Longtail

[Big D]

Daisy invited me to join her at a Tower shoot at the local club. Small event- only 1,000 bird release. Daisy is wearing a personal best pheasant tail - 44 bars. She ended up with 41 retrieves. She has been recently diagnosed with a progressive visual deterioration - Nuclear Sclerosis. Not sure how much longer she will be able to mark birds, but as long as she keeps inviting me, I'll follow her anywhere

[davidboyles]

John tough deal for you and dog. Doesn't stop the enthusiasm for each of you. Best David. We pick up our new Brittany Nov 15 she's a small package but so was Dessa.

[Harold Pickens]

nuclear sclerosis is a cataract, in a human thats a 7 min surgery with great outcome. How old is Daisy? Dogs do remarkably well with cataracts, but marking distant birds may be difficult

[Big D]

She's 8 1/2. We were told it was a filming in the eye, but not actually a cataract. He claimed there is no surgical procedure for this. Marking is becoming difficult, and it is becoming hard or me to give her hand signals. I can stop her with the whistle, but I don't think she is seeing my hand signals to direct her

[Harold Pickens]

Nuclear sclerosis = cataract, I use this term 50 x/ day. If you are over 60, you have nuclear sclerosis . It is simply the normal clouding of the lens of the eye, at some point, it becomes bad enough to require cataract surgery in humans. Hopefully the change will be slow for your dog.

[Big D]

Harold - Thee is no way my 15 minutes with the Vet and on line will stand up to your training and experience, but here is what I found:

"The condition is differentiated from a cataract by its appearance and by shining a penlight into the eye. With nuclear sclerosis, a reflection from the tapetum will be seen, while a cataract will block reflection. There is no treatment for this condition currently."

[Harold Pickens]

Actually, we are all on the same page here (you, me, and your vet). Nuclear sclerosis will occur in all of us -- dogs or humans. It is a clouding of the lens that occurs in most all dogs by age 7, and in humans in our 60's. I tell people that if they die before before they develop nuclear sclerotic cataracts, they are dieing young. The vets sometime describe this differently, but any change to the clarity of the lens is by definition a cataract---have discussed this with my brother who is a Vet also. Still, I bet your Daisy has many productive years left, cataract surgery commonly not done on dogs, just not necessary . Hunted my setters as long as they could physically, 12-14 yrs old.
Hope you are having a great season

[OH Osthaus]

thanks Harold - plain and simple - the vet could have said that instead of "big words"

as for dogs - distance marking may be an issue - but other than that, its my impression that dog's sight is not all that great anyway - movement seems to be the thing they spot

stand still in the woods some day and call him and see how long it takes him to find you and I'll bet its with his nose. I wave my hat when a dog looks my way after I call him in and you can tell when he see the movement

that's why field trial trainers wore white coats to increase the contrast so that when they move they will be seen.

animals adapt very well- we have a 14 year old barn cat (who has slowly become an in/outdoor cat ) - her eyes have clouded over to the point she cannot see very far, I'd say a matter of feet, in fact she seems to have trouble knowing if the back door is open, but I can move her food and she'll still find it

[David Penland]

First setter pup. Named him after my friend Ron Hauser who recently passed away. Ron refused to hunt planted birds and was compelled to modify almost every double he acquired. He purchased a very nice 7 pin sidekick Midland that previously belonged to a Takahara fellow as the name was engraved in the rib and inlaid with gold. Ron could not rest until he had the name removed however much to his dismay the gunsmith explained to him that would be a mistake and would not do it. Hence Ron Takahara. Hopefully we will make it to Ames Plantation in about 3 years.

[Harold Pickens]

I did not know Ron Hauser passed, had talked with him on the phone before, nice gentleman. Pretty setter pup Dave, you'll have lots of fun with that little guy