Meet Orion!
 |
| How Handsome!! |
In August of 2016 I was working at Prairiehaven Animal
Clinic in Sherman, IL. I was 9 months pregnant and was scheduled to see a
little, black, lab mix puppy first thing in the morning. A few of my colleagues
had previously seen this puppy for routine visits and a urinary issue but most
recently he had shown signs of juvenile diabetes. All of us were all a little
concerned with this case, as Juvenile diabetes in puppies was rare! Very rare! When
Orion entered I could immediately tell the owners were very worried. He had
only been a part of their family for a few short weeks but they had fallen in
love with him already!
 |
| Look at that Puppy Face!!! |
As I entered the room the puppy wiggled his butt and wagged
his tail. He was full of kisses as I knelt down to pet him. I introduced myself
as Dr. Erika and let them know the plan for the appointment. We first checked Orion’s blood glucose, which is
the sugar level in his blood. It was
high. The owners had also been noticing that Orion panted all the time. They
were concerned that something was wrong with his breathing and they did not
think the insulin that was previously prescribed was working. I quickly assessed his heart and lungs and found
no abnormalities. I suspected it was the diabetes that had caused his body to
enter a ketoacidotic state. This happens in diabetics. Because these animals
cannot utilize the glucose consumed in their food, they start to break down
protein and fat which causes their pH level to decrease, thus becoming
acidotic. Their body has to work hard to try and correct itself, intern causing
the panting. Orion was lucky to have such attentive Owners who brought him in
for a check up. With some intravenous fluids and insulin we were able to return
his body to a normal state. For the long term he was put on a higher dose of
insulin, and with his family we formulated a plan to keep him healthy.
Over the next several months Orion continued to grow. With
every growth spurt his insulin needed to be increased along with his food. His family worked closely with our doctors to make sure these changes were made smoothly. He
was on a special diet and his owners were diligent about his feeding times and
treat times. Our clinic saw Orion and his family several times in those first months
and we could see just how sweet he really was and how dedicated his owners
were. After a couple of months of treatment with insulin, Orion started
developing cataracts. Almost all dogs diagnosed with diabetes will develop
cataracts eventually but Orion was just a small puppy. By now I was back from
maternity leave and Orion was 8 months old. It was sad to see his eyesight
fading. He started having difficulty seeing objects and we knew he would
eventually go blind. 
It was early one morning when my technician called to tell
me Orion was already at the clinic. His owner had called the emergency line the
night before because he would not stop scratching at his eye. His glucose was
in the high 400’s and they would be waiting for me to get there. On exam Orion
was a little scared. I could tell his eyesight had faded to the point where I
suspected he could only see shadows. He
had lost 2 pounds since his previous visit and his right eye seemed to be bothering
him the most! He took treats out of my hand as I performed my exam. His
pressures were normal (no glaucoma). The lens was still in place and the other
structures of the eye appeared normal. Luckily, his eye was a bad case of
conjunctivitis and nothing more serious.
I immediately started Orion on eye drops, one an antibiotic and one to
help with the irritation and pain. I kept him at the clinic with us for the day
to monitor his eyes and his glucose. Once again he needed an increase in insulin.
I had contacted Dr. Katie Fleming, an assistant professor of
ophthalmoly at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine about
Orion’s condition. I was interested in
cataract surgery for him and I thought it would allow him to see again and greatly
improve his quality of life. Dr. Fleming was great. She went over the steps of
cataract surgery and tests needed before surgery. That night, when Orion’s family came to pick I
talked with them about the possibility of cataract surgery. I explained that
surgery involved removed the damaged lens and replacing it with a manufactured
lens, allowing him to see again. We went over the risks and benefits and how I
thought it would greatly improve his quality of life. The down side was,
surgery is between $5,000 and $6,000 without any complications.
Orion seen here with cataract. you can appreciate that the middle of his eye is white due to an almost mature cataract.
 |
| Cone of Shame After Sx. :) No more Cataracts!! |
February 24th of 2017 Orion underwent Phacoemulsification
(removal of lens) and Lens replaced at the University of Illinois College of
Veterinary Medicine. He did great during surgery and recovered well. Orion’s
owners followed every instruction to a T and he continued to do well with each
follow up visit. He was able to see again, his diabetes was stabilizing as he
is now 1 year old.
Recently Orion and his family came to the clinic for his
wellness exam and vaccines. Along with them they brought a gift and a thank you
card for our staff's care and compassion for Orion. the gift was a donation, Orion’s family donated $450 dollars
to help other pet’s in need. With the gift from Orion’s family we were able to
start the Orion Fund through the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. This
fund, named after Orion, can now except donations and help other
pet’s in need. Cases like Orion and the family that loves him is why most of us
became veterinarians. It is so awesome to know that through Orion's success and hist dedicated family, we can now help others.
From all of the Doctors and Staff at Prairiehaven Animal Hospital
If anyone would like to donate to the "Orion Fund" to help pet's in need, please call Prairiehaven Animal Hospital in Sherman, IL or visit the American Veterinary Medical Foundation at AVMF.org, click on programs, then Veterinary Care Charitable Funds
