Some dogs with SARDS are initially anxious and unpredictable, probably because of the exceptional stress of sudden vision loss. Most all pets with blindness maintain a good quality of life. It is important to understand that SARDS is not a painful condition. The accompanying symptoms of weight gain, increased appetite, and increased thirst typically subside over the course of several months. The visual prognosis for IMR is typically poor, however despite early detection and medical intervention.Īs the underlying cause for SARDS has yet not understood, unfortunately there is no effective treatment or prevention for SARDS. Should the electrical signals be present yet significant diminished, an auto-immune condition of the retina, immune-mediated retinitis (IMR), may be the cause for the vision loss and respond to intensive medical therapy. If there are minimal to no electrical signals from the eye then it tells us that the loss of vision is due to sudden acquired retinal degeneration. If normal electrical signals are present, it tells us that the retina is working and that the loss of vision is due to a brain problem. This test measures the electrical signals generated by the photoreceptors in the eye in response to light. To determine if the patient’s vision loss is due to retinal degeneration or a brain lesion, an electroretinogram will be recommended. When blindness has recently occurred and is due to SARDS, the exam is often completely normal. Your ophthalmologist will examine the front and back of the eye with several instruments. In any patient where vision is lost, a complete ophthalmic exam is essential. As these signs may be indicative of an endocrine or hormonal dysfunction, diagnostic testing will be recommended to assess for any systemic disease. Owners often report increased thirst and appetite, and weight gain coinciding with the vision loss. Most dogs will go completely blind within four weeks of the noticeable onset of vision loss, and many dogs will have total vision loss within 1 -2 weeks. There is no evidence to suggest that this disease is hereditary and there is not any known means of preventing the condition. Affected dogs are typically middle aged to older, and all breeds can be affected. The cause for this destruction is currently unknown, and is the subject of significant, on-going research.

It causes rapid destruction of the rods and cones (photoreceptors) of the retina leading to blindness. Sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) is characterized by very rapid vision loss in adult dogs.

Detached retina in dogs