Dalmatian illnessMo 8 am – Fri 7 pm. In case of emergencies on weekends please come directly
Important information about the EMERGENCY SERVICE in the animal hospital Hofheim
Dear pet owner,
You would like to visit the emergency service of Hofheim Veterinary Clinic outside our regular opening hours. Please note that we are currently
open only for life-threateningly ill emergency patients have.
We would like to point out that our Emergency service extremely busy and we can only take care of "real" emergencies in a timely manner. Less severely ill animals must be treated with Waiting times of 4-6 hours calculate.
New: On the website of the State Veterinary Chamber of Hesse, you can find practices and clinics in your area that are ready for service. This list is currently under construction. Also in the area of Offenbach and Darmstadt and surroundings there is recently again a veterinary emergency service ring.
In the emergency service is always Only primary care Further clarifications, if medically justifiable, always take place in the regular consultation hour or in the context of an inpatient stay of your animal.
The Cost rate in emergency service is significantly higher than during normal office hours!
Therefore, please be sure to weigh the following points before you set out:
Is your animal really a life-threatening emergency??
Which practice near you participates today in the so-called "veterinary ring emergency service" and is ready for service? Please inform yourself in the daily press or in your veterinary practice.
Please inform yourself at the other veterinary clinics in the region about their capacity and current waiting times!
In case of doubt we have to refer less severely ill animals to other practices or clinics.
Thank you for your understanding!
The team of the animal hospital Hofheim
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Phone: 06192/290-290 Office hours Mon-Fri: 8 am to 6 pm. Emergencies at any time.
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Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS)
What is SARDS?
SARDS is a collective term for a disease in which affected dogs go blind very quickly (within days to weeks). The cause of the disease is a sudden death of the photoreceptors in the retina (the layer at the back of the eye, which is responsible for vision like a film in a photo camera). Without a functioning retina, the eye is blind. In the early stage of the disease, the retina still looks normal to the ophthalmologist during the eye examination, although it is already non-functional at the cellular level.
How SARDS is diagnosed? First, the ophthalmologist will subject your pet to thorough general. Special eye examination. Especially the examination of the eyesight and the examination of the back of the eye (the retina) with a special instrument give important clues about the presence of SARDS. If SARDS is suspected, an electroretinogram (ERG) will be performed. During this special examination the retina is stimulated with light flashes. Tiny electrical potentials are generated in the healthy retina. These potentials are derived via fine needle electrodes and contact electrodes and visualized by a computer. In healthy dogs, the ERG shows a typical waveform (see Figure a). Dogs with SARDS show a "flatline" (see figure b). ERG is usually performed under brief sedation or anesthesia. The ERG is not painful but the patient must not move during the examination – difficult for most of our patients!
Figure 1: ERG from a healthy dog. You can see the typical waveform of a healthy retina
Figure 2: ERG of a dog with SARDS. One sees a "flatline
What is the cause of SARDS?
The cause of the disease is not fully understood. Since in some patients antiretinal autoantibodies (immune cells attacking the retina) have been found, a disease of the immune system is a possible cause. There is also a breed predisposition for SARDS. Especially dachshunds and miniature schnauzers are affected more often than other breeds, but unfortunately it can affect any dog, whether mixed breed or purebred. Basically, especially middle-aged to older, as well as female animals seem to be affected more often by SARDS.
Is there its treatment for SARDS?
Unfortunately, there is currently no curative treatment. Experimental therapies with IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulins from human medicine) conducted by scientists in the U.S. restored minimal vision in some dogs. However, normal vision has not been achieved in any animal. Moreover, this treatment can lead to sudden deaths due to allergic reactions. Therefore we do not recommend this therapy.
Will my dog get used to blindness?
Because SARDS occurs rapidly, the first few days are usually the most difficult for the dog. Assist your dog by walking on a leash, marking bowls and access to the garden or patio with a tactile mat, removing objects with sharp edges, and securing stairways or other "fall zones". Keep up your daily routine. Avoid "compassionate Behavior towards the dog. This unsettles your dog; instead, he needs your loving but confident guidance. Your dog will then quickly become comfortable in familiar surroundings and increasingly confident. Helpful can be a special harness with "protective bracket" to avoid painful bumping of the head (info here: https://muffinshalo.com). But bumping into objects has to happen so your dog can make a mental map of its surroundings – much like blind people scan their surroundings with a cane. Also, get support from a dog trainer who can show you and your dog new ways to communicate.
What other symptoms are typical of SARDS?
Many dogs suffering from SARDS have increased thirst and hunger. altered liver values and hormone levels are typical secondary findings, which, however, return to normal within several weeks. The cause of these changes is not clear. No special treatment is needed. SARDS is not associated with any pain.