-glo, and I searched high and low until I found an UK supplier (I am not going to publish the website here in case it's not allowed but if anyone wants to know, please message me directly).
> Reina has been on OCU-glo for over a year now. To be honest, the vet has been quite vague about whether he thinks it's "working" or not, but all I can say is that Reina still seems to seem pretty well (she is 6 and a half now). Whether the supplement is helping delay the retina deterioration or she just has an excellent map of the house in her brain, I don't know, but she is very active and you would never know her vision is not as good as it should be. I am just hoping it's "working" and at the end of the day, even if it's not, I am sure the antioxidants and supplements must be good for her general health, anyway. The price in the UK is £60 for a three month supply. Not cheap, but I don't mind spending that money on if there is the slightest chance it could be helping her...
> (By the way, let me know by replying to this post if you have emailed me as the email on this account is an old one and I don't check it regularly).


Hi .. I am interested in buying OCU-glo in the UK, could you give me the name of the supplier you are using?


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